A Qualitative Network Approach to Transmedia Communication

This chapter discusses qualitative network approaches in media and communication research. Fundamental for this is the distinction between social networks and communication networks, for both of which transmediality has become of importance. In this chapter, we focus on contextualized qualitative network analysis to demonstrate how the transmedia character of social and communication networks can be integrated into an empirical analysis. Such an analysis captures the levels of structure (links of networks), meaning (networking practices), and process (ongoing making of networks). We conclude that in times of deep mediatization one main challenge for a “transmedia qualitative network analysis” is an increasing media manifold.