The Coding Process for Timeline Analysis

Coding
Putting the pieces together

Step 1: Cache your data
External Timeline
Twapperkeeper (eg #smph2011)
The Archivist (Desktop)
Twitter Archiver (newish)
Internal Timeline
Twapperkeeper (own account only)
TwitterArchiver (any public account)

Data Collection Issue
Limited back stories
Archivist has a limited cache
Twitter to PDF has a 3K previous limit
TwapperKeeper has a background limit
Plan in advance, or improvise quickly

Step 2: Visual first pass
Aim: Get a top level sense of the data
Hashtags
Archivist Visualisations (online)
Archivist Desktop
Summarizer
Timelines
TweetStats(online)
Tagxedo (online)

The Archiver

Tagxedo

Step 3: The Unpleasant Bit
Raw data needs to be processed
Manual
Automated

Step 4: Coding
Benefits of Manual Coding
Subjective judgement
You learn a lot
Accuracy in semantics
Downsides
You learn a lot.
Time consuming.

Coding Process
Clean the data
Assign IDs to tweets
Add the additional notes columns
Time Frames
Categories
Sub Category
Sentiment (optional)

Coding Choice
Visual or numerical?
Code book versus Code words
Currently: Excel with visual

Excel.
A valued ally.

Step 3: It’s time to start coding
Top Level Coding
Pass 1: identify time periods of interest
Pass 2: Tag Conversational (@reply)
Pass 3: Identify Pass-Along (RT, http)
Pass 4: News / Status / Phatic

Step 4
Sub Category Coding
Pass-Along / Conversational
Easier to code, relatively stable
Phatic / Status / News
Harder to code
Can (or should) move
Can be multiple category*
New

Exemplar Category
Pass-Along

Pass Along
Automated Endorsement
Endorsement
Retweet
Secondary Social Media
User Generated Content

Knowing is only half the battle.
The other half involves strategy

Questions
@stephendann | stephen.dann@anu.edu.au

The Coding Process for Timeline Analysis

by Stephen Dann

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