The course is an introduction to the so-called digital media methods, a methodological approach that seeks to move Internet research beyond the study of online culture in order to incorporate internet-based data, while also including other communicative and social media platforms such as Instagram, Vine, Twitter, giffy, Periscope, and Facebook amongst others. Contemporary research engaging digital media methods is built upon the ‘computational turn’ where ‘computational approaches is increasingly reflected across a number of disciplines, including the arts, humanities and social sciences, which use technologies to shift the critical ground of their concepts and theories’.  The course aim is to supply the knowledge and the skills essential for applying digital methods in specific research projects.

In the first part of the course the theoretical, methodological and technical issues relating to digital methods will be presented. In the second and third parts some applications in the field of internet-based research will be analyzed. Students will be invited to apply the theoretical concepts to some concrete cases.

Students should have a basic knowledge of statistics and methodology of social research.

1. Knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course, students should demonstrate to know the main theories about digital methods, the tools to analyse them, and a specialized vocabulary.

Students will attain this knowledge by participating in lectures and by studying the scientific texts proposed by the teacher, and discussed in the classroom.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding: students should consolidate skills in the use of knowledge (know-how), and be able to apply them on some concrete cases proposed by the teacher.

Students will attain this knowledge by Classroom discussions, tutorials, study of texts.

3. Capacity of judgment: students should be able to apply digitial methods for social research by using the learned technical tools.

4. Communication skills: discussion coordinated by the teacher about the course topics.

Students will attain this knowledge by developping opportunities for dialogue in the classroom.

5. Learning skills: development of critical skills, logic and problem analysis.

Students will attain this knowledge by classroom discussions, tutorials, study of texts

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Practices coordinated by professor and research fellows.

Teaching

Lectures and practical applications on digital methods

Attendance

3/4 of classes and project work

Course books

Caliandro A., Gandini A. (2019). I metodi digitali nella ricerca sociale. Roma, Carocci Editore.

Assessment

The exam will be held through the assessment of a group projec work. The aim is to evaluate both student's comprehension of the content and his ability in reworking concepts and in argumenting.

Excellent grades will be given in presence of: a good critical perspective and in depth study; knowing how to link among them the main subjects addressed during the course; the use of an appropriate language.

Good grades will be given in presence of:  good mnemonic knowledge of the contents; a relatively good critical perspective and connection skills related to the treated topics; the use of appropriate language.

Sufficient grades will be given in presence of: the achievement of a minimal knowledge on the treated themes, even in presence of some gaps; the use of a not appropriate language.

Negative grades will be given in presence of: a difficult orientation related to the the treated topics; knowledge gaps; the use of a not appropriate language.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Attendance

Study of the course book

Course books

Caliandro A., Gandini A. (2019). I metodi digitali nella ricerca sociale. Roma, Carocci Editore.

Biscaldi, A., Matera V. (2019). Antropologia dei social media. Comunicare nel mondo globale. Roma, Carocci Editore.

Assessment

Oral examinaion

The verification will be through individual interview based on textbooks, aimed at assessing the learning content by the student and his reworking skills and argumentation.

Assessment criteria:

For excellent assessments: possession of good critical thinking skills and in-depth by the student; knowing how to link together the main issues addressed in the course; the use of appropriate language with respect to the specificity of the discipline.

For discrete assessments: possession of a mnemonic knowledge of the contents by the student; a relative critical and linking the topics: the use of appropriate language.

For sufficient assessments: the achievement of a wealth of minimal knowledge on the topics covered by the student, despite some training gaps; the use of inappropriate language.

For negative assessments: difficulties of orientation by the student with respect to the issues addressed in the exam papers; training gaps; the use of an inappropriate language ".

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.