The Search for ReSearch

By Jordan Kinley

Connecting and contributing to the "body of knowledge" in journalism and mass communication is dependent upon finding gaps in the existing literature. An in depth review of what has already been studied and researched is required in order to determine what areas of a topic have not been studied. Without a literature review, a researcher does not have the ability to know if the thoughts about a subject are original or simply a replication of another's findings.

Various tools exist which enable a researcher to connect to the "body of knowledge." Scholarly articles can be perused online via Google Scholar. In order to find most of the available documents it is important to query searches using a variety of keywords that are prevalent in a particular area. For instance, my research concerning sponsorship includes such common words and phrases like, "corporate," "goodwill," "brand equity," "local event," "Olympics," "World Cup," and "advertising." However, as a researcher's familiarity with a subject increases additional searches using keywords that were not readily apparent can be used like, "celebrity endorsement," "attribution and balance," and "ambush marketing."

The process of finding ways to contribute to the existing body of knowledge while tedious, cumbersome and sometimes boring is all for good reason. It is important for research to contribute to the body of knowledge in order to provide support to existing theories and enable future scholars to build upon your findings. In theory, the body of knowledge is forever growing and will be able to explain every phenomena. Therefore, as new technology, communication methods and theories are developed, further research will have to be conducted in order to attempt to explain such models.

The pros of this process are that research is held in checks and balances to past and future research. Existing findings can be supported or refuted based on additional studies, which in turn can be substantiated or denounced. As a result, the process comes to life as an "ever-morphing being" that can change with the emergence of new technology or greater research. However, as a con, this process cannot reveal absolute truths. Unlike some of the "hard sciences" nothing in the field of journalism and mass communication research can be pinpointed as an absolute certainty. As such, researchers will be able to contribute to the "body of knowledge" but may not be able to define the "body of knowledge" as Newton, Einstein and Pythagoras were able to do.