Computational Contributions: A Symbiotic Approach to Integrating Big, Observational Data Studies into the Communication Field

Abstract

Though there is growing enthusiasm for computational research methods in the field of communication, research using computational methods is not yet integrated into mainstream communication research. This paper promotes such integration by highlighting niche for computational research within communication–the specialized roles it can play in symbiosis with researchers using other methods in the field. This paper articulates this niche via the computational communication researcher’s specific comparative advantages for testing existing communication theory and generating novel communication theoretic ideas. It then proposes four recommendations for performing and evaluating computational communication research to facilitate meeting these objectives.