TREND OF INTERNET-RELATED RESEARCH: 1994 TO 2003

Abstract

Based upon increasing significance and proliferation of the Internet in our fields, it is important to explore the state of research about the Internet, for the purpose of assessing the development of Internet-related research and grasping its future directions in our fields. This study

focuses on three disciplines (communication, marketing and advertising) and provides a detailed outline of Internet research for each discipline in terms of topical, theoretical and methodological endeavors. We analyzed trends, patterns and rigors of research studies about the Internet through a content analysis of published Internet-related articles in 15 major journals in communication, marketing and advertising between 1994 and 2003. We included both leading and Internet-specific journals in each discipline. In the field of communication, five leading (Communication Research: Human Communication Research; Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media; Journal of Communication; Journalism and Mass communication Quarterly) and two Internet-specific journals (Journal of ComputerMediated Communication; New Media & Society) were selected. In the field of advertising, we included three leading journals: Journal of Advertising; Journal of Advertising Research; and Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising. Journal of Interactive Advertising was included because it focuses on Internet advertising. In the field of marketing, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research and Journal of Consumer Research were selected as leading journals. Journal of Interactive Marketing was included because it has the longest history of publishing Internet marketing research.