Journals / Erciyes İletişim Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 13 Sayı: 2

Social Media Research: A Systematic Review Based On Theoretical Approaches

Sosyal Medya Araştırmaları: Kuramsal Yaklaşımlar Temelinde Sistematik Bir Derleme

Tuğçe Sarı(SÜLEYMAN DEMİREL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İLETİŞİM FAKÜLTESİ, GÖRSEL İLETİŞİM TASARIMI BÖLÜMÜ)0000-0002-6043-3217
Hasan Güllüpunar(SÜLEYMAN DEMİREL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İLETİŞİM FAKÜLTESİ, GAZETECİLİK BÖLÜMÜ)0000-0002-6479-6269
Pages
801–818
Publication Date
2026-07-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings reveal that 49.74% of the studies utilized primary data, 43.98% relied on secondary data, and only 6.28% adopted a purely theoretical approach.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Social media platforms are tools that reshape the fundamental dynamics of modern communication environments, exerting influence from interpersonal interactions to social mobilization.
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Key Findings & Data:This systematic literature review examines 191 articles published in the first half of 2025 retrieved from the Web of Science database using the keyword “social media.” Each article was manually analyzed to extract the theoretical frameworks, research methods, and sample types employed.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings reveal that 49.74% of the studies utilized primary data, 43.98% relied on secondary data, and only 6.28% adopted a purely theoretical approach.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:2025 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Sosyal Medya Araştırmaları · Web of Science · Sistematik Derleme

Abstract

Social media platforms are tools that reshape the fundamental dynamics of modern communication environments, exerting influence from interpersonal interactions to social mobilization. This proliferation has led to a surge in scholarly publications, yet a gap remains concerning the theoretical foundations and methodological trends guiding these studies. This systematic literature review examines 191 articles published in the first half of 2025 retrieved from the Web of Science database using the keyword “social media.” Each article was manually analyzed to extract the theoretical frameworks, research methods, and sample types employed. The findings reveal that 49.74% of the studies utilized primary data, 43.98% relied on secondary data, and only 6.28% adopted a purely theoretical approach. Public Sphere Theory (n=41) and Selective Exposure Theory (n=34) emerged as the most frequently applied frameworks. Methodologically, quantitative research dominated (49.74%), while qualitative studies accounted for 40.84%. The review concludes that future social media research should deepen its theoretical grounding and embrace greater methodological diversity.

Özet

Sosyal medya platformları, çağdaş iletişim ortamının temel dinamiklerini yeniden şekillendiren ve kişilerarası etkileşimlerden toplumsal mobilizasyona kadar geniş bir spektrumda etkili olan araçlardır. Bu platformların iletişim pratikleri üzerindeki artan etkisi, akademik yayınlarda da hızlı bir artışı beraberinde getirmiş ancak bu çalışmalarda kuramsal temellerin nasıl kullanıldığı ve yöntemsel eğilimlerin ne yönde geliştiği konusunda bir eksiklik gözlemlenmektedir. Bu çalışma, iletişim disiplini kapsamında sosyal medya üzerine yapılmış akademik araştırmaların kuramsal ve yöntemsel eğilimlerini incelemek amacıyla yürütülen sistematik bir literatür derlemesidir. Web of Science veri tabanından "social media" anahtar kelimesi kullanılarak 2025 yılının ilk 6 ayında yayımlanmış 191 makale değerlendirmeye alınmıştır. Her makale manuel olarak incelenerek kullanılan kuramsal çerçeveler, araştırma yöntemleri ve örneklem türleri doğrudan makale içeriklerinden çıkarılmıştır. Çalışmanın bulgularına göre makalelerin %49,74'ü birincil veri, %43,98'i ikincil veri kullanırken yalnızca %6,28'i kuramsal niteliktedir. En sık kullanılan kuramlar Kamusal Alan Kuramı (n=41) ve Seçici Maruz Kalma Kuramı'dır (n=34). Yöntemsel olarak nicel çalışmalar %49,74 ile baskın olmakla birlikte nitel çalışmalar da %40,84 ile önemli bir paya sahiptir. Sonuç olarak sosyal medya araştırmalarında kuramsal derinliğin artırılması ve metodolojik çeşitliliğin geliştirilmesi gerektiği tespit edilmiştir.

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Cite This Article

Sarı, T., Güllüpunar, H. (2026). Social Media Research: A Systematic Review Based On Theoretical Approaches. Erciyes İletişim Dergisi, Cilt: 13 Sayı: 2, 801–818. https://doi.org/10.17680/erciyesiletisim.1756152

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