6 ECTS credits
180 u studietijd
Aanbieding 1 met studiegidsnummer 1021444CER voor alle studenten in het 2e semester
met een gespecialiseerd bachelor niveau.
- Semester
- 2e semester
- Inschrijving onder examencontract
- Mogelijk
- Beoordelingsvoet
- Beoordeling (0 tot 20)
- 2e zittijd mogelijk
- Ja
- Inschrijvingsvereisten
- Students who want to enroll for this course, must have passed ‘Introduction to SPC Methodology’ and must have obtained at least 30 ECTS-credits on bachelor level
- Onderwijstaal
- Engels
- Onder samenwerkingsakkoord
- Onder interuniversitair akkoord mbt. opleiding
- Faculteit
- Faculteit Sociale Wetensch & SolvayBusinessSchool
- Verantwoordelijke vakgroep
- Communicatiewetenschappen
- Externe partnerinstelling(en)
- Universiteit Gent
- Onderwijsteam
- Ralf DE WOLF
Jeroen Stragier
Maria Vanden Abeele
(titularis)
- Onderdelen en contacturen
- 0 contacturen Exam
45 contacturen Lecture
135 contacturen Self study
- Inhoud
The processes of datafication that characterize our contemporary information society have led to an exponential growth in digital data. This provides challenges and opportunities for studying media and communication. In this course, we consider digital methods as those methodologies and methods that allow us to gain an understanding of the social world -both online and offline- by making use of data created by our interactions with digital technologies. The central aim of this course is to provide:
- a theoretical, conceptual and critical understanding of digital data and the knowledge they can generate,
- an understanding of how and when to apply methods and techniques related to digital data in a social scientific context,
- a select number of tools and skills to collect, analyze and visualize digital data.
- Bijkomende info
Course material
A list of reading materials accessible via the university library - these will be made available on the electronic platform Ufora.
PowerPoint-slides, notes, and documentation for practical exercises. All material will be offered online through the digital learning platform Ufora.
Additional info
The course covers the following topics:
Part 1:
- Introduction to Digital Methods
- Social research in the digital age
- Big data & ethics
- Observing online behavior vs. Observing behavior online
Part 2:
Introduction to quantitative digital methods for data collection and data analysis.
Typical examples are APIs and scraping; digital trace data & log data analysis; social network analysis, automated text analysis; predictive modeling: regression and classification.
Part 3:
Introduction to qualitative digital methods for data collection and data analysis.
Typical examples are the walk-through method; digital ethnography; scrolling back; mobile instant messaging interviews.
Teaching methods
This course combines different teaching methods: Lectures, practicals, self-study and online discussion.
Support through Ufora (slides, lectures schemes, additional documentation, links, FAQ, email).
References
- Book: Salganik, Matthew J. 2017. Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
- Ackland, R. (2013). Web social science: Concepts, data and tools for social scientists in the digital age. London: Sage.
- Kitchin, R. (2014). The data revolution: Big data, open data, data infrastructures and their consequences. London: Sage.
- Rogers, R. (2013). Digital methods. Cambridge, MA: MIT press.
- Leerresultaten
-
General competences
After successful completion of this course:
- students can name, describe, explain, and evaluate important developments in the field of digital methods and internet research.
- students are able to (describe how and when to) apply digital methods and techniques in communication scientific research.
- students are able to recognize and reflect critically on ethical and political aspects concerning the usage and the implications of digital methods.
- Beoordelingsinformatie
-
De beoordeling bestaat uit volgende opdrachtcategorieën:
Examen Schriftelijk bepaalt 100% van het eindcijfer
Binnen de categorie Examen Schriftelijk dient men volgende opdrachten af te werken:
- Written Exam
met een wegingsfactor 75
en aldus 75% van het totale eindcijfer.
- Written Assignment
met een wegingsfactor 25
en aldus 25% van het totale eindcijfer.
- Aanvullende info mbt evaluatie
The end-of-term evaluation consists of two parts.
- Part 1 (75%). A written exam consisting of multiple questions that assess whether students have acquired knowledge, understanding, skills and critical reflection in relation to digital methods.
- Part 2 (25%). A written assignment.
Due to COVID19 and the measures to prevent further dissemination, modified evaluation forms can be rolled out if deemed necessary. Deviations will be communicated via Ufora.
- Toegestane onvoldoende
- Kijk in het aanvullend OER van je faculteit na of een toegestane onvoldoende mogelijk is voor dit opleidingsonderdeel.
Academische context
Deze aanbieding maakt deel uit van de volgende studieplannen:
Bachelor of Social Sciences: Communication Studies (enkel aangeboden in het Engels)
Bachelor of Social Sciences: Political Sciences (enkel aangeboden in het Engels)
Bachelor of Social Sciences: Sociology (enkel aangeboden in het Engels)