Because we separate our findings by studies that operationalized thematic and episodic frames and those that defined the frames to ground readers in order to simplify the results for presentation, we begin with that information. Fifty-eight percent of the studies operationalized thematic and episodic frames in the methods section of published research (n = 45), while 32% defined thematic and episodic frames in cited literature to ground readers (n = 32).
Basic Descriptive Results. The Journal of Health Communication published 14 (18%) articles followed by articles in Health Communication with six articles (7.8%) and Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly with six articles (7.8%). Social Science & Medicine was third with five articles (6.5%) (See Table 4.1 for full list).
| Journal | Frequency | Percent |
| American Journal of Public Health | 7 (4) | 9.1 |
| Appetite | 1 | 1.3 |
| Atlantic Journal of Communication | 1 | 1.3 |
| CyberPsychology and Behavior | 1 | 1.3 |
| Disability & Society | (1) | 1.3 |
| Health Communication | 6 (4) | 7.8 |
| Health, Risk & Society | 2 (1) | 2.6 |
| Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the | 1 | 1.3 |
| Social Study of Health, Illness, & Medicine | ||
| Howard Journal of Communications | 1 | 1.3 |
| Human Communication Research | 2 | 2.6 |
| International Communication Gazette | 2 | 2.6 |
| Jour. of Applied Communication Research | (1) | 1.3 |
| Jour. of Child Sexual Abuse | (1) | 1.3 |
| Journal of Communication | 2 (1) | 2.6 |
| Jour. of Contingencies & Crisis Mgmt.(1) | 1.3 | |
| Journal of Health Communication | 14 (9) | 18.2 |
| Jour. of Health Politics, Policy & Law | 1 | 1.3 |
| Journal of Mental Health | (1) | 1.3 |
| Journal of Public Health Policy | (1) | 1.3 |
| Jour. of Reproductive & Infant Psychology | 1 | 1.3 |
| Journal of Safety Research | (1) | 1.3 |
| Journalism & Mass Comm. Quarterly | (6) | 7.8 |
| Mass Communication & Society | (1) | 1.3 |
| Media Psychology | (1) | 1.3 |
| Media, Culture & Society | (1) | 1.3 |
| Milbank Quarterly | (1) | 1.3 |
| Newspaper Research Journal | (2) | 2.6 |
| Obesity Reviews | 1 | 1.3 |
| Pediatrics | (1) | 1.3 |
| Political Psychology | (1) | 1.3 |
| Politics and the Life Sciences | 1 | 1.3 |
| Prevention Science | 1 | 1.3 |
| Science Communication | 4 (2) | 5.2 |
| Social Science & Medicine | 5 (2) | 6.5 |
| Tobacco Control | 1 | 1.3 |
| Transylvania Rev. of Administrative Sciences | 1 (1) | 1.3 |
| Total | 77 (45) | 100% (60%) |
Interestingly, research investigating episodic and thematic frames in health news began to increase substantially in 2007. Thirty-five percent of the research occurred during the years 2013, 2014 and 2015.
| Year | Frequency | Percent |
| 2018 | (1) | 1.3 |
| 2017 | 5(4) | 6.5 |
| 2016 | 5(3) | 6.5 |
| 2015 | 8 (5) | 10.4 |
| 2014 | 9 (5) | 11.7 |
| 2013 | 10 (5) | 13 |
| 2012 |