The operationalization of the concept of framing in the "Journal of Communication" (2009-2013): objects of study, research techniques and theoretical construction

Abstract

Operationalization and theoretical construction are the two core elements that define research activity in any field of social sciences. By operationalizing a concept of social research, we refer to the process by which objects of study are defined by means of two successive types of cognitive action: the construction and replication of theoretical and methodological approaches, and the selection of empirical phenomena that represent abstract concepts. The aim of this study is to observe and explain how is operationalized the concept of framing, and what types of theoretical constructions are present in the papers published in the Journal of Communication during the period 2009-2013. For this purpose, a content analysis has been designed and applied to a total of 50 items distributed in 26 issues of this journal. The selection of the Journal of Communication is justified not only with regards to its scientific impact and its international headship in the media research community, but also for being a publication closely related to a major research association such as the International Communication Association (ICA). In general terms, a key finding is that a significant cohesion and standardization in framing research published in the Journal of Communication during the reporting period is observed