Africa Rising? A Meta-Analysis of Published Communication Scholarship

Abstract

Using meta-analytic work, this study examines communication research methods, geographic focus, and lead author affiliation in research articles published in four prominent communication journals over the course of a decade (2010–2019). Results point to scholarship by authors from North American and European institutions being dominant throughout the decade of analysis alongside an overwhelming geographic focus on North American and European populations and content, and a continued reliance on a few research methods. Relying on the same, often Western, epistemologies and methodologies may not be applicable in understanding communication phenomena in varying parts of the world and can perpetuate colonialist practices and strengthen existing power structures.