Methodological Preferences, Publication Tendencies and Public Visibility Dynamics of Political Science and International Relations Academics in Turkey

Abstract

This study examines the research methods, publishing trends and public visibility of political science and international relations academics in Türkiye. The research was conducted in 2021, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and data was collected from 258 academics through online surveys. The main purpose is to understand how academics' methodological preferences, publishing habits/preferences, and levels of public interaction are shaped. The findings indicate that academics' methodological preferences are affected by factors such as gender, educational background, academic title, and the type of university they work at. It has been determined that especially those who have studied abroad tend to focus on international publications. It has been observed that academics who prefer quantitative methods such as experiments and surveys are more active in national and international publications. It was also found that academics working at foundation universities tend to publish more international publications than those at public universities. During the pandemic period, significant differences were observed in the workload distribution and public visibility levels of academics. The study also demonstrates that there were significant differences between research assistants and foundation universities in using traditional media channels, while social media plays an increasingly important role in disseminating academic knowledge.