UOP-FMC member of teaching staff Prof. Manal Al-Mazahreh published a paper entitled "The Problems of Arab Media Research and Methods of Developing in Light of a New Digital Media Environment: A Critical and Analytical Vision" in the first issue of Al Jazeera li Dirasat al-Itisal wa al-I'lam [Al Jazeera for Communications and Media Studies (AJCS) Journal], one of the most important peer-reviewed media journals.
The research paper conducted by Prof. Manal Al-Mazahreh seeks to identify the methodological problems faced by Arab media research in the context of the new digital environment based on a qualitative analysis of an intentional sample of Arab media research and a critical view that examines the compatibility of traditional approaches and theories with the digital environment and their ability to frame and analyze new phenomena.
The paper finds that, given the new digital media environment, most Arab media research relies on the survey method and lacks diversity in the use of data collection tools. It also faces the problem of applying many of the theories that were used in traditional media research in new media. In addition, many studies are not based on theoretical insights.
The paper stated that "Irrespective of the methodological and theoretical problems encountered by Arab researches, there is a clear trend towards applying modern approaches and theories in conducting future researches that are specifically appropriate for the new digital environment".
The researcher presented a set of insights for improving Arab research, including reconsidering research tools and techniques by means of new research approaches for enhancing the value of this research; the extrapolation of theoretical principles that go beyond the classical research trends to create perspectives that are more adaptive to change and development that need collective efforts to adjust the current educational ecosystem; granting access to foreign databases to the researchers, experts, and media students in Arab countries; and concentrating on training to set right principles for writing digital research in terms of approach and theories.