

Communication Studies
Research group
Communication Studies research group views communication as a human activity that enables interaction, keeps communities together, and creates a shared understanding. Communication is understood as a dynamic social phenomenon through which knowledge, emotions, and meanings are conveyed and constructed. We understand communication both as an organized and planned activity and as spontaneous activity typical of human beings. Changes in technology, environment, and culture form a relevant context for our research.
The mission of Communication Studies is to provide reasoned views and solutions to social, cultural and economic issues from the perspective of communication. The values that guide our research are curiosity, independence, responsibility, and critical thinking.
In the work of our research group, our teaching focus areas—Digital media, Organizational communication, and Interaction design—are closely interconnected.
Our research centers particularly on the following themes:
- change of digital media environment
- artificial intelligence and algorithms
- users, agency, and technology
- financial discourses and meanings
- strategic orientation, sustainability, and ethics.
An important part of the research group are doctoral researchers who study at the University of Vaasa doctoral programme. We are constantly looking for talented and motivated people interested in communication research, both as doctoral students and for various project assignments.
We are open to collaboration with companies, communities, and various research organizations. The contact persons for the Communication Studies research group are Professors Merja Koskela (for the period 1.8.2024–31.7.2027 Anne Laajalahti) and Tanja Sihvonen.
The roots of the Communication Studies research group lie in Applied linguistics, Terminological research, and Technical communication.
2024
I Trust You Dr. Researcher, but not the Company that Handles My Data –Trust in the Data Economy
Rousi, Rebekah; Piispanen, Joni-Roy; Boutellier, Jani, 2024, Bui, Tung X., Proceedings of the 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Proceedings of the annual Hawaii international conference on system sciences, 57, 4632-4641
TikTok-journalismi Suomessa
Sihvonen, Tanja; Manninen, Ville, 2024, Media ja viestintä, 47, 1, 47-70, DOI: 10.23983/mv.137083,
Psychological Aid and Training for Journalists Who Face Continued Emotionally Demanding Environments: The Case of Venezuelan Journalists
Soto-Sanfiel, María T.; Salojärvi, Virpi, 2024, Barkho, Leon; Lugo-Ocando, Jairo Alfonso; Jamil, Sadia, Handbook of Applied Journalism: Theory and Practice, Springer Handbooks of Political Science and International Relations, 301-315, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-48739-2_18,
Making ethics practical: User stories as a way of implementing ethical consideration in Software Engineering
Halme, Erika; Jantunen, Marianna; Vakkuri, Ville; Kemell, Kai-Kristian; Abrahamsson, Pekka, 2024, Information and software technology, 167, 107379, DOI: 10.1016/j.infsof.2023.107379,
Saavutettavan viestinnän uranuurtaja: Christiane Maaßin haastattelu
Karasjärvi, Pia, 2024, Media ja viestintä, 47, 1, 71-74, DOI: 10.23983/mv.144337,
2023
Texts Complying with Societal Pressures : Changing Genres in Finnish Companies’ CSR Reporting
Koskela, Merja; Enell-Nilsson, Mona; Hjerppe, Cecilia, 2023, Nyström-Höög, Catharina; Rahm, Henrik; Hammerstad, Gøril Thomassen, Nordic Perspectives on the Discourse of Things : Sakprosa Texts Helping Us Navigate and Understand an Ever-changing Reality, 45–69, 3, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-33122-0,
Verkkopankkipalveluiden saavutettavuus: emotionaalisen ulottuvuuden huomioiminen asiakaskokemuksen kehittämisessä
Hyppönen, Annikki; Koskela, Merja; Jaskari, Minna-Maarit, 2023, Kulutustutkimus.Nyt, 17, 1-2, 122-148, DOI: 10.54333/kulutustutkimus.128096,
Examining the Multimodal and Multilingual Practices of Finnish Social Media Influencers
Limatius, Hanna, 2023, Włodarczyk, Matylda; Tyrkkö, Jukka; Adamczyk, Elżbieta , Multilingualism from Manuscript to 3D: Intersections of Modalities from Medieval to Modern Times, 203-226, DOI: 10.4324/9781003166634-11,
Exploring pre-service teachersʼ and comprehensive school pupilsʼ understandings of literacies in digital environments
Hankala, Mari; Kankaanranta, Marja; Rousi, Rebekah; Mehtälä, Saana; Merjovaara, Olli, 2023, Nordic journal of digital literacy, 18, 3, 158-172, DOI: 10.18261/njdl.18.3.3,
(De)constructing Societal Threats During Times of Deep Mediatization
Reilly, Paul; Salojärvi, Virpi, 2023,
Muuttuva maailma, sopeutuva Suomi: Sisällönanalyysi ilmastonmuutokseen sopeutumisesta Helsingin Sanomissa ja Yle Uutisissa vuosina 2017–2021
Perälä, Annu, 2023, Media ja viestintä, 46, 3, 29–50, 2, DOI: 10.23983/mv.137061,
Startup-sijoittajat portinvartijoina journalismin kentällä
Hirsto, Heidi; Manninen, Ville, 2023, Media ja viestintä, 46, 1, 1-22, DOI: 10.23983/mv.128169,
It’s Time to See the Forest for the Trees – Rhetorical Argumentation about Forest Use on Twitter
Porttikivi, Merja; Laihonen, Maarit, 2023, Lillqvist, Ella; Eronen-Valli, Maria; Manninen, Ville; Nissilä, Niina; Salmela, Eveliina, Communicating with Purpose, VAKKI publications, 15, 317-334,
Energian säästämisen diskurssit anonyymeissä verkkokeskusteluissa
Salmela, Eveliina; Kääntä, Liisa, 2023, Waaramaa, Teija; Nissilä, Niina, Digitalisoituva viestintä muuttuvassa maailmassa, Vaasan yliopiston raportteja, 41, 37-49, 4,
Somevaikuttajat yhteisöjen luojina
Limatius, Hanna, 2023, Reinikainen, Hanna; Laaksonen, Salla-Maaria, Vaikuttava viestintä, ProComma academic, 10, 79-96, 6, DOI: 10.31885/9789526973791,
Yritysten joukkorahoituskutsut genrehybrideinä koronapandemian ja Ukrainan sodan aikana
Eronen-Valli, Maria, 2023, Lillqvist, Ella; Eronen-Valli, Maria; Manninen, Ville; Nissilä, Niina; Salmela, Eveliina, Communicating with Purpose, VAKKI publications, 15, 49-68,
‘Instead of Hype, Would You Like to Hear Real Examples?’: Exploring Blockchain Talk on Twitter
Limatius, Hanna; Sihvonen, Tanja; Serada, Alesha, 2023, Fachsprache, 45, 3-4, 165-186, DOI: 10.24989/fs.v45i3-4.2186,
Enhancing efficiency in investigation through cooperation: Collaborative investigative journalism across the U.S.-Mexico border
Cheas, Kirsi, 2023, Trans-kom: journal of translation and technical communication, 16, 1, 43-57,
Video viestinnän välineenä : Audiovisuaalinen ilmaisu osana somevaikuttamista ja peliharrastusta
Sihvonen, Tanja; Hirsto, Heidi; Laitila, Sebastian, 2023, Waaramaa, Teija; Nissilä, Niina, Digitalisoituva viestintä muuttuvassa maailmassa, Vaasan yliopiston raportteja, 41, 85-96, 8,
Mapping Automation in Journalism Studies 2010–2019: A Literature Review
Siitonen, Marko; Laajalahti, Anne; Venäläinen, Päivi, 2023, Journalism studies, Published online: 27 Dec 2023, DOI: 10.1080/1461670X.2023.2296034,
Changing economic imaginaries: Making sense of consumption during the COVID-19 crisis
Lillqvist, Ella; Timonen, Päivi, 2023, Maurer, Andrea; Nessel, Sebastian; Veira-Ramos, Alberto, Economic Sociology in Europe: Recent Trends and Developments, Routledge Advances in Sociology, 365, 187-206, Chapter 9, DOI: 10.4324/9781003353560-12,
Samarbetet mellan TNC och RTT 1938–1998: Terminologiarbete som resurs för meningsfull kommunikation
Landqvist, Hans; Nissilä, Niina; Pilke, Nina; Sjöberg, Sannina, 2023, Lillqvist, Ella; Eronen-Valli, Maria; Manninen, Ville; Nissilä, Niina; Salmela, Eveliina, Communicating with Purpose, VAKKI publications, 15, 232-250,
”Jos et aloita, mikään ei muutu”: Tulevaisuuksien rakentuminen median sijoitusdiskursseissa
Lillqvist, Ella; Porttikivi, Merja, 2023, Lillqvist, Ella; Eronen-Valli, Maria; Manninen, Ville; Nissilä, Niina; Salmela, Eveliina, Communicating with Purpose, VAKKI publications, 15, 292–316,
What Would Make a Robot Sad? Robot Werther vs. Marvin the Paranoid Android
Serada, Alesha, 2023, Pfeiffer, Alexander; Krishna, Nanditha; Denk, Natalie; Wernbacher, Thomas, Media, Arts and Design (MAD) ANTHOLOGY II: MAD Pandemic: Stories of Change and Continuity during the COVID-19 Crisis, 113-136, DOI: 10.48341/hx6g-pw64,
Does #selling sell? Analyzing content of CryptoKitties traders’ talk on Discord
Serada, Alesha, 2023, Bujić, Mila; DSouza, Prajwal; Xi, Nannan; Hamari, Juho, Proceedings of the 7th International GamiFIN Conference 2023 (GamiFIN 2023), CEUR workshop proceedings, 57-66,
How Do AI Ethics Principles Work? From Process to Product Point of View
Kemell, Kai Kristian; Vakkuri, Ville; Sohrab, Fahad, 2023, Rantanen, Minna M.; Westerstrand, Salla; Sahlgren, Otto; Koskinen, Jani, Proceedings of the Conference on Technology Ethics 2023 - Tethics 2023, CEUR workshop proceedings, 24-38,
Terminology in Challenging Circumstances
Nissilä, Niina; Bhreathnach, Úna; Velicu, Anca-Marina, 2023, Terminology science & research, 26,
Kohti dopamiinidemokratiaa? Journalismi Tiktokissa
Pelevina, Nuppu; Sihvonen, Tanja, 2023, Rajapinta-blogi,
Ilmastoviisaan asumisen teemat ja kontekstit – Kun systeemimaailma kohtaa elämismaailman julkisessa keskustelussa
Koskela, Merja; Salmela, Eveliina; Kääntä, Liisa; Syrjälä, Henna, 2023, Lillqvist, Ella; Eronen-Valli, Maria; Manninen, Ville; Nissilä, Niina; Salmela, Eveliina, Communicating with Purpose, VAKKI publications, 15, 189-206,
Euroopan selkokielet esittäytyvät
Karasjärvi, Pia, 2023, Virittäjä, 127, 4, 625-628, DOI: 10.23982/vir.137054, B1
Henkilöityminen ja populismi politiikan keskeisinä ääninä
Kannasto, Elisa; Salojärvi, Virpi, 2023, Waaramaa, Teija; Nissilä, Niina, Digitalisoituva viestintä muuttuvassa maailmassa, Vaasan yliopiston raportteja, 41, 75-84, 7,
Digitaaliset alustat työssä
Laapotti, Tomi; Kääntä, Liisa, 2023, Digitalisoituva viestintä muuttuvassa maailmassa, Vaasan yliopiston raportteja, 41, 27-36,
Cultural-affective process of market violence : Finnish instant loans in debtors’ online narratives
Lillqvist, Ella; Timonen, Päivi, 2023, Consumption markets and culture, 26, 6, 403–422, DOI: 10.1080/10253866.2023.2224230,
Commentary about interdisciplinary careers
Cheas, Kirsi, 2023, Vienni-Baptista, Bianca; Fletcher, Isabel; Lyall, Catherine, Foundations of Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research: A Reader, 218-223,
The Role of Explainable AI in the Research Field of AI Ethics
Vainio-Pekka, Heidi; Agbese, Mamia Ori-otse; Jantunen, Marianna; Vakkuri, Ville; Mikkonen, Tommi; Rousi, Rebekah; Abrahamsson, Pekka, 2023, ACM transactions on interactive intelligent systems (tiis), 13, 4, 1-39, DOI: 10.1145/3599974,
"I'm the Empty Stage Where Various Actors Act Out Various Plays": Theatre Translator's View of their Work
Aaltonen, Sirkku, 2023, Cadernos de traducao, 43, 1, 34-65, DOI: 10.5007/2175-7968.2023.e92139,
Communicating with Purpose
Lillqvist, Ella; Eronen-Valli, Maria; Manninen, Ville; Nissilä, Niina; Salmela, Eveliina, 2023, VAKKI publications, 15,
"Performing Control" of the Covid-19 Crisis
Palonen, Emilia; Palau, Dolors; Quattromani, Dario; Salojärvi, Virpi, 2023, Frontiers in political science, DOI: 10.3389/978-2-8325-2802-0,
Introduction to ethics in the age of digital communication
Rousi, Rebekah; Vakkuri, Ville, 2023, Waaramaa, Teija; Nissilä, Niina, Digitalisoituva viestintä muuttuvassa maailmassa, Vaasan yliopiston raportteja, 41, 50-58, 5,
The resources to balance – Exploring remote employees’ work-life balance through the lens of conservation of resources
Pensar, Heini; Rousi, Rebekah, 2023, Cogent business & management, 10, 2, 2232592, DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2023.2232592,
Tulkinnasta tuotantoon : Audiovisuaalinen shippaustuotanto digitaalisena itseilmaisuna
Wik, Meniina, 2023, Acta wasaensia, 501
Hei, me vaikutetaan!: Somevaikuttajaviestinnän kontekstit ja sääntely
Sihvonen, Tanja, 2023, Reinikainen, Hanna; Laaksonen, Salla-Maaria, Vaikuttava viestintä, ProComma academic, 10, 61-78
Digitalisoituva viestintä muuttuvassa maailmassa
Waaramaa, Teija; Nissilä, Niina, 2023, Vaasan yliopiston raportteja, 41
Henkilökohtaisuuden vetovoima : Itseilmaisut osana digitaalista retoriikkaa
Eronen-Valli, Maria, 2023, Waaramaa, Teija; Nissilä, Niina, Digitalisoituva viestintä muuttuvassa maailmassa, Vaasan yliopiston raportteja, 41, 63-74, 6
Work Characteristics Needed by Middle Managers When Leading AI-Integrated Service Teams
Koponen, Jonna; Julkunen, Saara; Laajalahti, Anne; Turunen, Marianna; Spitzberg, Brian, 2023, Journal of service research, First published online December 13, 2023, DOI: 10.1177/10946705231220462
Videovälitteisten etätapaamisten uudistamat vuorovaikutuksen normit joustavuuden näkökulmasta
Katajamäki, Heli; Kantola, Jenni, 2023, Focus localis, 51, 1, 70-89,
Governance in ethical and trustworthy AI systems: Extension of the ECCOLA method for AI ethics governance using GARP
Agbese, Mamia; Alanen, Hanna-Kaisa; Antikainen, Jani; Halme, Erika; Isomäki, Hannakaisa; Jantunen, Marianna; Kemell, Kai-Kristian; Rousi, Rebekah; Vainio-Pekka, Heidi; Vakkuri, Ville, 2023, E-Informatica, 17, 1, 230101, DOI: 10.37190/e-Inf230101,
Performing financial communication as professional practice: The interplay of consensus and tension in earnings calls
Hirsto, Heidi; Koskela, Merja; Jokipii, Annukka, 2023, Journal of professions and organization, 10, 2, 165–181, DOI: 10.1093/jpo/joad011
'The super-fats, the middlies and the barely-fats' : Naming and describing the body in plus-size fashion blogs
Limatius, Hanna, 2023, Nordisk tidskrift för socioonomastik, 3, 71-96, DOI: 10.59589/noso.32023.14410
Mediation and the PandeTheatre : Digital performativity in the smart staging of Brilliant Mind
Khattab, Mona; Elmeligi, Wessam, 2023, Mediekultur, 38, 73, 50-72, DOI: 10.7146/mk.v38i73.131306
Editorial : "Performing Control" of the Covid-19 Crisis
Palonen, Emilia; Palau-Sampio, Dolors; Quattromani, Dario; Salojärvi, Virpi, 2023, Frontiers in political science, 5, 1162296, DOI: 10.3389/fpos.2023.1162296
Affordance-based approach to identifying and analysing the possibilities and challenges of extended reality (XR) as a medium for technical instructions
Rantakokko, Satu, 2023, Acta wasaensia, 527
Tutkittu tieto käytäntöön : Miten lisätä tutkitun tiedon hyödyntämistä yhteiskunnassa?
Laajalahti, Anne; Laaksonen, Vilja, 2023, Prologi : viestinnän ja vuorovaikutuksen tieteellinen aikakauslehti, 19, 1, 82-92, DOI: 10.33352/prlg.125033
Protecting the future ‘Us’: a rhetoric-performative multimodal analysis of the polarising far-right YouTube campaign videos in Finland
Salojärvi, Virpi; Palonen, Emilia; Horsmanheimo, Laura; Kylli, Roosa-Maria, 2023, Visual studies, 38, 5, 851-866, DOI: 10.1080/1472586X.2023.2249430
Kohti vaikuttavaa strategiaviestintää
Laajalahti, Anne; Sopanen, Terttu, 2023, Viestijät
Fancies explained: Converting symbolic capital into NFTs
Serada, Alesha, 2023, Eludamos, 14, 1, 55–79, DOI: 10.7557/23.6666
Triggered by Socialbots: Communicative Anthropomorphization of Bots in Online Conversations
Laaksonen, Salla-Maaria; Laitinen, Kaisa; Koivula, Minna; Sihvonen, Tanja, 2023, Human-machine communication journal, 6, 135-153, DOI: 10.30658/hmc.6.8
Kotimainen pelitaide ja indie-pelit
Sihvonen, Tanja, 2023, Tikka, Heidi; Kuljuntausta, Petri; Rantanen, Tytti; Tarkka, Minna, Suomalaisen mediataiteen ensimmäinen vuosisata, 157
Happier than Ever: The Role of Public Sentiment in Cryptocurrencies, Meme Stocks, and NFTs
Serada, Alesha, 2023, Chohan, Usman W.; Van Kerckhoven, Sven, Activist Retail Investors and the Future of Financial Markets: Understanding YOLO Capitalism, Routledge International Studies in Money and Banking, 35-53, Chapter 3, DOI: 10.4324/9781003351085-4
Research projects
Research group members
Leader of the research group: Merja Koskela (for the period 1.8.2024–31.7.2027 Anne Laajalahti) Head of subject: Tanja Sihvonen Programme manager: Heidi Hirsto (Multidisciplinary Master's Programme in Communication, Master of Arts) Programme manager: Rebekah Rousi (Technical Communication, Master of Arts) Programme manager: Niina Nissilä (Communication Studies, Bachelor of Arts)
Professors
Merja Koskela
Rebekah Rousi
Heidi Hirsto
Tomi Laapotti
Professors of practise
Elina Melgin
Other research group members
Kristine Ask
Kirsi-Mari Cheas
Maria Eronen-Valli
Cecilia Hjerppe
Annikki Hyppönen
Katriina Karvo
Anne Laajalahti
Sebastian Laitila
Tommi Lehtonen
Ella Lillqvist
Katja Lösönen
Heidi Mikkola
Niina Nissilä
Nuppu-Maija Pelevina
Krista Penttilä
Joni Piispanen
Satu Rantakokko
Eveliina Salmela
Virpi Salojärvi
Eliisa Vainikka
Ville Vakkuri
Teija Waaramaa
Johanna Ylipulli
Emerita professor
Anita Nuopponen
Doctoral researchers
Aino Harinen
Hanna Hietikko
Cecilia Hjerppe
Marjo Honkaranta
Annikki Hyppönen
Suvi Isohella
Pia Karasjärvi
Mona Khattab
Katja Lösönen
Jarl Macalka
Susan Mykrä
Marjut Männistö
Annu Perälä
Joni Piispanen
Katriina Tikkala
Title of docent (Adjunct Professors)
Anne Kankaanranta
Marja-Liisa Kuronen
Anne Laajalahti
Minna Lammi
Arto Lanamäki
Hans Landqvist
Vilma Luoma-aho
Riikka Nissi
Pekka Pälli