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Recent Themes in Social Networking Service Research
John S Liu1, Mei Hsiu-Ching Ho1, Louis Y Y Lu2
1Graduate Institute of Technology Management, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.
Plos One
|January 21, 2017
Summary
This study identifies eight fast-growing research themes in social networking services (SNSs) literature, focusing on politics, relationships, and health, with many centered on Twitter and Facebook. These emerging topics are likely to dominate future SNS research.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Communication Studies
- Information Science
Background:
- The academic literature on social networking services (SNSs) has expanded rapidly.
- Identifying emerging research trends is crucial for understanding the evolving landscape of SNS scholarship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically identify and categorize recent, fast-growing research themes within the social networking services (SNSs) literature.
- To analyze the thematic distribution across different SNS platforms, particularly Twitter and Facebook.
Main Methods:
- A quantitative approach was employed, utilizing a citation network analysis of academic articles from the Web of Science database.
- A clustering method was applied to the citation network to identify coherent groups of research.
Main Results:
- Eight fast-growing recent research themes were identified in the SNS literature.
- These themes encompass politics, romantic relationships, public relations, journalism, and health.
- Four themes predominantly focus on Twitter, three on Facebook, and one on both platforms.
Conclusions:
- Emerging themes in SNS research are rapidly proliferating and diversifying.
- While traditional topics persist, new areas of focus, particularly on specific platforms like Twitter and Facebook, are gaining significant traction.
- These identified themes are expected to shape the future direction of SNS research.
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