COMPUTATIONAL SOCIAL RESEARCH A

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

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General Module

Course Sheet

Course code:

0381LA

Academic Year of enrolment:

2018

Year of supply:

2019/2020

Type of Course:

Elective Course

Degree:

Course of 2nd Cycle Degree in SOCIAL RESEARCH, SECURITY POLICY AND CRIMINAL STUDIES

Disciplinary Sector:

GENERAL SOCIOLOGY

Is part of:

COMPUTATIONAL SOCIAL RESEARCH

Location:

CHIETI

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

MARETTI MARA

Cycle:

Second semester

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

102

Prerequisites:

Basic knowledge of Methodology of Social Research

Objectives

The aim of this course is to give a general understanding of the social, theoretical and methodological tools for computational social research.
The digital space is an artificial environment in which human relationships develop. These interactions produces big unstructured data (Big Data).
For this reason, the social scientist needs a specific toolbox for analyzing the processes and data outputs in digital space.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Knowledge of the digital environment and the digital media ecosystem
2. Understanding the different sources and forms of Big Data
3. Knowledge and understanding of computational social research methodology
4. Ability to organize and process large data sets of unstructured data.
5. Knowledge of the legal and ethical limits relating to the use of sensitive data

Contents

The topics of the course are:
informationalism and post-informationalism; The Digital environment and the Digital Media ecosystem, Big Data, Computational Social Research, Ethics and the future of social research in the digital space.

Extended Syllabus

1) Informationalism and post-informationalism
2) History and evolution of Digital Space
3) Introduction to Digital Media
4) Big Data: characteristics, types and sources; unstructured data; access to data and datasets.
5) Methodology of Computational social research: methods, applications and tools.
6) Ethics and deontology of social research in the digital space

Recommended Bibliography

Coursebooks:
Ardvisson A., Delfanti A. (2016), Introduzione ai media digitali (seconda edizione), Il Mulino, Bologna.
Salgarinik M.J. (2018), Bit by Bit. Social Research in the digital age, Princeton University Press, Princeton & Oxford

Teaching Methods

Frontal lectures as well as practical exercises with the use of software for data extraction and analysis. Attendance to teaching activities, even if not compulsory, is strongly recommended

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

The course consists of a presentation of a team project designed and developed during the course and an oral discussion on the same topic.

Contacts/More Information

E-mail: mara.maretti@unich.it
Students will be received after the lectures Appointments can be fixed by e-mail

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

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