The datafication of data journalism scholarship: Focal points, methods, and research propositions for the investigation of data-intensive newswork

Abstract

This article explores the existing research literature on data journalism. Over the past years, this emerging journalistic practice has attracted significant attention from researchers in different fields and produced an increasing number of publications across a variety of channels. To better understand its current state, we surveyed the published academic literature between 1996 and 2015 and selected a corpus of 40 scholarly works that studied data journalism and related practices empirically. Analyzing this corpus with both quantitative and qualitative techniques allowed us to clarify the development of the literature, influential publications, and possible gaps in the research caused by the recurring use of particular theoretical frameworks and research designs. This article closes with proposals for future research in the field of data-intensive newswork.