Web Social Science
Concepts, Data and Tools for Social Scientists in the Digital Age
- Robert Ackland - Australian National University, Australia
Communication Research Methods | Social Research Methods | Sociological Research Methods
- Paul Vogt, Illinois State University
"This book brings the art and science of building and applying innovative online research tools to students and faculty across the social sciences."
- William H. Dutton, University of Oxford
A comprehensive guide to the theory and practice of web Social Science. This book demonstrates how the web is being used to collect social research data, such as online surveys and interviews, as well as digital trace data from social media environments, such as Facebook and Twitter. It also illuminates how the advent of the web has led to traditional social science concepts and approaches being combined with those from other scientific disciplines, leading to new insights into social, political and economic behaviour.
Situating social sciences in the digital age, this book aids:
- understanding of the fundamental changes to society, politics and the economy that have resulted from the advent of the web
- choice of appropriate data, tools and research methods for conducting research using web data
- learning how web data are providing new insights into long-standing social science research questions
- appreciation of how social science can facilitate an understanding of life in the digital age
It is ideal for students and researchers across the social sciences, as well as those from information science, computer science and engineering who want to learn about how social scientists are thinking about and researching the web.
I am no longer in charge of the module but I alerted a colleague about the book as I think it is a very good introduction to the subject.
This is well written text for novice researcher who maybe interest in exploring social networked approach in open distance education
This methodological primer provides an accessible and well illustrated account of key research methods for the study of online communication and social interaction. Students found it a useful source book for designing dissertation methodologies.
With an increasing amount of research being undertaken via the web utilising extensive on line data bases, this book gives students a significant insight into all considerations of research and the web