Scientific production on corporate communication: a systematic study in Scopus with COVID-19 as a determining factor

Abstract

Purpose – Searching, identifying and analysing the scientific literature on “corporate communication” published in scientific journals during the twenty-first century (2000–2021) and indexed in the Scopus database, as well as its possible relationship with COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic bibliographic search was carried out in Scopus and a subsequent analysis of the literature, based on variables such as year of publication, authorship, original language of the text, most used terms and concepts, journal titles, keywords and possible allusions to COVID-19 or the pandemic. Findings – 2023 results were initially identified, but after applying the filters that limited the results in time (2000–2021) and discriminated—according to the type of document—the results only to scientific articles, the sample finally analysed was 1,280 articles relating to “corporate communication”. It was found that these were mainly published in journals such as Corporate Communications and Journal of Communication Management, in English, and with an accentuated thematic dispersion, but mostly related to public relations, advertising and communication in general. Originality/value – There is an article published in 2012, before the COVID-19 pandemic, in the Italian journal Igiene e sanità publica, which already established the relevance of researching the challenges and solutions to communication risks in health crisis situations.