The status of public relations research addressing Latin America: A content analysis of published articles from 1980 to 2020

Abstract

This study aims to examine the trends of public relations research on Latin America through a quantitative content analysis of published articles in public relations and other communication journals. Research topics, theoretical frameworks, methodology, and authorship information were analyzed using 109 articles. The results indicate a substantial increase in the number of public relations studies published since 2010. This increase became even more substantial between 2016 and 2020. Although almost half of the authors were based in the United States, the published researchers were based in 27 countries. Implications for ongoing public relations research addressing Latin America are discussed.