A bibliometric analysis of dialogue and digital dialogic research: mapping the knowledge construction and invisible colleges in public relations research

Taking a network perspective, this study uses a series of bibliometric analyses to systematically examine public relations scholarship on dialogue and digital dialogic communication. We examine the knowledge construction and invisible college networks to identify the prominent scholars and publications that inform current thinking in this area of scholarship. Our analyses of 157 journal articles reveal core studies that have shaped the use of theories and concepts within dialogue and digital dialogic research. We found evidence that knowledge construction is rapidly growing as researchers are mixing their expertise. Our data suggests that researchers are primarily informed by excellence and/or dialogic theories, but relationship management bridges the various theories used in dialogue research. Finally, we find that a select few scholars inform a considerable amount of the current research on dialogue and digital dialogic communication. We discuss these findings and offer a path forward for public relations.