Balance of communication research. A study of graduate work in Ecuador

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2025-1327

Keywords:

degree dissertations, undergraduate thesis, university, academic research, media communication, new media, Salesian Polytechnic University, Equator

Abstract

Introduction: Since the implementation of the Organic Law of Higher Education (LOES) in 2010 in Ecuador, a remarkable increase in scientific production and academic innovation has been observed. However, this trend has not been significantly reflected in undergraduate degree works in communication. Methodology: Descriptive research was conducted on the degree works of undergraduate students in Communication at the Salesian Polytechnic University (UPS) in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca between 2016 and 2021. A total of 427 academic articles published in the university repository were analyzed. Results: The study reveals that Quito leads in the amount of research, with 49.56%, followed by Guayaquil with 30.44%, and Cuenca with 20%. Discussion: The degree works analyzed reflect a predominant focus on media communication and new media, with a particular emphasis on the analysis of the message and the influence of the Internet and social networks. The differences between cities such as Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca reveal preferences towards specific topics such as critical discourse analysis and cultural industries, influenced by the local media and cultural environment.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Pablo Romero Guayasamín, Politecnica Salesiana University

Master in Strategic Communication; Senior Specialist in Human Rights; Undergraduate and Postgraduate Professor - Salesian Polytechnic University. Member of the GIC 1 Communication Research Group (UPS Quito). Associate of the José Peralta Foundation for Research and Social Promotion. Consultant on communication, public policy, gender-masculinity and human rights. Author of several books and academic articles on communication, digital native media, rights and citizenship.

Tania Villalva Salguero, Universidad Iberoamericana del Ecuador

Master in Communication, Senior Specialist in Communication for Businesses; Professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana del Ecuador. Winner of the Goethe-Institut Brasil Podcast Contest. Author of several books and academic articles on topics of communication, community communication, digital native media, rights and citizenship.

References

Algarra, M. (2009). La comunicación como objeto de estudio de la teoría de la comunicación. Anàlisi: quaderns de comunicació i cultura, 38, 151-172. https://bit.ly/4eW4533

Álvarez-Muñoz, P. y Pérez-Montoro, M. (2016). Políticas científicas públicas en Latinoamérica: el caso de Ecuador y Colombia. El profesional de la información, 25(5), 758-766. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2016.sep.06 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2016.sep.06

Ardila, E. C. (2024). La modernidad de Mario Kaplún. Comunicación: estudios venezolanos de comunicación, 205, 185-189. https://bit.ly/4cHOAKs

Cárdenas Tapia, J., Salgado-Guerrero, J. P., Torres Toukoumidis, Á., Aguilar Loja, S. y Carpio Peñaherrera, I. (Eds.). (2023). Resultados de investigación, innovación, emprendimiento y publicaciones UPS 2022. Editorial Don Bosco.

Cazau, P. (2006). Introducción a la investigación en ciencias sociales. Rundinuskín.

Díez de Medina Rojas, S. y Arteaga Arancibia, P. (2023). Tendencias en los trabajos de titulación de Comunicación Social de la UCB-La Paz. Journal De Comunicación Social, 17, 13-44. https://doi.org/10.35319/jcomsoc.2023171292 DOI: https://doi.org/10.35319/jcomsoc.2023171292

Eco, U. (1998). Apocalípticos e integrados. Lumen.

Eiroa, M. y Barranquero, A. (2017). Métodos de investigación en la Comunicación y sus medios. Síntesis.

Gaitán Moya, J. A. y Piñuel Raigada, J. L. (2010). Técnicas de investigación en comunicación social: Elaboración y registro de datos. Síntesis.

García-De-Torres, E., Yezers'ka, L., Rost, A., Calderín, M., Edo, C., Rojano, M., Said Hung, E., Jerónimo, P., Arcila Calderón, C., Serrano Tellería, A., Sánchez Badillo, J. y Corredoira, L. (2011). Uso de Twitter y Facebook por los medios iberoamericanos. El Profesional de la Información, 20, 611-620. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2011.nov.02 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2011.nov.02

Giménez-Toledo, E. y Jiménez-Contreras, E. (2013). Los agujeros negros de la comunicación: Comunicación científica y metainvestigación. Comunicar, XXI(41), 10-13. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=15828675002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3916/C41-2013-a2

González-Samé, H., Romero-Rodríguez, L. y Aguaded, I. (2017). La investigación en comunicación en Latinoamérica: Una aproximación histórica. Historia y comunicación social, 22(2), 427-443. https://doi.org/10.5209/HICS.57853 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/HICS.57853

Greer, C. F. y Ferguson, D. A. (2011). Using Twitter for Promotion and Branding: A Content Analysis of Local Television Twitter Sites. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 55(2), 198-214. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2011.570824 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2011.570824

Ley Orgánica de Educación Superior [LOES]. 12 de octubre de 2010. Registro Oficial, Supl. 298. Última modificación: 2 de agosto de 2018. https://www.gazette.com.ec/loes

Lin, J. S. y Peña, J. (2011). Are You Following Me? A Content Analysis of TV Networks’ Brand Communication on Twitter. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 12(1), 17-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2011.10722188 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2011.10722188

Martínez Nicolás, M. y Saperas-Lapiedra, E. (2016). Objetos de estudio y orientación metodológica de la reciente investigación sobre comunicación en España (2008-2014). Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 71, 1365-1384. https://doi.org/10.4185/rlcs-2016-1150 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2016-1150

Maruri, F. G. (2024). La comunicación organizacional latinoamericana en constante devenir. Rotura–Revista de Comunicação, Cultura e Artes, 4(1), 156-169. https://doi.org/10.34623/7rny-g363

Marwick, A. y Boyd, D. (2011). To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 17, 139-158. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1354856510394539 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856510394539

Monge, S. y Olábarri, E. (2011). Autoexpresión y privacidad de los universitarios en las redes sociales. Los estudiantes de la Universidad del País Vasco como caso de estudio. Doxa Comunicación. Revista Interdisciplinar de Estudios de Comunicación y Ciencias Sociales, 13, 89-113. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n13a4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n13a4

Noguera, J. (2010). Redes sociales como paradigma periodístico. Medios españoles en Facebook. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 65, 176-186. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2010-891-176-186 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2010-891-176-186

Park, H., Rodgers, S. y Stemmle, J. (2011). Health Organizations’ Use of Facebook for Health Advertising and Promotion. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 12(1), 62-77. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2011.10722191 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2011.10722191

Piñuel-Raigada, J. L. (2017). La docencia y la investigación universitarias en torno a la comunicación como objeto de estudio en Europa y América Latina. Colección Cuadernos Artesanos de Latina 15. http://www.cuadernosartesanos.org/067/cuadernos/15_espanol.pdf

Piscitelli, A. (2006). Nativos e inmigrantes digitales. ¿Brecha generacional, brecha cognitiva, o las dos juntas y más aún? Revista Mexicana de Investigación Educativa, 11(28), 179-185. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=14002809

Rivera, D. y Carrión-Salinas, G. (2017). Ecuador. Un vistazo a la investigación en Comunicación. Aularia. Revista digital de educomunicación, 1, 11-14. https://bit.ly/3y0nRtt

Roncallo-Dow, S., Uribe-Jongbloed, E. y Calderón-Reyes, I. (2013). La investigación en comunicación. Los límites y limitantes del conocimiento. Co-herencia, 10(18), 161-187. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/774/77428608007.pdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.17230/co-herencia.10.18.6

Downloads

Published

2025-01-22

How to Cite

Romero Guayasamín, P., & Villalva Salguero, T. (2025). Balance of communication research. A study of graduate work in Ecuador. European Public & Social Innovation Review, 10, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2025-1327

Issue

Vol. 10 (2025)

Section

Communication

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Pablo Romero Guayasamín, Tania Villalva Salguero

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Non Commercial, No Derivatives Attribution 4.0. International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.), that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).