Social Media Studies in Russia: The Attempt of Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Due to the growing role of social media in Russia, the appeal of this issue for domestic scholars is also increasing. This article focuses on the bibliometric analysis of social media research in Russia. The topic of social media is becoming increasingly important in the studies of Russian scholars because of the ever-increasing role of social media in the daily life of Russians. We analyse the articles on social media published in scientific journals of Russia in the context of their dynamics, types of research, topics, objects of analysis, the use of specific methods and the belonging of authors to certain scientific disciplines. The article shows that, firstly, despite the relative novelty of the topic, the number of publications devoted to various aspects of the use of social media is gradually increasing, and one of the main topics studied by Russian scholars is the use of social media in political protests and conflicts, their role in the activities of social movements and the problematization of political and civic participation. Secondly, almost all social media in Russia became the object of analysis by domestic researchers, and content analysis was the primary method. Finally, thirdly, scholars dealing with the issue of social media belong to various social and humanitarian disciplines.