The structure of knowledge and dynamics of scholarly communication in agenda setting research, 1996-2005

By conducting a citation analysis of bibliographic references in combination with a network analysis of cocitation referencing in 56 journal publications in the area of agenda-setting research from 1996 to 2005, this paper aims to identify current exemplary publications and authoritative works in the knowledge production and dissemination process and to examine the nature of knowledge-sharing networks among the community of scholars who contribute to the growth of common knowledge in the study of agenda setting. The findings shed light on the intellectual history of agenda-setting scholarship and offer insight on subspecialties and intellectual linkages among key literature in this vigorous and ever-evolving field of inquiry.