Theoretical Foundations of Information and Communication Sciences from a Cybernetic Paradigm An Analytical Study of a Sample of Publications from Cairn.info

Abstract

The establishment of any scientific field requires three fundamental conditions: a clearly
defined subject, a specific methodology, and a coherent theoretical framework. These
conditions were gradually fulfilled in the field of Information and Communication Sciences
during the 1950s. After the identification of media phenomena as a legitimate object of study,
attention turned to theory—more specifically to paradigms, which encompass both theoretical
perspectives and methodological approaches. During this period, the cybernetic paradigm
emerged as one of the most influential frameworks guiding and regulating research in
information and communication. This study examines the relationship between the cybernetic
paradigm and Information and Communication Sciences by applying an open systemic
approach and a content analysis method to a selected sample of cybernetics-related
publications available on the Cairn.info platform. The objective is to assess the extent to
which this paradigm has contributed to the development of media and communication studies.
The research highlights the significant role played by the cybernetic paradigm in shaping key
themes and analytical perspectives within the media field. Through theoretical analysis and
content analysis of publications issued by three academic institutions indexed on Cairn.info,
the study reveals that although cybernetics is considered a foundational paradigm in
Information and Communication Sciences, it no longer receives sufficient scholarly attention
or in-depth scientific analysis. This relative neglect has negatively affected research topics
associated with the cybernetic paradigm in media studies. Moreover, it has led to the
marginalization of its founding scholars across successive generations, from the first to the
third, along with a diminished use of the concepts and models developed within this
framework. This decline is particularly evident in the nature and orientation of contemporary
academic research.