ME-638-1: Advanced Methods in social science research on digitalization
This two day DIGIT course/workshop at the University of Agder (UiA), jointly organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Centre for Digital Transformation (CeDiT) introduces the participants to selected methods for exploring digital environments and offers them the opportunity to deepen and apply advanced research methods in workshops led by experts.
When: October 31 - November 1, 2023
Where: University of Agder, Campus Kristiansand
Registration: https://nettskjema.no/a/358513
Registration Deadline: October 15
Language: English
ECTS Credit Points: 5 ECTS
The course is open for DIGIT members and a group of students from the University of Agder.
Content
How can social scientists approach and make sense of digital environments?
Digital transformations of societies, the use of digital communication and the traces we leave in digital worlds pose new research questions, provide new sources of data and challenge researchers with methodological questions.
Day 1
Welcome and Introduction
Impulses to selected methods
Visual Discourse Analysis – Prof. Amanda Machin (Department of Sociology & Social Work)
Critical Realist Case Studies – Prof. Devendra Bahadur Thapa (Department of Information Systems, CeDiT)
(N)Ethnography – Ass. Prof. Vito Laterza (Department of Global Development and Planning, CeDiT)
Online Surveys – Ass. Prof. Sivert Skålvoll Urstad (Department of Sociology & Social Work)
Social Network Analysis - Prof. Alexander Ruser (Depertment of Sociology / Social Work, CeDiT)
Social Event
Day 2
Breakout and Workshop Sessions
Practical application of selected methods, possibilities for individual PhD projects
Plenary and comments
Recommended Readings
Callegaro, M., Manfreda, K., & Vehovar, V. (2015). Web survey methodology. SAGE Publications Ltd, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529799651
Hanneman, Robert A. Riddle, Mark (2016) “A Brief Introduction to Analyzing Social Network Data” in: John Scott & Peter J. Carrington (eds.) The SAGE Handbook of Social Network Analysis
Johann W. Unger, Ruth Wodak and Majid KhosraviNik (2021) "Critical Discourse Studies and Social Media Data" In David Silverman (ed). Qualitative Research. (Fifth Ed.) Sage.
Toepoel, V. (2016). Doing surveys online. SAGE Publications Ltd, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473967243
Tremayne, Mark (2014) Anatomy of Protest in the Digital Era: A Network Analysis of Twitter and Occupy Wall Street, Social Movement Studies, 13:1, 110-126, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14742837.2013.830969
Assessment methods and criteria
Brief summary report, reflecting on methodological design (opportunities) for own PhD project (2-3 pages), pass /fail
Financial support
DIGIT will cover travel expenses for DIGIT participants residing outside Kristiansand. The participants are themselves responsible for booking their own flight/train tickets in accordance with their university's guidelines and the Personnel Handbook for State Employees. It should be noted that DIGIT covers expenses up to a maximum of 1500 NOK in total.
DIGIT will also provide hotel accommodation for those travelling to the course. The accommodation arrangements will be handled by DIGIT and participants will be notified of the hotel details as soon as they are confirmed.
Participants are advised to wait with booking any tickets until your place has been confirmed.
Registration
Advanced Methods in Social Science Research on Digitalization is a freshly designed course, which is part of the UIA course catalogue.
As a member of DIGIT, individuals can enroll in this course by following the registration link provided above. DIGIT will handle the forwarding of your registration details to UiA on your behalf.
The UiA course information page can be accessed at https://www.uia.no/en/studieplaner/topic/ME-638-1.
Course Coordinator - Alexander Ruser
Alex is professor of sociology at the University of Agder (UiA) with a special interest in political sociology, environmental sociology and the sociology of knowledge.
From September 2022 he has been the director of the Centre for Digital Transformation (CeDiT) at UiA.
He holds a PhD in Sociology from the Max-Weber-Institute of Sociology at Heidelberg University and was a Dahrendorf Postdoctoral Fellow at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, the London School of Economics and Political Sciences and a visiting fellow at Punjab University, Chandigarh.
Current research projects focus on the role of “science in society”, the social & political role of think tanks, the impact of scientific expertise on climate politics and climate change scepticism.
Please feel free to contact the DIGIT coordinator should you have any practical questions.
For questions related to the course content, please contact Alexander Ruser.