Introduction to the Challenges of Comparative Communication Research

Abstract

International comparative research has gained enormous popularity in communication and media studies in the last two decades. Today, comparisons are increasingly carried out in international research teams. Collaboration with scholars from different countries brings many advantages for the production of comparative knowledge, but it is also prone to conflict. This chapter outlines a glaring research gap in the empirical examination of the intellectual and social challenges of comparative and international collaborative communication research. It introduces the research questions guiding this study and explains the structure of this book.