Exploring terra incognita: Mapping surveillance studies from the perspective of media and communication research

Abstract

This article attempts to map Surveillance Studies from the perspective of the academic field of media and communication studies, and to seek out boundaries, limitations, strengths and weaknesses of current research. To map out the territory and mark important points within the landscape, Surveillance & Society, a premier interdisciplinary and peer-reviewed journal in the field of surveillance, is used as a point of departure. Analysis of topics within the Surveillance Studies field is conducted based on 296 articles from 40 issues published between 2002 and 2013.