A bibliometric analysis of graduate theses in the field of marketing communication in Turkey

Classification of data is just as important as data production because of the cumulative structure of scientific activity. Bibliometric analysis is a method that organizes and describes data obtained from various databases using various parameters. It facilitates the classification of publications within a field for researchers. The present study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of master's and doctoral theses published on the topic of marketing communication within the time frame of 1994–2021 with the objective of identifying gaps in the existing literature and providing a roadmap for future research. The current study employs a content analysis approach to examine various aspects of a sample of 163 postgraduate theses on marketing communication, including the type, accessibility, language, temporal distribution, departmental affiliation, institutional affiliation, advisor title, methodology, data collection techniques, and data analysis methods. Specifically, the sample comprised 33 doctoral theses and 130 master's theses. The results of the analysis reveal that the majority of the graduate studies, 41.9%, employed quantitative methods, while 39.7% utilized qualitative methods. Additionally, the data collection techniques employed in the sample were examined, with 41.9% of the studies utilizing questionnaire methods and 29% utilizing document analysis techniques. The analysis further revealed that interview and observation, as well as participant observation techniques, were among the least frequently utilized data collection methods, accounting for only 0.6% of the sample. With regards to data analysis techniques, 11.5% of the graduate studies employed t-tests, 10.5% employed content analysis, and 10.1% employed anova. The findings of the study indicate a decline in the number of master's theses containing the keyword "marketing communication" following the year 2019, which is believed to reflect the growing interest in digital marketing in the wake of the global pandemic. Through this investigation, postgraduate theses in this field have been classified in accordance with bibliometric principles. As a result, valuable data will be provided to guide future research endeavours in this domain.