The Russia-Ukraine Conflict in Communication Studies: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis

Ruihua Hou, Shahrul Nazmi Sannusi

Abstract


The Russia-Ukraine conflict stands out as the most influential military confrontation on the global stage in recent years. It has also become a major focus within communication studies. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis based on data from the Web of Science database. A total of 135 SSCI articles were chosen. They were published from 2015 to May 2025. The study shows how communication research on the Russia-Ukraine conflict changed in the past ten years. The number of articles peaked in 2024. During this year alone, scholars published 55 SSCI papers on the topic. Several scholars have played a central role in shaping this field. These include Nicoleta Corbu, Michael Hameleers, and Mervi Pantti. The University of Amsterdam has published the highest number of papers in this area. Three journals stand out due to their influence: International Communication Gazette, International Journal of Communication, and Journalism. Collaborative network analysis shows that Western countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands are very productive. Moreover, countries like China and Poland are rising. This shows that global research capabilities are becoming more diverse. Cluster analysis of keywords in the communication field tells us that research on the Russia-Ukraine conflict mainly centers on topics like social media, visual framing, public opinion, and information warfare. This paper aims to give future researchers a comprehensive framework. They can use it to look deeper into issues about the Russia-Ukraine conflict from a communication studies perspective.

 

Keywords: Russia-Ukraine conflict, communication studies, bibliometric analysis, social media, information warfare.

 

https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2025-4102-14


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References


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