Siyasal İletişimde TikTok Araştırmalarının Genel Görünümü: Bibliyometrik Bir Analiz

Abstract

Dijital dönüşümün gündelik yaşam alışkanlıklarının bir parçasına dönüşmesi sonucu, siyasal iletişimin yapısı köklü biçimde dönüşerek, algoritmik olarak yönlendirilen ve platform temelli bir yapı kazanmıştır. Bu platformlar arasında TikTok, kısa video formatı, duygulanımsal ifade biçimleri ve performatif etkileşim olanaklarıyla siyasal mesajların üretim ve dolaşımını yeniden şekillendiren özgün bir alan olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Son yıllarda bu dönüşüme yönelik akademik ilgi artmış olsa da mevcut literaüt parçalı bir yapıda olup alanın bütüncül haritasını sunmakta yetersiz kalmaktadır. Bu çalışma, TikTok ve siyasal iletişim literatürünün gelişimini ve kavramsal yapısını bibliyometrik ve tematik analiz yöntemlerini bir arada kullanarak incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu kapsamda, 2020–2025 yılları arasında Scopus veri tabanında indekslenen hakemli makaleler analiz edilmiş; yayın eğilimleri, atıf örüntüleri, anahtar kelime ağları ve öne çıkan temalar ortaya konulmuştur. Ayrıca seçilen çalışmalar üzerinde gerçekleştirilen tematik analiz ile literatürdeki baskın araştırma yönelimleri belirlenmiştir. Bulgular, 2020 sonrası dönemde TikTok’a yönelik akademik ilginin belirgin biçimde arttığını ve literatürün üç temel eksen etrafında şekillendiğini göstermektedir: seçim kampanyaları, genç odaklı duygulanımsal iletişim ve algoritmik görünürlük ile politainment. Bu durum, siyasal iletişimin giderek daha fazla duygular, görsellik ve platform mantıkları tarafından biçimlendiğine işaret etmektedir. Bu çalışma, alanın yapısal bir görünümünü sunarak dijital siyasal iletişim tartışmalarına katkıda bulunmakta ve özellikle Türkiye gibi yeterince incelenmemiş bağlamlar için yeni araştırma gereksinimlerine dikkat çekmektedir.

Keywords

• TikTok
• Siyasal İletişim
• Bibliyometrik Analiz
• Duygulanımsal İletişim
• Algoritmik Görünürlük

Understanding the Research Landscape of TikTok in Political Communication a Bibliometric Perspective

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital platforms has significantly transformed the nature of political communication, shifting it toward algorithmically driven and platform-based environments. Among these platforms, TikTok has emerged as a distinctive space where political messages are shaped through short-form videos, affective expression, and performative interaction. While scholarly interest in this transformation has grown in recent years, the existing literature remains fragmented and lacks a systematic overview. This study aims to map the development and conceptual structure of research on TikTok and political communication through a combined bibliometric and thematic approach. Drawing on peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in Scopus between 2020 and 2025, the study analyzes publication trends, influential sources, citation patterns, and keyword co-occurrence networks. In addition, a qualitative thematic analysis of selected studies is conducted to identify recurring patterns and dominant research themes. The findings indicate a sharp increase in academic attention to TikTok after 2020, reflecting its growing role in contemporary political processes. The literature is primarily organized around three interconnected themes: electoral campaigning, youth-oriented affective communication, and algorithmically shaped visibility and politainment. These patterns suggest a broader shift in political communication, where emotional engagement, visual storytelling, and platform logics increasingly shape how political content is produced and received. By providing a structured overview of the field, this study contributes to ongoing debates on digital political communication and highlights the need for more context-sensitive research, particularly in underexplored settings such as Türkiye.

Keywords

• TikTok
• Political Communication
• Bibliometric Analiysis
• Affective Communication
• Algorithmic Visibility

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