E2020

Global Studies * / International Development Studies * / International Public Administration and Politics * / Politics and Administration * / Public Administration *

master course

English

You register for activities through stads selvbetjening during the announced registration period, which you can see on the Study administration homepage.

When registering for courses, please be aware of the potential conflicts and overlaps between course and exam time and dates. The planning of course activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programmes, which should not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programmes, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose.

In case of too few registrations, the course will be cancelled.

This course explores the technical and methodological aspects of digital data collection and analysis of digital trace data from social media platforms. We present theoretical concepts in relation to contemporary practice of cutting edge online analysis of digital data. The students will gain insight and concrete experience with how to utilize various methods of data collection and analysis of online communication and interaction, as well as insight into, how this enables a particular view and insight into human and organizational behavior online.

As part of the Global Studies program we will discuss the role of social media in global politics, and how digital methods can help to explore and expand the understanding of online culture, communication, politics, and activism. Though this course is mainly concerned with data from social media, we also discuss this data in relation to other types of media and institutional relations in order to connect this communication to a wider political system.

We explore the potential and limitation of digital data collection through a mixed methods approach that combines the advantages of quantification of metrics such as the number of posts, likes, comments and shares, with in-depth reading of content on social media platforms such as text, picture and video that is less suited for quantification and generalization.

The students will need to work together in groups during exercises, and this group work is key to preparing for the exam. The course and exam paper is based on active participation and the work you do as a group during exercises. Therefore, attendance is highly encouraged throughout the entire course and exercises.

The students will need to bring a personal laptop with the newest version of Excel running (free download as RUC student). We will use Excel for basic descriptive analysis and visualization of data. The course does not have high demands for processing power, but students with very old computer models and older versions of Excel may experience some issues. No prior knowledge of statistics or Excel is needed.

At the end of the course the students should be able to understand and critically reflect of the key challenges and limitations of digital data collection and analysis based on social media data.

Knowledge

• Knowledge about the technical and practical aspects of data collection and analysis through social media platforms
• Knowledge about various relevant tools for digital methods in relation to collecting and analyzing social media data

Skills

• Skills to collect data through the available tools for data collection on Facebook and Twitter
• Skills to analyze and present digital data based on quantitative and qualitative criteria

Competencies

• Competencies to design a study based on digital data from social media platforms
• Competencies to assess the quality of contemporary digital data studies based on a technical knowledge of the infrastructure and available tools
• Competencies to analyze, contextualize, and relate a specific online case to broader global issues and trends.

NB The course adopts the newest tools and methods for social media analysis, but currently the course focuses primarily on collection and analysis of social media data from Twitter, because it is the most accessible platform for teaching purposes.

The course runs once a week, with five course days in total Each course day is based on two modules = 3 hours and 30 minuttes.

Home and peerreview is = 27,5 hours Preparation time = 50 hours Exam work = 40 hours Total hours = 135 hours

The course relies on public access books and online articles available via university access.

Books (public access):

• Weller, K., Bruns, A., Burgess, J., Mahrt, M., & Puschmann, C. (Red.). (2013). Twitter and Society (2nd ed. edition). New York: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers.

Articles:

• danah boyd & Kate Crawford (2012) CRITICAL QUESTIONS FOR BIG DATA. Information, Communication & Society, 15:5, 662-679

• Driscoll, K., & Walker, S. (2014). Big Data, Big Questions| Working Within a Black Box: Transparency in the Collection and Production of Big Twitter Data. International Journal of Communication, 8(0), 20. http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/2171

• Lomborg, S., & Bechmann, A. (2014). Using APIs for Data Collection on Social Media. The Information Society, 30(4), 256–265. https://doi.org/10.1080/01972243.2014.915276

• Rieder, B., Abdulla, R., Poell, T., Woltering, R., & Zack, L. (2015). Data critique and analytical opportunities for very large Facebook Pages: Lessons learned from exploring “We are all Khaled Said”. Big Data & Society, 2(2), 205395171561498. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951715614980

• Rogers, R. (2015). Digital Methods for Web Research. In Robert A. Scott & S. M. Kosslyn (Eds.), Emerging Trends in the Behavioral and Social Sciences. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. doi:10.1002/9781118900772

Pleas note that the final curriculum might change and will be available on Moodle before the first day of the course.

The students will receive collective feedback throughout the course based on coursework and exercises. Finally the students will receive one piece of generalized feedback on the quality of the exam projects as a whole after the exam.

ISE Studyadministration (ise-studyadministration@ruc.dk)

Sander Andreas Schwartz (saansc@ruc.dk)

5

• Knowledge and understanding:

  Knowledge and understanding of academic and/or scientifically based practice-oriented methods and their application and relevance on an advanced level

• Being able to understand and critically reflect upon academic and/or scientifically based practice-oriented methods in the field of social science research and how they are used in the students’ future careers as, for example, lecturers, project managers, consultants, managers or researchers

• Skills:

  Carrying out studies and analyses with the aid of academic and/or scientifically based practice-oriented methods

• Evaluating and selecting methods from research-related and professional practices

• Being able to communicate and discuss academic and/or scientifically based practice-oriented studies in a type of language that is correct, clear, professionally accurate, well-structured and well-argued

• Competences:

  Working with colleagues in the application of various academic and/or scientifically based practice-oriented methods and forms of analysis in relation to relevant issues in research and professional contexts

• Reflection on one’s own learning and taking responsibility for one’s own professional development

• Research and professional premises for academic and scientifically based practice-oriented analyses
• Approaches to the use of academic and/or scientifically based practice-oriented tools in research and professional contexts, respectively

Lectures, exercises, student presentations, peer feedback and discussions.

Elective course

Individual written take-home assignment in a research question of own choice.

The character limit of the assignment is: maximum 26,400 characters, including spaces.
The character limit includes the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude any appendices.

The students start writing the take-home assignment during the course. The duration is 7 days and may include public holidays. The submission deadline will be announced on study.ruc.dk.


Assessment: 7-point grading scale.

Samme som ordinær eksamen / same form as ordinary exam