Spanish Academic Research Groups in Communication

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to catalogue Spanish academic research groups in the field of communication. The knowledge areas covered are: Audiovisual Communication and Advertising (105), Journalism (675), and Library and Information Sciences (040). The universe consists of 55 universities grouped in 4 geographical areas. A descriptive analysis is offered based on 12 variables related to three dimensions: institutional affiliation and type of group; specialisation of group; and group composition. The technique chosen was a content analysis of the institutional websites of all the universities (private and public) that offer communication studies. The sample is made up of 213 academic research groups and 1,158 lines of research. Findings include a gender imbalance in research group directors and a standard group size of 10 members. The aspects that characterise the research of the groups are identified by geographical area and knowledge area. The results reveal a remarkable divergence in the research interests of the groups. The most common groupings of research terms are also presented. This research could contribute to the reformulation of existing taxonomies in the scientific field of communication based on the actual research practices of groups and on the selection of topics made by their members.