Research Activities

Since its inception, the Department has been committed to establishing an active research programme focused on the theory and practice of journalism and news production, and political communication.

A collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach

The department adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to all its research activities and members of staff have backgrounds in a variety of academic disciplines (e.g. politics, sociology, cultural studies, history). We have a range of active researchers within the department focused on contemporary and historical analysis of journalism, news production, developmental journalism and political communication.

The department also has active research links and collaborative research ventures with other departments within the University of Sheffield as well as with researchers from other institutions and abroad.

Research active across the board

The aim of the department is to build a dynamic and varied research programme through academic projects and a vibrant postgraduate and doctoral programme which attracts high calibre graduate students from the UK and abroad.

Research Assessment Exercise, 2008

High quality research in the department

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, the department´s research was acknowledged to be of a very high quality. Three-quarters (75%) of the department´s research outputs was graded as 4* or 3*, that is, 'world-leading' (8%) or 'internationally excellent' (67%).

The sub-panel also commented that `the majority of outputs meet criteria for national and international recognition…´. This confirms our belief that this department of journalism is at the forefront of research into all aspects of journalism.