Portrait of the portal as a metaphor: Explicating Web portals for communication research

Sriram Kalyanaraman, S. Shyam Sundar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Web portals are increasing in their presence as well as importance, yet suffer from lack of conceptual clarity. In explicating the concept of "portal" from a number of disciplinary frameworks, this article uncovers five different but inter-related metaphorical conceptions - gateways, billboards, networks, niches, and brands - which, in turn, suggest five dominant features of portal sites - customization, content, control, community, and commerce - for empirical examination as variables in future research on uses and effects of portals.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)239-256
Number of pages18
JournalJournalism and Mass Communication Quarterly
Volume85
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Communication

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Portrait of the portal as a metaphor: Explicating Web portals for communication research'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this