July  2019 49
學術對談Dialogue
資深傳播學者對年輕學人的忠告與期望
Senior Communication Scholars’ Advice to and Expectation of Young Researchers
  (3340)
作者 克勞斯.克里彭多夫、李金銓、柯林.斯巴克斯、大衛.韋佛
Author Klaus KRIPPENDORFF, Chin-Chuan LEE, Colin SPARKS, David WEAVER
摘要 這個學術對談緣自2018年蘇鑰機和克勞斯.克里彭多夫教授在《傳播與社會學刊》的一個對談,當時蘇鑰機準備了一些問題,克里彭多夫教授的回應頗為詳細,但由於篇幅所限,未能將所有問題和答案都包括在文章內。當中有關對年輕學人的建議未能採用,甚為可惜。

蘇鑰機覺得,可以進一步探討這個題目及相關回應,於是設計了四條問題,邀請另外三位知名學者一起探討大家如何進入傳播研究的領域,並能有所建樹。

為了得到多元的看法,邀請對談的幾位學者分別來自美國、歐洲和亞洲。他們有相異的背景和研究興趣,分別屬於量化、質化及批判傳統。他們都有多年的教學經驗,從不同角度對傳播研究作出了重要貢獻,可以將自己的經驗與智慧傳給新一代的研究者。

克里彭多夫教授在德國出生,於美國獲得高等學位並任教數十年,其研究興趣包括內容分析、資訊理論、控制論、社會建構現實、設計。李金銓教授是華人學者,在美國大學任教多年,先後到過香港不同大學工作,他的研究包括全球傳播、傳媒政治經濟學、大中華地區傳播。柯林.斯巴克斯教授是英國學者,在英國任教多年,近年到了香港任教,研究興趣主要在媒體與民主、媒介的全球化、互聯網對大眾媒介的影響。大衛.韋佛教授是美國學者,在美國大學任教多年,學術生涯專注縱向記者調查、傳媒議題設定、民意、投票行為。

四位教授的不同背景和學術貢獻,使他們對四條問題的回應百花齊放,給讀者多元而精闢的見解。雖然經歷不同,他們的建議卻有頗多相同之處,只是重點有若干差異。例如他們都強調科技的重要性,但不要忘記更廣闊的社會議題及人文追求。在研習技術和方法時,不忘培養批判和自省的能力,並在實證基礎下努力研究。他們同意傳播學者要立足傳播視角,並善用其他學科的理論取向和方法,為傳播研究加添養分。

這個學術對談旨在啟發年輕學人,讓他們在其學術旅程上少走彎路。對較有經驗的研究者而言,這些資深學者的討論也可能讓他們獲益良多。由不同視角反思自己的學術旅程永不太遲,相關理念的對談,可以鼓勵年青學者在不同地方泛起學術漣漪。這種學術對談不僅可以和學術文章互相輝映,更可以促進廣闊的視野,日後不妨再次進行。
Abstract This “multilogue” has its roots in a dialogue in Communication & Society with Prof. Klaus Krippendorff in 2018. At that time Clement So prepared a number of questions to which Prof. Krippendorff gave detailed answers. Regrettably, space limitation prevented the inclusion of his answers to questions for advice to aspiring communication scholars.

Clement So thought that his answers deserved further attention and invited three other prominent scholars to respond to a set of four questions about entering and succeeding in the field of communication research.

To assure a diversity of views, the invited scholars were from the U.S., Europe, and Asia. They had different backgrounds and their research followed various quantitative, qualitative, and critical traditions. They had many years of teaching in common, had made significant contributions to understanding communication, albeit from different perspectives, and were therefore qualified to pass their experiences to a new generation of researchers.

Prof. Krippendorff was born in Germany, received his advanced degrees in the U.S. and has taught there for decades. His research interests include content analysis, information theory, cybernetics, social constructions of reality, and design. Prof. Chin-Chuan Lee is a Chinese scholar who taught in the U.S. for many years and was also stationed at different universities in Hong Kong. His research covers global communication, political economy of the media, and Greater China studies. Prof. Colin Sparks is of British origin and taught in the U.K. for many years before moving to teach in Hong Kong. His research interests include media and democracy, globalization of media, and internet’s influence on the mass media. Prof. David Weaver is an American scholar who taught in the U.S. for many years. He is famous for his longitudinal surveys of journalists, as well as studies of media agenda setting, public opinion, and voting behavior.

The diverse backgrounds and scholarly contributions of these four professors account for answering the four questions posed to them differently, offering readers alternative views. However, despite drawing from different experiences, their recommendations have much in common, differing mainly in emphasis. For example, the importance of technology appears in most suggestions, subsumed under the larger umbrella of broader social concerns and humanistic endeavors. Skills and methods need to include critical thinking and reflexive abilities. Solid empirical grounding of research is also essential. There is agreement on the need of communication scholars to adopt a communication perspective while simultaneously making productive use of the theoretical orientations and methods from other fields. After all, scholars in other disciplines communicate and publish as well and make use of what communication scholars explore.

This academic dialogue is intended to inspire young researchers to pursue their academic journeys and avoid distractions by fruitless paths. More experienced scholars can learn something from their discussion as well. It is never too late to reflect on one’s own journey from different perspectives. Dialogues of ideas can encourage unexpected academic ripples in different places. Dialogues of this kind are valuable additions to written research results as they encourage larger perspectives and may be organized again in the future.

本文引用格式﹕

蘇鑰機(編)(2019)。〈資深傳播學者對年輕學人的忠告與期望〉。《傳播與社會學刊》,第49期,頁1–41。



Citation of this article:

So, C. Y. K. (Ed.) (2019). Senior communication scholars’ advice to and expectation of young researchers. Communication & Society, 49, 1–41.
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