• Jobin Anna

• Jobin Anna

This seminar provides an introduction to a range of methodological skills required to successfully engage with the Digital Society.

Below is a tentative course plan, subject to change.

Week 1: Introduction: what are methods?
Paradigms, epistemology, methodology, scientific inquiry

Week 2: Research Questions & Research in the Digital Society
Research Design, Induction, Deduction, Sociotechnicity, Tool vs. Object

Week 3: Digital Methods
Born Digital Phenomena

Week 4: self-study

Week 5: Methods of the Social Sciences
Surveys, Interviews, Ethnography etc.

Week 6: Research Ethics
Bioethics, Experiments, Internet Research Ethics

Week 7: Intermediate report presentations

Week 8: Studying Apps and Algorithms

Week 9: Quantification & Big Data
Big data research, Social Network Analysis

Week 10: Data, Information, Circulation
Analyses, Interpretations, Situations, Contextualisations

Week 11: Studying Digital Platforms and Infrastructures

Week 12: Studying Digital Communities and Identities

Week 13 & 14: Project presentations
Students present their individual projects

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Important note: The planning above is for information purposes only and may be subject to change. Please refer to the Moodle for the most recent version of the syllabus and for specific assignment details and due dates.

The course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the methodologies available for researching and analyzing the digital society and a deeper understanding of the link between research question and methodology. The seminar emphasizes the importance of the sociotechnical aspects of digital society, including digital practices, identities, artifacts, platforms, and infrastructures. The students will apply their learned skills by designing and presenting a research project on a digital topic of their choice.

Grading: Participation (20%), Assignments (20%), Final paper and presentation (60%)

The reference list for this class is available on Moodle after each class.