Textbook suggestions on internet-based social science
Hi all, For my course “Internet, social media and networks” in our sociology master program, I’ve been using Rober Ackland’s excellent “Web Social Science” from 2013 for years. Although I really like this book, it feels increasingly outdated, given the fast-moving nature of the topic and the field. So I’m looking for suggestions for a replacement. The ideal textbook would, like WSS, contain a mix of theoretical and methodological tools for research in digital contexts, with plenty of examples of recent research with an emphasis on the quantitative tradition in social science, and all with applications to relevant and interesting social science (preferably sociological) problems. I find that in particular the combination of tools (such as data collection on the internet and SNA) and discussion of substantive problems is actually quite rare in textbooks (e.g., Bit by bit by Salganik is great on tools but does not teach much substantively about “sociology of the internet”). So, any suggestions are welcome! Best, Rense Dr. Rense Corten | Associate professor | Department of Sociology/ICS | Utrecht University | Address: Padualaan 14, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands | t: +31 (0)30 253 8814
Rense I hesitate to suggest my own work, but only the editor of: Graham, M., and Dutton, W. H. (2019) (eds), Society and the Internet: How Networks of Information and Communication are Changing our Lives, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. It is not focused on methodology, but nearly every chapter provides an example of different methods applied to a wide range of questions. The table of contents is at: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/society-and-the-internet-97801988435... Good luck with your course, Bill William H. Dutton 55 Victoria Road Oxford OX2 7QF United Kingdom william.dutton@gmail.com Twitter @BiIIDutton (II=two capital ii’s) Phone: +44 (0)1865 423836 Mobile: +44 (0)7757 741670 Blog: https://billdutton.me
On 17 Dec 2020, at 10:56, Corten, R. (Rense) <R.Corten@uu.nl> wrote:
Hi all,
For my course “Internet, social media and networks” in our sociology master program, I’ve been using Rober Ackland’s excellent “Web Social Science” from 2013 for years. Although I really like this book, it feels increasingly outdated, given the fast-moving nature of the topic and the field. So I’m looking for suggestions for a replacement. The ideal textbook would, like WSS, contain a mix of theoretical and methodological tools for research in digital contexts, with plenty of examples of recent research with an emphasis on the quantitative tradition in social science, and all with applications to relevant and interesting social science (preferably sociological) problems. I find that in particular the combination of tools (such as data collection on the internet and SNA) and discussion of substantive problems is actually quite rare in textbooks (e.g., Bit by bit by Salganik is great on tools but does not teach much substantively about “sociology of the internet”). So, any suggestions are welcome!
Best, Rense
Dr. Rense Corten | Associate professor | Department of Sociology/ICS | Utrecht University | Address: Padualaan 14, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands | t: +31 (0)30 253 8814
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
Dear Rense, I would suggest Digital Sociologies, edited by Jessie Daniels, Karen Gregory and Tressie McMillan Cottom (https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/digital-sociologies). It contains a lot of case studies of digital phenomena from a sociology perspective. Hope this helps! Best regards, Justin On Thu, 17 Dec 2020 at 12:20, William Dutton <william.dutton@gmail.com<mailto:william.dutton@gmail.com>> wrote: This email was sent to you by someone outside the University. You should only click on links or attachments if you are certain that the email is genuine and the content is safe. Rense I hesitate to suggest my own work, but only the editor of: Graham, M., and Dutton, W. H. (2019) (eds), Society and the Internet: How Networks of Information and Communication are Changing our Lives, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. It is not focused on methodology, but nearly every chapter provides an example of different methods applied to a wide range of questions. The table of contents is at: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/society-and-the-internet-97801988435... Good luck with your course, Bill William H. Dutton 55 Victoria Road Oxford OX2 7QF United Kingdom william.dutton@gmail.com<mailto:william.dutton@gmail.com> Twitter @BiIIDutton (II=two capital ii’s) Phone: +44 (0)1865 423836 Mobile: +44 (0)7757 741670 Blog: https://billdutton.me
On 17 Dec 2020, at 10:56, Corten, R. (Rense) <R.Corten@uu.nl<mailto:R.Corten@uu.nl>> wrote:
Hi all,
For my course “Internet, social media and networks” in our sociology master program, I’ve been using Rober Ackland’s excellent “Web Social Science” from 2013 for years. Although I really like this book, it feels increasingly outdated, given the fast-moving nature of the topic and the field. So I’m looking for suggestions for a replacement. The ideal textbook would, like WSS, contain a mix of theoretical and methodological tools for research in digital contexts, with plenty of examples of recent research with an emphasis on the quantitative tradition in social science, and all with applications to relevant and interesting social science (preferably sociological) problems. I find that in particular the combination of tools (such as data collection on the internet and SNA) and discussion of substantive problems is actually quite rare in textbooks (e.g., Bit by bit by Salganik is great on tools but does not teach much substantively about “sociology of the internet”). So, any suggestions are welcome!
Best, Rense
Dr. Rense Corten | Associate professor | Department of Sociology/ICS | Utrecht University | Address: Padualaan 14, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands | t: +31 (0)30 253 8814
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org<mailto:Air-L@listserv.aoir.org> mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org<mailto:Air-L@listserv.aoir.org> mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
I'd endorse this choice of Digital Sociologies, and add Digital Anthropology by Horst and Miller - the two together are really strong. Tess On 17/12/2020 12:54, Justin Ho wrote:
Dear Rense,
I would suggest Digital Sociologies, edited by Jessie Daniels, Karen Gregory and Tressie McMillan Cottom (https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/digital-sociologies). It contains a lot of case studies of digital phenomena from a sociology perspective. Hope this helps!
Best regards, Justin
On Thu, 17 Dec 2020 at 12:20, William Dutton <william.dutton@gmail.com<mailto:william.dutton@gmail.com>> wrote: This email was sent to you by someone outside the University. You should only click on links or attachments if you are certain that the email is genuine and the content is safe.
Rense
I hesitate to suggest my own work, but only the editor of:
Graham, M., and Dutton, W. H. (2019) (eds), Society and the Internet: How Networks of Information and Communication are Changing our Lives, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
It is not focused on methodology, but nearly every chapter provides an example of different methods applied to a wide range of questions. The table of contents is at: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/society-and-the-internet-97801988435...
Good luck with your course,
Bill
William H. Dutton 55 Victoria Road Oxford OX2 7QF United Kingdom
william.dutton@gmail.com<mailto:william.dutton@gmail.com> Twitter @BiIIDutton (II=two capital ii’s)
Phone: +44 (0)1865 423836 Mobile: +44 (0)7757 741670
Blog: https://billdutton.me
On 17 Dec 2020, at 10:56, Corten, R. (Rense) <R.Corten@uu.nl<mailto:R.Corten@uu.nl>> wrote:
Hi all,
For my course “Internet, social media and networks” in our sociology master program, I’ve been using Rober Ackland’s excellent “Web Social Science” from 2013 for years. Although I really like this book, it feels increasingly outdated, given the fast-moving nature of the topic and the field. So I’m looking for suggestions for a replacement. The ideal textbook would, like WSS, contain a mix of theoretical and methodological tools for research in digital contexts, with plenty of examples of recent research with an emphasis on the quantitative tradition in social science, and all with applications to relevant and interesting social science (preferably sociological) problems. I find that in particular the combination of tools (such as data collection on the internet and SNA) and discussion of substantive problems is actually quite rare in textbooks (e.g., Bit by bit by Salganik is great on tools but does not teach much substantively about “sociology of the internet”). So, any suggestions are welcome!
Best, Rense
Dr. Rense Corten | Associate professor | Department of Sociology/ICS | Utrecht University | Address: Padualaan 14, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands | t: +31 (0)30 253 8814
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org<mailto:Air-L@listserv.aoir.org> mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org<mailto:Air-L@listserv.aoir.org> mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ -- *Tess Baxter Visual artist and printmaker, writer and photographer* Tizzy Canucci in virtual worlds PhD researcher at Lancaster University www.tessbaxter.com <https://www.tessbaxter.com/> | tizzycanucci.com <https://tizzycanucci.com/> Twitter: TizzyCanucci <https://twitter.com/TizzyCanucci> | Vimeo: Tizzy Canucci <https://vimeo.com/tizzycanucci> | Instagram: tess_baxter_ <https://www.instagram.com/tess_baxter_> Profiles: Art and Research <https://www.tessbaxter.com/publications-presentations/> | Lancaster University <http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/tess-baxter> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/tess-baxter-3b482a22/> Mob: 07964 486688
Forgive me the self promotion, I wrote a book that could be useful to you.. https://politybooks.com/bookdetail/?isbn=9781509529308 To analyse social and behavioural phenomena in our digitalized world, it is necessary to understand the main research opportunities and challenges specific to online and digital data. This book presents an overview of the many techniques that are part of the fundamental toolbox of the digital social scientist. Placing online methods within the wider tradition of social research, Giuseppe Veltri discusses the principles and frameworks that underlie each technique of digital research. This practical guide covers methodological issues such as dealing with different types of digital data, construct validity, representativeness and big data sampling. It looks at different forms of unobtrusive data collection methods (such as web scraping and social media mining) as well as obtrusive methods (including qualitative methods, web surveys and experiments). Special extended attention is given to computational approaches to statistical analysis, text mining and network analysis. Digital Social Research will be a welcome resource for students and researchers across the social sciences and humanities carrying out digital research (or interested in the future of social research). Introduction 1. Social research using digital data and methods 2. Unobtrusive vs Obtrusive methods 3. Online obtrusive data collection methods 4. Quantitative data analysis reloaded 5. Networks and data 6. Text mining 7. Final remarks References About the Author Giuseppe A. Veltri, PhD, is Professor of Sociology at the University of Trento, Italy. Reviews ‘We need more books like this. With his far-reaching and accessible overview of the field, Giuseppe A. Veltri makes a very welcome contribution.’ Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology, and President of the Association of Internet Researchers ‘Giuseppe A. Veltri’s innovative approach locates digital methods within the established canon of social research methodology, without the hyperbole that often surrounds such discussion. Students will learn about the essential principles of social scientific research and where new methods sit in relation to traditional methods.’ Nick Allum, Professor of Research Methodology, University of Essex ‘This is a timely and important book. Its real strength is that it moves beyond the “how to” to explain the “why”. This is achieved with clear language that makes the book of value to advanced undergraduates and postgraduates alike.’ Scott Wright, Associate Professor of Digital Media and Political Communication, University of Melbourne ----------------------------------- Prof Giuseppe A. Veltri Personal email: ga.veltri@gmail.com Work email: giuseppe.veltri@unitn.it www.giuseppeveltri.eu Follow my research on ResearchGate #New book: Digital Social Research, published by Polity, October 2019. #Work in progress: Designing Online Experiments for the Social Sciences, SAGE, 2020. Latest article: The impact of online platform transparency of information on consumers’ choices On 17 Dec 2020, 14:29 +0100, Tess Baxter <research@tessbaxter.com>, wrote:
I'd endorse this choice of Digital Sociologies, and add Digital Anthropology by Horst and Miller - the two together are really strong.
Tess
On 17/12/2020 12:54, Justin Ho wrote:
Dear Rense,
I would suggest Digital Sociologies, edited by Jessie Daniels, Karen Gregory and Tressie McMillan Cottom (https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/digital-sociologies). It contains a lot of case studies of digital phenomena from a sociology perspective. Hope this helps!
Best regards, Justin
On Thu, 17 Dec 2020 at 12:20, William Dutton <william.dutton@gmail.com<mailto:william.dutton@gmail.com>> wrote: This email was sent to you by someone outside the University. You should only click on links or attachments if you are certain that the email is genuine and the content is safe.
Rense
I hesitate to suggest my own work, but only the editor of:
Graham, M., and Dutton, W. H. (2019) (eds), Society and the Internet: How Networks of Information and Communication are Changing our Lives, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
It is not focused on methodology, but nearly every chapter provides an example of different methods applied to a wide range of questions. The table of contents is at: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/society-and-the-internet-97801988435...
Good luck with your course,
Bill
William H. Dutton 55 Victoria Road Oxford OX2 7QF United Kingdom
william.dutton@gmail.com<mailto:william.dutton@gmail.com> Twitter @BiIIDutton (II=two capital ii’s)
Phone: +44 (0)1865 423836 Mobile: +44 (0)7757 741670
Blog: https://billdutton.me
On 17 Dec 2020, at 10:56, Corten, R. (Rense) <R.Corten@uu.nl<mailto:R.Corten@uu.nl>> wrote:
Hi all,
For my course “Internet, social media and networks” in our sociology master program, I’ve been using Rober Ackland’s excellent “Web Social Science” from 2013 for years. Although I really like this book, it feels increasingly outdated, given the fast-moving nature of the topic and the field. So I’m looking for suggestions for a replacement. The ideal textbook would, like WSS, contain a mix of theoretical and methodological tools for research in digital contexts, with plenty of examples of recent research with an emphasis on the quantitative tradition in social science, and all with applications to relevant and interesting social science (preferably sociological) problems. I find that in particular the combination of tools (such as data collection on the internet and SNA) and discussion of substantive problems is actually quite rare in textbooks (e.g., Bit by bit by Salganik is great on tools but does not teach much substantively about “sociology of the internet”). So, any suggestions are welcome!
Best, Rense
Dr. Rense Corten | Associate professor | Department of Sociology/ICS | Utrecht University | Address: Padualaan 14, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands | t: +31 (0)30 253 8814
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org<mailto:Air-L@listserv.aoir.org> mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org<mailto:Air-L@listserv.aoir.org> mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ -- *Tess Baxter Visual artist and printmaker, writer and photographer* Tizzy Canucci in virtual worlds PhD researcher at Lancaster University www.tessbaxter.com <https://www.tessbaxter.com/> | tizzycanucci.com <https://tizzycanucci.com/> Twitter: TizzyCanucci <https://twitter.com/TizzyCanucci> | Vimeo: Tizzy Canucci <https://vimeo.com/tizzycanucci> | Instagram: tess_baxter_ <https://www.instagram.com/tess_baxter_> Profiles: Art and Research <https://www.tessbaxter.com/publications-presentations/> | Lancaster University <http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/tess-baxter> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/tess-baxter-3b482a22/> Mob: 07964 486688
The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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participants (5)
-
Corten, R. (Rense) -
Giuseppe Alessandro Veltri -
Justin Ho -
Tess Baxter -
William Dutton