DOSSIER
Comunica , n. 41, . XXI, 2013, Scien i ic Jou nal o Media Educa ion; ISSN: 1134-3478; pages 61-70
www.comunica jou nal.com
ABSTRACT
A a ime when academic ac i i y in he a ea o communica ion is p incipally assessed by he impac o scien i ic jou -
nals, he scien i ic media and he scien i ic p oduc i i y o esea che s, he ques ion a ises as o whe he social ac o s
condi ion scien i ic ac i i y as much as hese objec i e elemen s. This in es iga ion analyzes he in luence o scien i ic
p oduc i i y and social ac i i y in he a ea o communica ion. We iden i y a social ne wo k o esea che s om a
compila ion o doc o al heses in communica ion and calcula e he scien i ic p oduc ion o 180 o he mos ac i e
esea che s who si on doc o al commi ees. Social ne wo k analysis is hen used o s udy he ela ions ha a e
o med on hese doc o al hesis commi ees. The esul s sugges ha social ac o s, a he han indi idual scien i ic
p oduc i i y, posi i ely in luence such a key academic and scien i ic ac i i y as he awa d o doc o al deg ees. Ou
conclusions poin o a disconnec ion be ween scien i ic p oduc i i y and he in e na ional scope o esea che s and
hei ole in he social ne wo k. Ne e heless, he consequences o his si ua ion a e empe ed by he non-hie a chi-
cal s uc u e o ela ions be ween communica ion scien is s.
RESUMEN
En un momen o en que la ac i idad académica en el ámbi o de la comunicación se alo a p incipalmen e po el
impac o de las e is as y los medios de comunicación cien í ica y po la p oduc i idad de los in es igado es, su ge la
cues ión de si los ac o es sociales pueden condiciona la ac i idad cien í ica con la misma ue za que es os elemen os
obje i os. Es a in es igación analiza la in luencia de la p oduc i idad cien í ica y de la ac i idad social en el ámbi o
de la comunicación. Se ha iden i icado la ed social de los in es igado es de comunicación a pa i de las esis doc-
o ales; pa a los 180 in es igado es más ac i os en los ibunales de esis se ha calculado su p oducción cien í ica. Se
u iliza el análisis de edes sociales pa a es udia las elaciones que se p oducen en los ibunales de esis doc o ales.
Los esul ados mues an que los ac o es sociales in luyen posi i amen e en una ac i idad académica y cien í ica an
ele an e como la ob ención del g ado de doc o , mien as que la p oduc i idad cien í ica indi idual no lo hace.
Como conclusiones cabe señala que exis e una desconexión en e la p oduc i idad cien í ica y la p oyección in e -
nacional de los in es igado es y su papel en la ed social. Las implicaciones de es e hecho es án ma izadas po una
es uc u a no je a quizada de las elaciones en e los cien í icos de comunicación.
KEYWORDS / PALABRAS CLAVE
Social ne wo ks, bibliome ics, hesis, in isible colleges, communica ion esea ch, uni e si y.
Redes sociales, bibliome ía, esis doc o ales, colegios in isibles, in es iga en comunicación, uni e sidad.
DOI: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.3916/C41-2013-06
D . C is óbal Casanue a-Rocha is P o esso o he Depa men o Business Adminis a ion and Ma ke ing o he
Facul y o Tou ism and Finance a he Uni e si y o Se ille (Spain) ([email p o ec ed]).
D . F ancisco Ja ie Ca o-González is P o esso o he Depa men o Business Adminis a ion and Ma ke ing o he
Facul y o Tou ism and Finance a he Uni e si y o Se ille (Spain) ([email p o ec ed]).
l
C is óbal Casanue a and F. Ja ie Ca o
Se illa (Spain)
Spanish Communica ion Academia:
Scien i ic P oduc i i y s. Social Ac i i y
La Academia Española de Comunicación: p oduc i idad cien í ica
en e a ac i idad social
Recei ed: 28-01-2013 / Recei ed: 19-02-2013
Accep ed: 23-03-2013 / Published: 01-09-2013
1. In oduc ion
The de elopmen and he u u e o scien i ic ac i-
i y ha e gene ally been ea ed as endogenous
aspec s linked o he e olu ion o esea ch, signi ican
scien i ic disco e ies and he p ocess o ans e ing
scien i ic knowledge and know-how, e c., gene a ing
uns oppable, g adual and, in some cases, exponen ial
p og ess. Howe e , o many decades, a s ong social
elemen has clea ly been iden i ied in scien i ic ac i i y
ha can de e mine i s c ea ion, di usion and dema ca-
ion o an ex ao dina y ex en (Kuhn, 1962; Me on,
1973). Scien i ic ac i i y may be he o igin and/o he
esul o social s uc u es, gi ing ise o speci ic discipli-
nes, such as he sociology o science (Ben-Da id &
Sulli an, 1975; Lamo-de-Espinosa & al., 1994).
Special a en ion is gi en o he social s uc u es
ha unde lie scien i ic ac i i y, because o he ela i e
you h o social sciences and he habi ual coexis ence
o possible pa adigms and cu en s o hough ha may
be e lec ed upon simul aneously, which may a imes
assume opposing and an agonis ic posi ions (Rod í -
guez, 1993). Many scien i ic communi ies, o a g ea e
o lesse ex en , ha e geog aphical bounda ies ha
depend on hei scope o knowledge, while academic
adi ions, linguis ic en i onmen s and he physical
s uc u es o scien i ic ac i i y mo e o en han no
gene a e i s na ional geog aphical en i onmen . I is
he e o e o in e es o know he pa icula i ies o he
scien i ic communi ies in each coun y o egion.
In his con ex , i appea s pe inen o look in o he
social aspec s o he Spanish scien i ic communi y linked
o he ield o communica ion. Uni e si y s udies in his
ield a e ecen ( he i s acul y was ounded in 1971)
and a ise ou o he amewo k o he so-called «Na -
poleonic» uni e si y model, cen ed on p o essional ai-
ning. A p esen , a ansi ion o he «Humbold ian»
model is unde way, he main aim o which is he gene-
a ion and ans e ence o scien i ic knowledge (Ginés,
2004: 14). This change is leading o a slow inc ease in
he speci ic weigh a ached o esea ch in he p omo-
ion o uni e si y eaching s a . A he same ime, com-
munica ion ep esen s a e ile e i o y, as in o he social
disciplines wi h high le els o in e disciplina y s udies, in
which social aspec s a e gi en a p ominen place in
scien i ic ac i i y. Less han 50% o Spanish con ibu-
ions o communica ion jou nals lis ed on he Social
Science Ci a ion Index (SSCI) a e om acul ies and
depa men s o communica ion (Masip, 2011: 7). In ad -
di ion, i appea s especially ele an o link social ac i i y
in his ield o aspec s ha a e ela ed o scien i ic com-
munica ion, as he cu en end is o assess scien is s
and academics in hei discipline in acco dance wi h
hei publica ions and he impac ac o s o he jou nals
in which hey publish (So iano, 2008; Pe ce al &
Fo nieles, 2008; Fe nández-Quijada, 2010; Masip,
2011; Cas illo & Ruiz, 2011). S udies on Spanish Com -
mu nica ion Aca demia ha e concen a ed on he mos
ele an jou nals, on hei ole in he u he ance o
know ledge and on de ec ing he s uc u e o he ield
h ough bibliome ic s udies (Cas illo & Ca e ón, 2010;
Ló pez-O nelas, 2010; Ma ínez & Sa pe as, 2011;
Cas illo, Rubio & Almansa, 2012). Howe e , i would
be wo h asking whe he he weigh o such appa en ly
objec i e measu es o scien i ic p ominence (publica-
ions and ci a ions) is he c i e ion shaping he s uc u e
o Spanish communica ion academia and whe he he
baseline o social ela ions be ween scien is s plays a
de ining ole in hei scien i ic ac i i y.
This wo k has he objec i e o de e mining whe -
he he demons a ed ele ance o a esea che in he
ield o communica ion, measu ed in e ms o scien i ic
p oduc i i y, and he esea che ’s social posi ion, mea-
su ed in e ms o membe ship o he ac i e co e o aca-
demia, ha e an in luence on impo an decisions o
academic and scien i ic ac i i y. In esponse o ha
ques ion, we will s udy how bo h scien i ic p oduc i-
i y and social ac i i y in luence a key academic deci-
sion in he scien i ic communi y: he choice o commi -
ee membe s ha e alua e doc o al heses in he ield
o knowledge. Social ne wo k analysis was selec ed as
a e e en ial amewo k in which o conduc an accep-
able analysis o social ies be ween scien is s a ising
om he academic ac o he eading o a doc o al he-
sis (Sco , 1991).
2. The academic and scien i ic communi y in he
ield o communica ion
The analysis o social ac o s in scien i ic p oduc-
ion has a long adi ion and has gene a ed a pa icula
ield o knowledge: he sociology o science (Me on,
1973). The in luence o social s uc u es on scien i ic
p oduc ion may be concep ualised as in isible colle-
ges. De Solla P ice (1963) poin ed o he exis ence o
g oups o scien is s ha we e basically cons i u ed by a
con ac and by in o mal communica ion ha gene a ed
a s able social s uc u e (highligh ing he ole o he
eli e wi hin i ). Whe e De Solla P ice highligh ed he
ole o in o mal communica ion as he basis o he
social s uc u e, C ane (1969; 1972) s essed he pos-
sibili y o belonging o he g oup (in isible college)
h ough indi ec con ac s be ween scien is s be ween
whom mul iple simul aneous ela ions a e es ablished
(co-au ho ships, ci a ions, exchange o d a s, join
p esence a e en s and in o ganiza ions, managemen
62
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Comunica , 41, XXI, 2013
o doc o al heses, e c.). C ane (1969; 1972) used an
incipien ne wo k analysis o highligh he appea ance
o eme gen social s uc u es in he scien i ic ield in
he o m o in isible colleges o social ci cles. To do
so, she used a ious ela ions be ween scien is s and
poin ed ou ha he se o ela ions comp ised a social
ci cle in an in o mal way (an in o mal social s uc u e
wi h uzzy limi s).
Zuccala (2006) p oposed he concep o he in i-
sible college as he o ganiza ional s uc u e o a se o
social ac o s ( esea che s) who exchange o mal and
in o mal in o ma ion on he
amewo k o he ules in a dis-
cipline and ce ain esea ch
p oblems. She used social ne -
wo k analysis and he analysis
o co-ci a ions o iden i y hese
in isible colleges in a pa icula
ield. Moody (2004) used he
ela ion o co-au ho ship o
desc ibe he collabo a i e ne -
wo ks in social science and
cons uc ed a ious models o
es how collabo a ion a ec s
scien i ic p ac ice (appea ance
o small ela i ely isola ed
g oups, ex changes be ween
g oups wi h di e en in e es s,
and ne wo ks domina ed by
s a scien is s). The i s wo
possibili ies we e also explo ed
by C ane (1969). In he ield
o communica ion, in isible colleges and hei de ini-
ion ha e also been explo ed h ough bibliome ic s u-
dies (Chang & Tai, 2005; Tai, 2009).
The Spanish communica ion academia may be
s udied in e ms o an in isible college ha gene a es a
ie o membe ship be ween i s membe s and ha will
gene a e a se ies o o mal and in o mal con ac s be -
ween hem a a ious scien i ic ga he ings (cong esses,
wo kshops, academic p oceedings and p o essional
e en s, e c.), ans e ence o in o ma ion and know-
ledge be ween hem and bo h di ec and indi ec
in o mal communica ion.
Va ious esea che s ha e b ough up he exis ence
o hese ne wo ks in communica ion. The majo i y
used he analysis o co-au ho ships in a icles publi -
shed in scien i ic jou nals om he discipline (López-
O nelas, 2010; Masip, 2011). Fe nández-Quijada
(2011) es ablished a ne wo k o collabo a ions be -
ween p o esso s belonging o he di e en Spanish
uni e si ies based on a bibliome ic s udy o co-au -
ho ships in Spanish communica ion jou nals wi h he
hi ghes impac . This au ho sugges s he need o mo e
in-dep h s udies o an unde s anding o how hese
ne wo ks a e o med and how hey unc ion.
Ma ínez-Nicolás (2006) s udied he quali y o
esea ch in he a ea o jou nalism and ela ed i o he
s uc u e o he scien i ic communi y. This s uc u e
esponds o he « icissi udes o i s his o ic cons i u ion
and de elopmen ». Empi ical s udies ocusing on he
g oups ha ha e been iden i ied would be o in e es .
The pionee ing bibliome ic s udies o Daniel E.
Jones and o he s (2000) should be highligh ed, in ela-
ion o he s udy o doc o al heses on communica ion,
which ha e con ibu ed an impo an body o know-
ledge ha has se ed as he basis o subsequen in es-
iga ions. Repiso, To es, and Delgado (2011b) analy-
sed social ne wo ks in communica ion on he basis o
he membe s o he doc o al hesis commi ees. They
s uc u ed he esea ch sys em in o di e en speciali-
ies such as ele ision (Repiso & al., 2011a), adio (Re -
piso & al., 2011b) and cinema (Repiso & al. 2011c),
in Spain, a ound he main uni e si y chai s in hose
disciplines.
The eading o a doc o al hesis ep esen s an
impo an pa o scien i ic ac i i y wi hin he Spanish
communica ion academia, because o he cha ac e is-
ics o i s con ibu ion and because o he ac ha i
implies a alida ion o he esea ch capabili ies o he
doc o al s uden s. I is he e o e e y impo an ha
each hesis should be e alua ed by quali ied esea -
che s. I s de ence is conduc ed be o e a panel made
63
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Comunica , 41, XXI, 2013
A p esen , a ansi ion o he «Humbold ian model» is
unde way, he main aim o which is he gene a ion and
ans e ence o scien i ic knowledge. This change is leading
o a slow inc ease in he speci ic weigh a ached o
esea ch in he p omo ion o uni e si y eaching s a . A he
same ime, communica ion ep esen s a e ile e i o y, as in
o he social disciplines wi h high le els o in e disciplina y
s udies, in which social aspec s a e gi en a p ominen
place in scien i ic ac i i y.
© ISSN: 1134-3478 • e-ISSN: 1988-3293 • Pages 61-70
Comunica , 41, XXI, 2013
64
up o a ious doc o s in he ield and om o he ela-
ed disciplines. The di ec o o he doc o al hesis and
he depa men al membe s in e ene in a decisi e way
in he choice o he commi ee membe s h ough in o -
mal p ocesses, which a e he e o e based on conside-
a ions ha go beyond he pu ely scien i ic. These
choices should be based on c i e ia ha should be
objec i e, a ising om he esea ch capabili ies o he
membe s ha si on he doc o al commi ees. The
scien i ic p oduc i i y o academics is a measu e o he
success o hei scien i ic ac i i y, ma king he oad
owa ds p o essional p og ess (Alcán a a, 2000; Joy,
2009). The e o e, he p o essional de elopmen o
esea che s and, consequen ly, hei selec ion by he
academic communi y o conduc esea ch- ela ed ac i-
i ies will be condi ioned by wha hey a e objec i ely
able o con ibu e. Thus,
• Hypo hesis 1: The selec ion o doc o al commi -
ee membe s in he ield o communica ion will be
posi i ely in luenced by hei scien i ic p oduc i i y,
measu ed by hei publica ions and he numbe o ci a-
ions ecei ed.
Fu he mo e, a complemen a y hypo hesis may be
de eloped ha links social ac o s o ele an decisions
o scien i ic ac i i y in communica ion. I appea s logi-
cal o hink ha social s uc u es ha ake shape in he
ne wo k o esea che s and academics in an a ea o
knowledge migh de e mine o condi ion he e alua-
ion o a i s a e piece o esea ch and he acc edi a-
ion wi hin he scien i ic communi y o he in es iga i e
wo h o he doc o and. The idea o he a o emen -
ioned social ci cles o in isible colleges (C ane, 1972)
and he ne wo k s uc u e in he academic ela ions
be ween esea che s (Molina, Mu ñoz & Doménech,
2002) help explain a possible associa ion be ween
pe sonal and p o essional knowledge ans e be -
ween communica ion esea che s and academics and
he choices ha hey make, so ha o he ac o s e alua-
e he heses ha hey ha e di ec ed. In an empi ical
way and using social ne wo k analysis, Sie a (2003)
demons a ed, on he basis o he composi ion o CSIC
hesis commi ees, ha he choice o commi ee mem-
be s did no ollow andom c i e ia, bu ha he e is a
social g ounding o hose decisions. Likewise,
Casanue a and La inaga (2013) p esen ed e idence
ha social ac o s and, in pa icula , he p e ious con-
ac be ween o he membe s
o he ne wo k signi ican ly
in luenced he choice o doc o-
al commi ee membe s and
hei chai pe sons in he disci-
pline o accoun ing and inan-
ce. The ollowing hypo hesis
may he e o e be o mula ed:
• Hypo hesis 2: he selec-
ion o doc o al commi ee
membe s in he ield o com-
munica ion will be posi i ely
in luenced by he social ac i i y
o he membe s o he acade-
mia.
3. Me hods
3.1. The ne wo k in he ield o communica ion
based on doc o al commi ees
The ne wo k cons i u ed by esea che s and aca-
demics om he ield o communica ion who ha e
pa icipa ed in doc o al commi ees om 2000 up un il
2012 is selec ed as he a ea o s udy, in o de o es
he wo hypo heses on he in luence o scien i ic p o-
duc i i y and social ac i i y in scien i ic decisions. The
Teseo da abase was used o dema ca e he a ea o
s udy, which p o ides di e en in o ma ion on doc o-
al heses ead in Spain. This da abase is s ill he mos
comple e esou ce a ailable and an essen ial e e ence
o he consul a ion o doc o al heses in Spanish uni-
e si ies (So li & Me lo, 2002: 203), e en hough i
p esen s a se ies o d awbacks such as lack o s anda -
diza ion, incomple eness, duplica ion o en ies and
omissions (Repiso & al., 2011: 419). The de ini ion o
he heses wi hin he a ea is complica ed, inso a as
he e a e no sui able desc ip o s ha ma k ou clea
on ie s, wi hou o e laps in he a ea o communica-
ion. The e o e, ou s a egy in ol ed he iden i ica-
ion o all heses p oduced in depa men s o audio i-
sual communica ion, ma ke ing and jou nalism om all
Spanish uni e si ies. In o al, 1298 doc o al heses
The scien i ic p oduc i i y o academics is a measu e o he
success o hei scien i ic ac i i y, ma king he oad owa ds
p o essional p og ess. The e o e, he p o essional de elop-
men o esea che s and, consequen ly, hei selec ion by he
academic communi y o conduc esea ch- ela ed ac i i ies
will be condi ioned by wha hey a e objec i ely able
o con ibu e.
© ISSN: 1134-3478 • e-ISSN: 1988-3293 • Pages 61-70
Comunica , 41, XXI, 2013
65
ead in he pe iod unde conside a ion we e analysed.
Almos 2500 di e en doc o s had a ole in hose he-
ses as di ec o s and membe s o he doc o al commi -
ees, as esea che s in he same o in o he simila dis-
ciplines in Spain o as o eign doc o s. Many o hese
ac o s had no ele an ole in he ne wo k. A ela ional
c i e ion was he e o e chosen, in line wi h Laumann
and o he s (1989), when de ining he ne wo k, in
o de o conduc a mo e sui able empi ical analysis
ha would espond o he pu pose o his in es iga ion,
in such a way ha only hose doc o s who sa on eigh
commi ees o mo e we e analysed. This mean a
mo e manageable and su icien ly b oad ne wo k in
e ms o i s analysis ha would limi i sel o he 180
mos ac i e doc o s on he doc o al commi ees.
Da a ob ained on hese 180 esea che s in he ield
o communica ion e e o hei a ilia ions and o hei
scien i ic p oduc i i y. The numbe o publica ions
and he numbe o ci a ions om hose same publica-
ions we e used o he calcula ion o scien i ic p o-
duc ion. The in o ma ion con ained in he mos s an-
da dized in e na ional da abases (SSCI and Scopus)
p oduced no sea ch esul s ha clea ly di e en ia ed
be ween he 180 membe s chosen om he ne wo k
in e ms o hei scien i ic p oduc ion. Fo example,
only 27.22% o hem had one o mo e publica ions in
SSCI. This inding is consis en wi h ea lie s udies
ha desc ibed he limi ed in e na ionaliza ion o publi-
ca ions om communica ion academics in Spain
(Masip, 2011). So, we e e ed o Google Schola o
ob ain he mos impo an da a on he scien i ic p o-
duc ion o he 180 ac o s. Ha zing’s Publish o Pe ish
( e sion 2.8.3.4792), a ailable as an on-line p og am-
me, was used o sys ema ise he sea ch. Da a e e ing
o a icles in jou nals, books, and chap e s o books
we e all conside ed. Manual inspec ion he da a ga -
he ed in his way and i s egis a ion was done, as his
ool is no e y disc imina o y wi h ega d o names
and documen ypes.
3.2. Analysis o social ne wo ks
The s udy o he in luence o social ela ions in
academic decisions, and mo e speci ically in he selec-
ion p ocesses o he commi ees ha will e alua e
doc o al heses should pay speci ic a en ion o he
social ela ions ha hey engende and he social s uc-
u e ha a ises om hem. An accep able analysis o
social s uc u es should be based on speci ic da a, no
on he cha ac e is ics, bu on he social ies o he indi-
idual. Social ne wo k analysis is used o his pu pose
(Wellman & Be kowi z, 1988).
Unlike quan i a i e me hods o in es iga ion in
social sciences, based on he analysis o he a ibu es
o sample elemen s (Wasse man & Faus , 1994),
social ne wo k analysis cen es i s a en ion on he
iden i ica ion o he ies ha a e gene a ed be ween a
se ies o nodes o ac o s ha cons i u e he ne wo k.
Social ne wo k analysis a emp s o e eal he o e all
s uc u e o he ies be ween ac o s, iden i ying he
exis ence o gene al ela ional pa e ns ha esul om
he abs ac ion o indi idual choices o om he links
be ween he nodes.
A ne wo k may be de ined in a simple way as a se
o in e ela ed nodes. So, he s a ing poin o ne wo k
analysis is he s udy o hese wo basic uni s: he nodes
ha ep esen he ac o s o elemen s o he ne wo k
and he ies be ween hose nodes. Since i s ecen o i-
gin, social ne wo k analysis has been applied o he
s udy o scien i ic ac i i y (C ane, 1972). I has unde -
gone no able de elopmen o e ecen yea s wi h he
a ailabili y o massi e bibliog aphies on co-au ho ships
in scien i ic publica ions (Moody, 2004; Newman,
2001).
3.3. Va iables
Di e en eg ession models we e p epa ed o es
he hypo hesis, he a iables o which a e explained
below:
• Dependen Va iable. As an ou come a iable,
he dependen a iable used he sum o he imes ha
each o he 180 doc o s who ep esen he sample o
he mos ac i e doc o s was chosen o pa icipa e in a
doc o al commi ee. As men ioned ea lie , he mini-
mum alue o his a iable was se a 8.
• Independen Va iables. Fou basic indica o s o
scien i ic p oduc i i y we e used o hei measu e-
men . In he i s place, «Publica ions» measu ed he
b ead h o scien i ic p oduc ion h oughou he p o es-
sional ca ee o each ne wo k membe . These inclu-
ded books, book chap e s, and publica ions in scien i-
ic jou nals ha ha e been ci ed a leas once. They
a e aken in agg ega e, wi hou di e en ia ing be ween
documen ypes. In second place, he a iable «Ci a -
ions» co esponds o he numbe o ci a ions o each
au ho ecei ed by he a o emen ioned publica ions.
The hi d a iable seeks an o e all measu emen o
publica ion capaci y and o he impac o he publi shed
documen s measu ed by he numbe o ci a ions hey
ha e ecei ed: « he h-Index». An au ho will ha e an
h-index o 10, i 10 o he au ho ’s a icles ha e ecei-
ed a leas 10 ci a ions. The ou h a iable, «In -
e na ional», akes a alue o 1 i he membe o he
ne wo k has published in an SSCI jou nal, which was
aken as a e e ence o indica e he in e na ional scope

© ISSN: 1134-3478 • e-ISSN: 1988-3293 • Pages 61-70
Comunica , 41, XXI, 2013
66
o an au ho , and a alue o 0 i o he wise. The p e-
pa a ion o he indica o o social ac i i y was mo e
complex. In he i s place, a new ne wo k was cons-
uc ed, in which he link unde conside a ion was he
join p esence o academics a he eading o a doc o-
al hesis. In o he wo ds, each hesis b ings oge he
commi ee membe s, di ec o s, and co-di ec o s o he
hesis a a single academic ac ( om which o he social
e en s o en a ise). This mu ual con ac means ha he
membe s o he ne wo k ge o know each o he (o
hei amilia i y is deepened). The social ne wo k p o-
g amme UCINET (Bo ga i, E e e & F eeman,
2002) was used o cons uc he indica o , which di -
ides he ne wo k in o wo g oups by means o a p o-
cess o i e a ion. The i s o hese is made up o he
co e o he ne wo k and second by i s pe iphe y. The
a iable «Co e» is de e mined by he doc o o ming
pa o ha ne wo k co e wi h a join p esence on doc-
o al commi ees in he ield o communica ion.
Con ol Va iables. Two con ol a iables we e
used. The «Chai » a iable seeks o e lec he alue o
occupying he mos senio pos s in he academic hie-
a chy as a p edic o o academic elec ions, as high-
ligh ed in ea lie s udies in he con ex o Spain
(Casanue a & La -
inaga, 2013) and in
he con ex o Ge -
many (Mulle -Camen
& Salzgebe , 2005).
A dicho omic a iable
was cons uc ed wi h
a alue o 1 o acade-
mics ha occupy a
uni e si y chai . The
second con ol a ia-
ble «Jou nal Edi o ial
Boa d» measu es
whe he a membe o
he ne wo k o ms
pa o he manage-
ial, scien i ic and/o
edi o ial boa ds o he
nine jou nals (Re is a
La ina, Comunicación y So ciedad, Comunica , Es -
udios del Mensaje Pe io dís ico, Ze , T ípodos, Ám -
bi os, Anàlisi y Telos) in he i s qua ile o he In-Recs
index o 2011.
4. Resul s
G aph 1 shows he ne wo k o he 180 mos ac i e
doc o al commi ee membe s. E en hough he exis-
ence o e y dense zones may be app ecia ed in he
g aph o he ne wo k, i is be e o s udy he indica o s
ha a ise om he analysis o social ne wo ks, as g a -
phic ep esen a ions o e a e y limi ed scope o
analysis. Table 1 p esen s he mos ele an indica o s
o he comple e ne wo k o he selec ion o he doc o-
al commi ee membe s in he ield o communica ion
oge he wi h hose same indica o s e e ing o he
ne wo k ha comp ises he 180 doc o s selec ed o
he empi ical analysis. Da a on academic ne wo ks
om ano he wo a eas o he social sciences a e
shown, o acili a e a compa a i e analysis o he da a
on ne wo k s uc u e: ma ke ing (Casanue a & Espa -
sandín, 2004) and accoun ing and inance (Casa -
nue a, Escoba & La inaga, 2007).
The i s ow o able 1 shows he size o he ne -
wo k, which se es as a good e e ence in o de o
analyse i s s uc u e, as many indica o s o he ne wo k
s uc u e will depend on i . The size o he ne wo k o
all he doc o s pa icipa ing in he doc o al commi ees
unde conside a ion is 2496, while he ies be ween
he 180 mos ac i e membe s we e ca e ully analysed,
as opposed o he 255 o accoun ing and he 84 o
ma ke ing.
The densi y is shown in he second ow o able
1. Densi y e e s o he numbe o eal ies in he ne -
wo k in compa ison wi h all he possible ies be ween
i s membe s. The low densi y o he comple e commu-
nica ion ne wo k, wi h only 0.1% o possible links, is
p incipally because o he la ge numbe o nodes ha
make up ha ne wo k in ela ion o he numbe o
people ha can in e ene in each e en ( eading o a
hesis). The densi y in he second ne wo k inc eases
by a ac o o 50, almos eaching 5%. This ela ional
G aph 1. G aph o he ne wo k o 180 esea che s.
© ISSN: 1134-3478 • e-ISSN: 1988-3293 • Pages 61-70
Comunica , 41, XXI, 2013
67
le el is al eady mode a ely high and shows ha he
180 ac o s in he ne wo k show signi ican cohesion
be ween each o he and ha hey ha e had he oppo -
uni y o sha ing asks wi h many o he membe s o he
doc o al commi ees. In ac , he densi y is wice ha
o he wo p e iously men ioned a eas o knowledge,
such ha selec ion in he ield o communica ion is
conside ably mo e in e connec ed han in o he a eas
o he social sciences in Spain.
Indeg ee cen aliza ion indica es how he ne wo k
is concen a ed a ound ce ain poin s, bu he le el o
ies ela ing o selec ion is e y low in he comple e
ne wo k (2.46%) and is no conside able (12.67%) in
he case o he 180 mos ac i e membe s. I leads one
o hink ha he ne wo k is no e y cen alized and,
he e o e, no e y hie a chical. This is e y impo an ,
as i s sugges s ha he academic ac o eading a hesis
is qui e open o he pa icipa ion o many ac o s and is
no ocused on a social s uc u e wi h a dominan cen-
al co e.
Con e sely, ou deg ee cen aliza ion is an indica-
o o he le el a which he hesis managemen p o-
cess is ocused on a ew doc o s. The alues a e low
o bo h he o e all ne wo k (almos 7%) and he 180
membe s (15.48%), such ha once again he ac i i y o
managing a hesis is on he whole no linked o a cen-
al g oup. Simila alues a e ound in he wo o he
a eas unde analysis.
Be weeness cen aliza ion p esen s low alues in
he ou ne wo ks p esen ed in able 1, such ha only
wi h di icul y can doc o s exploi
hei posi ion as in e media ies o
b oke s (in gene al e ms) o con-
nec mo e dis an o sepa a e pa s
o he ne wo k and o gain ad an-
age om ha posi ion. This si ua-
ion is an indica o ha he ne -
wo k is well connec ed and ha
anyone can access ano he node
in he ne wo k along di e en
pa hs. Once again, i sugges s ha his s uc u e is a
emo ed om a hie a chical one.
Table 2 shows he mean and he s anda d de ia-
ion o he p e iously explained a iables. The mos
s iking poin is ha a e age scien i ic p oduc i i y o
he 180 mos ac i e membe s o he doc o al commi -
ees in he ield o communica ion is qui e high, close
o 20 publica ions wi h a leas one ci a ion on a e age,
he same as he impac o he jou nal, as he a e age
numbe o ci a ions ha hey ha e is 186. This las
poin should be quali ied, as he dispe sion is e y
high. These da a may be explained because he e a e
ce ain membe s o he ne wo k wi h nume ous ci a-
ions, basically because hei wo ks a e s anda d e e-
ences in hei ield. The ac ha app oxima ely hal
o he ne wo k membe s a e uni e si y chai s and ha
a hi d pa icipa es o ha e pa icipa ed in he manage-
men o he mos ele an scien i ic jou nals in he ield
is also no ewo hy.
A join eg ession analysis wi h he a iable
«Selec ion» as he dependen a iable was used o
com pa e he hypo heses p esen ed in he concep ual
amewo k. Table 3 p esen s h ee eg ession models.
The s anda dized coe icien s o he a iables and
hei le el o meaning appea s in he same able.
Model 1 is he con ol model. I includes he con ol
a iables Uni e si y Chai and Edi o ial Boa d. The
model is signi ica i e and he pe cen age a iance
explained is conside able (R2=0.114). The esul s
show a posi i e and signi ica i e ela ion (al hough a a
di e en le el) o he dependen
a iable wi h he con ol a iables.
Model 2 is in ended o es Hy -
po hesis 1. The ou a iables ha
measu e scien i ic p oduc i i y now
in e ene as independen a iables.
The model is signi ican and p esen s
a R2=0.116. Almos no inc ease in
he explained a iance was obse ed
as a esul o he inclusion o he new
a iables in he model. Once again, a
posi i e and signi ica i e ela ion was shown in Model
2 be ween he condi ion o uni e si y chai and he
dependen a iable, whe eas he ela ions wi h he
ou independen a iables ha measu e scien i ic p o-
duc i i y (Publi ca ions, Ci a ions, h-Index and In e -
na iona li za ion) a e no signi ica i e. No suppo is
he e o e o hcoming o Hypo hesis 1.
Model 3 se es o es Hypo hesis 2, including he
a iable «Co e» in he model. The i s hing ha may
be seen is he impo an inc ease o R2 ha ises o a
alue o 0.218. The independen a iable «Co e»
shows a posi i e and signi ica i e ela ion (wi h a high
deg ee o meaning) wi h he dependen a iable.
Hypo hesis 2, which s a es ha he selec ion o doc o-
al commi ee membe s in he ield o communica ion
is posi i ely associa ed wi h he social ac i i y o he
academics, is he e o e con i med.
5. Conclusions and discussion
This esea ch has p oposed wo, in p inciple,
complemen a y hypo heses, on he way in which deci-
sions a e aken ha a ec esea ch wi hin Spanish aca-
demia in he ield o communica ion. The i s o hese
links he selec ion o membe s o academia wi h hose
who ha e a mo e p oduc i e scien i ic ac i i y ei he in
e ms o publica ions (and i s ype) o in e ms o he
impac (measu ed by he numbe o ci a ions o by he
h-index) o hose publica ions. The second hypo hesis
links hese decisions o he social ac i i y o he scien-
is s ollowing he assump ions o he sociology o scien-
ce and he logic o in isible colleges (C ane, 1972; De-
Solla-P ice, 1963; Kuhn, 1962; Me on, 1973). The
esul s o e no suppo o he i s and uphold he
second o hese hypo heses.
These indings ha e h ee impo an implica ions.
The i s is ha social ac o s play a p ominen ole in
scien i ic ac i i y and can condi ion i , as con i med in
ea lie s udies in o he knowledge a eas o he social
sciences (Casanue a & Espasandín, 2004; Casanue a
& La inaga, 2013). Scien i ic p oduc i i y (and i s
unde lying indica o s, which ha e a day- o-day e ec
on he ac i i ies o esea che s and academics in he
ield o communica ion, such as publica ions, ci a ions
o he impac ac o o he jou nals in which hey
publish) as an objec i e measu e o good scien i ic
p ac ice does no occupy he mos ele an place
among he selec ion c i e ia in impo an scien i ic ac i-
i ies, such as hose analysed he e. This aises p o-
blems o incen i es o he mos ac i e esea che s
who may encoun e limi a ions o hei possibili ies o
p og essing owa ds a posi ion in he social eli e. I also
e odes he dominan discou se on he immedia e ela-
ion be ween scien i ic p oduc i i y and academic and
in es iga i e de elopmen . The hi d implica ion is ha
i lea es each o he wo ea lie posi ions as a so o
al e na i e model in which, on he one hand, he
social and he subjec i e p edomina es and, on he
o he , he scien i ic and he objec i e. In his in e play,
he social componen appea s as a momen a y ic o .
I may be asked whe he a model in which he
social aspec p edomina es o e he scien i ic aspec is
un ai and e en pe e se. The conside a ion o social
s uc u es a ising om he ne wo k o he academia o
communica ion in Spain has p o ided a pa ial espon-
se o his ques ion. A p oblem would a ise i he si ua-
ion we e one in which he social aspec was unda-
men al and in which he social s uc u e was domina-
ed by a mo e-o -less closed eli e o co e ha could
con ol he p ocesses as hey we e happening. Ou
ea lie analyses o he cha ac e is ics o he ne wo ks in
he a ea would sugges ha we can disca d ha scena-
io. The di e en cen ali y measu es we e ound o
be e y low, so he concen a ion o selec ion in one
pa o he ne wo k may, i appea s, be discoun ed. An
addi ional analysis was comple ed o con i m his idea.
The co ela ion be ween he ma ix o choices o doc-
o al commi ee membe s wi h i s ansposed ma ix
we e es ed o alida e he deg ee o symme y in he
choices. The co ela ion le el is o e 0.400 and signi-
ica i e, such ha we ha e ela ions ha a e basically
symme ic whe e he oles o hose selec ing and hose
selec ed in e change, which disca ds he idea o a hie-
68
Comunica , 35, XVIII, 2010
© ISSN: 1134-3478 • e-ISSN: 1988-3293 • Pages 61-70
a chical s uc u e in he ne wo k o communica ion
academics. Al hough i could also e lec zones in he
ne wo k in which ecip ocal choices occu and in
which a he mo e closed social sub-g oups a e o -
ming.
This wo k p esen s a se ies o limi a ions. The i s
is he impossibili y o gene aliza ion om he ne wo k
o he 180 mos ac i e doc o s o he comple e ne -
wo k, as he la e was no andomly chosen. The
second is ela ed o he deg ee o adjus men be ween
indica o s and he phenomenon o be measu ed. Pa i -
cula ly, he use o he co e as a e e ence o social
ac i i y, based on how many people know each o he ,
will be a possible app oxima ion o a mo e complex
phenomenon. Nei he has he ime ac o been aken
in o accoun ha migh add some bias o he analyses.
An in e es ing line o u u e esea ch would pe haps
be a longi udinal analysis o he a iables o analyse
hei e olu ion and he ins i u ional aspec s and con ex
ha migh in luence hem. The mos p omising line o
wo k, howe e , would be o look mo e deeply in o he
ques ion o whe he a eal and a single in isible colle-
ge exis s in communica ion and o look mo e closely a
he connec ions be ween he in isible college in com-
munica ion and o he elemen s o scien i ic ac i i y
such as he means o scien i ic communica ion (basi-
cally jou nals and hei impac ) o o he social and con-
cep ual ne wo ks ( he exis ence o which may be de -
duced om co-ci a ions, co-au ho ships and ci a ions).
The esul s lea e open o he ques ions, such as whe -
he he mos scien i ically p oduc i e hesis di ec o s
also choose doc o al commi ee membe s using social
c i e ia and whe he social ac i i y condi ions he ype
and he quan i y o scien i ic p oduc ion.
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