Abstract
This methodological article presents the research approach of semi-comparisons and describes how it could be applied in the field of media and communication studies. The point of departure is that cross-national collaborations do not necessarily always have to result in full-fledged comparative studies, but can “go halfway”, i.e. stay at the semi-comparative level. This is exemplified in terms of an ongoing long-term collaboration between Swedish and Ugandan researchers, focusing on sustainable communication involving the role of media as a provider of relevant information in the case of the climate change issue. The semi-comparative approach – here characterized by: 1) cross-national research connectivity, 2) activities in which one “puts one’s own nation in a wider context” and 3) spontaneous, cross-national research influences – enables the generation of knowledge about the universalism and particularism within the dimensions of mediated climate communication, which would not have been possible with a regular cross-national comparative study. Keywords : climate change, media, cross-national comparative research, semi-comparative approach, sustainable communication, universalism, particularism.
Highlights
In recent decades, cross-national comparative research, combined with quantitative or qualitative methods, has become widespread in media and communications studies (Downey & Stanyer 2010; Livingstone 2003; Kittler 2014)
In our experience, international research collaborations should not necessarily be assumed to involve cross-national comparative research studies. Such studies represent comparative research characterized by methodological standardization in which two or more countries are compared under one and the same scientific umbrella with a common theory, hypothesis, design, variables, etc., as for example in traditional international comparisons of media policies and systems (Curran et al 2009) or media attention to climate change (Schmidt et al 2013)
We will describe the intellectual process which resulted in semicomparative work. This will be followed by a presentation of our semi-comparative research collaboration, arranged according to the following themes: 1) cross-national research connectivity; 2) “putting-one’s-own-nation-in-a-wider-context” activities, and 3) spontaneous cross-national research influence; as well as how they together help both the Swedish and Ugandan teams to better understand universal and particular dimensions of media’s climate reporting
Summary
Cross-national comparative research, combined with quantitative or qualitative methods, has become widespread in media and communications studies (Downey & Stanyer 2010; Livingstone 2003; Kittler 2014). Not least, what is required is ever more globalized understandings (Berglez 2008, 2013; Shanahan 2009) focusing on similarities and differences between the developed and developing countries In establishing this kind of cross-national knowledge there is no “one-size-fits-all approach”; instead several pathways are available, and this is where semi-comparative work comes into the picture. We will describe the intellectual process which resulted in semicomparative work This will be followed by a presentation of our semi-comparative research collaboration, arranged according to the following themes: 1) cross-national research connectivity; 2) “putting-one’s-own-nation-in-a-wider-context” activities, and 3) spontaneous cross-national research influence; as well as how they together help both the Swedish and Ugandan teams to better understand universal and particular dimensions of media’s climate reporting
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