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Faculty of Arts of Comenius University > Application and Admissions > Doctoral Studies > Admission procedure for the academic year 2026/2027 > Dissertation topics for full time and external study in 2026–2027 academic year > Media and Communication Studies (full time) > Annotations

Annotations

Nr. Topic Annotations
1. Gamification as a driver of consumer engagement in environmental sustainability through retail loyalty programmes

The future, technology will be a catalyst for sales growth in both physical and online stores. The focus of digital transformation is increasingly shifting from product to customer, merging 'customer experience' with 'operational excellence'. Leveraging value-creating gamification experiences by enhancing the performance of sustainable behaviours and extending them to other sustainability priorities can help to address issues such as the gap between attitudes and behaviours in adopting possibly more expensive green products and engaging effectively in resource recycling. The aim of the project is to identify loyalty programme items to encourage sustainable shopping, demonstrating the contribution of game design elements in exploring the change in consumer motivation resulting from the rewards offered by the programme.
2. Fundraising in the digital era - the impact of personalized and automated communication on donor decision-making

The dissertation focuses on donor decision-making in digital fundraising, with particular attention to the impact of personalized and automated communication. The aim of the research is, based on analysis and empirical investigation, to identify how technologically and communicatively optimised interventions (such as content personalization, automated communication, and user interface adjustments) influence donors’ decision-making processes and behaviour in online environments. The study compares the effects of different communication optimization strategies and distinguishes between short-term fundraising performance and long-term donor behaviour.
3. Behavioural principles in brand marketing communication on social networks and their impact on low-income households' consumers in the context of sustainable consumption The dissertation investigates how brands use behavioural principles in marketing communication on social networks and what impact this communication has on satisfaction and subjective perception of sustainable consumption among consumers from low-income households. Identify the behavioural principles most frequently used in brand communication, examine the relationship between behavioural elements and audience engagement, and reflect on the ethical principles of behaviourally orientated communication.
4. AI literacy and research and information creativity The transformative impact of AI in all areas of information work requires new approaches of information science. The objectives of the dissertation thesis are to analyze dimensions and topical issues of AI literacy and relations to research and information creativity from the perspective of information science. The question is how to understand the features of AI in different situations of information use and information creation (education, library services). The author should organize an own survey and propose solutions for support of creativity in information work with the use of AI and for contexts of AI literacy and ethics of AI.
5. Theory of information in information science Digital technologies and AI tools have changed not only information practices, but brought also challenges for developing of theoretical thinking in information science, including the basic concept of information. The objectives of the thesis are to analyze current approaches to theory of information in information science. Further objectives are to develop a typology of approaches, and analyze main models of information. The thesis should elaborate on semantic models of theory of information in a universal (transdisciplianry) and context-oriented perspectives. The author should derive application cases and examples for information experience, information literacy and information design.
6. The Impact of AI on the Traditional Concept of Information Systems Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way Information Systems (IS) work, moving them beyond traditional, rule-based structures to more intelligent and self-learning systems. AI allows IS to analyze data, recognize patterns, and even make decisions without human intervention. This transformation improves efficiency, automation, and real-time decision-making, but it also raises concerns about transparency, fairness, and human control. As AI becomes more integrated into IS, businesses and organizations must find ways to balance automation with ethical considerations. Future research should focus on making AI-powered IS more explainable, trustworthy, and aligned with human values. Understanding these changes will be crucial for ensuring that AI-driven IS remain useful, responsible, and beneficial in fields such as healthcare, finance, and business management.
7. Journalism in a Transformation Period: Technological, Organizational, and Social Contexts The dissertation focuses on the transformation of contemporary journalism in the context of technological, organisational and social changes that influence the functioning of the media, editorial processes, and trust in the current type of journalism. The study will examine changes in the organisation of editorial work, work processes, and technological procedures resulting from the introduction of digital automated artificial intelligence tools in the media environment in Slovakia and around the world. The thesis also reflects on the social dimension of these processes, particularly the issue of audience trust in contemporary media. Methodologically, the thesis will primarily involve qualitative research, including in-depth interviews with journalists, analysis of editorial practices with regard to artificial intelligence tools, and examination of current trends in media outlets, with an emphasis on legislative and ethical restrictions.
8. Changes in the information environment and their impact on recipients' trust in the media The dissertation is based on the need to examine the changing information environment and recipients' trust in the media in view of several changing realities and the social situation. The topic is based on the assumption that each of us is loyal to a particular source of information and that this loyalty is conditioned by several variables that influence each other. A quantitative approach is assumed when examining the issue, but it depends on the chosen approach. The aim is to capture the changing information environment and trust, which is no longer sought only by the news media, but is also fought for by social networks and disinformation platforms, often with the help of artificial intelligence, such as deepfake outputs.
9. Mobile creation of written, audio, and audiovisual journalistic content The goal of this dissertation research is to academically develop mobile journalistic creative work in the Slovak Republic, where it currently does not exist. Methodologically, it is a mixed-methods study at the media management level (focusing on the social responsibility of media companies) and at the editorial level (concerning the editorial responsibility of media in dramaturgy and editing). The research aims include both news production and documentary and artistic creative work for media organizations.
10. Media management and editorial ethics in the age of artificial intelligence The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in Slovak media editorial offices is not matched by a systematic government approach to developing a national doctrine on AI's role in media content, nor by initiatives from media ethics self-regulatory bodies to update, expand, or add to ethical codes. As a result, individual editorial offices implement ad hoc internal rules, both written and unwritten, based on their own editorial and social responsibilities, while advocating a more comprehensive ethical standard at the societal level. The main goal of this research is to analyse, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the options within the current regulatory framework for the ethical use of artificial intelligence within the Slovak media system.
11. History – An Inexhaustible Source of Media Labels? This dissertation focuses on researching media labels in Slovak media discourse during the period from 2023 to 2027, which is defined by the fourth government of Robert Fico. The aim is to examine the emergence, use and dissemination of media labels based on historical facts, primarily from the second half of the 20th century, in the Slovak information environment. This will be examined not only in the mass media, but also on various other online platforms, including disinformation websites and social networks. It describes the accuracy and clarity of media labels, their stylistic and linguistic potential, and their use in specific types of media communication, particularly in the context of the difference between news reporting and journalism, and their potential effect on the recipient. Lastly, the dissertation also examines the tone of texts in which media labels are used, in line with the hypothesis that these tools are primarily employed in a negative context.
12. Literary Criticism in the Fluid Era – from reviewing to posting This dissertation examines how literary criticism has transformed in the digital environment, analysing the impact of the shift from traditional media to online platforms on its form, function and social significance. The thesis focuses on the hypothesis that the pressure to produce content quickly and in large quantities leads to a decline in the quality of argumentation, resulting in a shift from evaluation to more subjective, descriptive expressions. The dissertation traces the decline of professional criticism and the rise of influencers, 'Bookstagrammers', and users of platforms such as Goodreads, who shape readers' preferences through short, emotionally charged recommendations. The research also involves comparing the genres and styles of 20th-century critical texts with those of contemporary online reviews. The aim is to characterise the formal and content changes in literary criticism in the digital era.