Methodological principles of research of social communication processes

Abstract

The purposeof the study was to identify the methodological principles of research into social communication processes.Among the general research methods, we chose holism as a «methodological principle and worldview concept that asserts the integrity and indivisibility of the material and spiritual world». Based on the basic ideas of J. Smuts about holism and ideas about quantum mechanics, we interpret Unity as something that cannot be dissected even for scientific analysis.As a methodof further study ofthe analyzed problem, we chose the following research procedures: analysis of available sources of application of adequate methods for the study of social communications; highlighting certain close characteristics of the methods described by us; on the basis of the identification of similar signs of combining methods into groups; formulation of methodological principles of social communications research.The resultswere obtained according to three criteria: the presence/absence of signs characterizing thetheoretical or practical meaning of research procedures within the framework of information exchange between elements of the Whole; the presence/absence of signs of involvement of the research path in society as a Whole (individual, family, social group, social class, social institution, society, etc.); focus on the study of means of regulation of social relations and relationships affecting the state of the Whole.Conclusions. It was found that the identification of common and divergent features of research methods of social communication processes allows for the classification (according to three holistic criteria) of frequent methods, approaches and techniques revealed in the description of the results of 50 separate studies (for the period from 1968 year until 2022). The mentioned classification is based on the methodological principles of social communication research.