
This chapter asks “what is meant by computer-mediated communication research?” Numerous databases were examined concerning business, education, psychology, sociology, and social sciences from 1966 through 2005. A survey of the literature produced close to two thousand scholarly journal articles and bibliometric techniques were used to establish core areas. Specifically, journals, authors and concepts were identified. Then, more prevalent features within the dataset were targeted and a fine grained analysis was conducted on research affiliated terms and concepts clustering around those terms. What was found was an area of scholarly communication, heavily popularized in education related journals. Likewise topics under investigation tended to be education and internet affiliated. The distribution of first authors was overwhelming populated by one time authorship. The most prominent research methodology emerging was case studies. Other specific research methodologies tended to be textually related such as content and discourse analysis. This study was significant for two reasons. First, it documented CMC’s literature historical emergence through a longitudinal analysis. Second, it identified descriptive boundaries concerning authors, journals, and concepts that were prevalent in the literature.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 1 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
