Unpacking Digital Methods

Unpacking Digital Methods

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  UNPACKING DIGITAL METHODS UniversidadeNova de Lisboa I NOVA FCSH I ICNOVA iNOVA Media Lab ˚ @jannajoceli ˚ thesocialplatforms.wordpress.com Janna Joceli Omena Play with Data Conference: new methods for digital media researchers. Universitat Oberta de Catalunya I 22 November 2019
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  Engines of Order AMechanology of Algorithmic Techniques Bernhard Rieder University of Amsterdam (forthcoming book) Latour, B., Jensen, P., Venturini, T., Grauwin, S. & Boullier, D. (2012), The whole is always smaller than its parts - a digital test of Gabriel Tardes’ monads. The British Journal of Sociology, 63, 590-615. Latour, B. (2010). Tarde’s idea of quantification. In M. Candea (Ed.), The social after Gabriel Tarde: debates and assessments (pp.145-62). London: Routledge. SITUATING THIS TALK
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  Google Apple Facebook Amazon Microsoft ------------------→ “the needfor a new philosophical horizon in which technicity is at the heart of transindividuation” (Bernard Stiegler, 2006, p.35) ------------------→ Cultural Reform – reintroducing an understanding of the nature of machines and the values involved in their mutual relationship (machine-machine) as well as their relationship with man (machine-man). (Gilbert Simondon, 2009) ------------------→ Another culture of knowledge – one built on with, in and through digital technologies and software, one that must be interdisciplinary. (Noortje Marres, 2017; Bernhard Rieder, forthcoming book) SITUATING THIS TALK DIGITAL METHODS Social enquiry through and about the digital Functional & Practical notions of knowledge Learn-analyse-critique by understanding & repurposing the methods-of-the-medium
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  1 The misconceptions 2The doing 3 The basis 4 The foundations UNPACKING DIGITAL METHODS
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  What methods doyou use? Digital methods. Ok. I rely on more qualitative methods. MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT DIGITAL METHODS
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  Images retrieved fromblog.optimalworkshop.com 1. A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH Misconceptions about digital methods .
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  The covers ofevery issue of Time magazine published from 1923 to summer 2009. Total number of covers: 4535 (by Jeremy Douglass and Lev Manovich, 2009) 2. DIGITIZED OBJECTS & METHODS Misconceptions about digital methods .
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  2. DIGITIZED OBJECTS& METHODS Misconceptions about digital methods . Images retrieved from quicktapsurvey.com & smartcashdollar.com.
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  3. PUSH THEBUTTON, SOFTWARE WILL DO THE REST Misconceptions about digital methods . Gif retrieved from giphy.com
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  4. PLATFORM DATAIN THE SERVICE OF COMPUTING & STATISTICS Misconceptions about digital methods . Gifs retrieved from giphy.com
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  5. (RANDOM/ARBITRARY) PLATFORM DATAGATHERING AS BASIS FOR TRADITIONAL CONTENT ANALYSIS Misconceptions about digital methods .
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  The doing ofdigital methods requires particular starting points. Do I have a list of words that have became keywords or issue language? See Rogers 2017; 2018, Akrich & Latour, 1992 THE DOING OF DIGITAL METHODS
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  Fora Dilma [get outDilma] Não Vai Ter Golpe [there won´t be a coup] Context: few months before the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff in Brazil. Keywords: representations of those in favour vs. those against the impeachment. The political polarization in Brazil, March 2016
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  Pro-impeachment protests, 18March 2016. #foradilma [get out Dilma] #impeachmentjá [impeachment right now] #vemprarua [come to the street] #forapt [get out Labour Party] #tchauquerida [goodbye darling] Anti-coup protests, 13 March 2016. #todospelademocracia [everyone for democracy] #nãovaitergolpe [there won't be a coup] #globogolpista [globo scammer] #marchadoscorruptos [corrupt march] #coxinha [chicken drumstick] When hashtag engagement become issue networks “What is a program and antiprogram is relative to the chosen observer” (Akrich & Latour 1992)
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  Pro-impeachment protests, 18March 2016. (those in favour of the impeachment) Anti-coup protests, 13 March 2016 (those against the impeachment process) The political polarization in Brazil, March 2016
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  Anti-coup protests, 13March 2016. #todospelademocracia [everyone for democracy] #nãovaitergolpe [there won't be a coup] #globogolpista [globo scammer] #marchadoscorruptos [corrupt march] #coxinha [chicken drumstick] Pro-impeachment protests, 18 March 2016. #foradilma [get out Dilma] #impeachmentjá [impeachment right now] #vemprarua [come to the street] #forapt [get out Labour Party] #tchauquerida [goodbye darling] The definition of keywords: → the act of search as research → monitoring and following → to navigate through and engage with the subject of study
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  Keywords as HashtagEngagement, Lists of URLs, ids, account names as ISSUE SPACES AND MEANS OF RESEARCH starting point number 1
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  Tracing automation onInstagram through Bolsonaro non-official campaign accounts Image profiles of BolsoBots following network .
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  Discrete bots Red asa critique to the Workers Party (PT) The colours of Brazilian Flag
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  The colours ofBrazilian Flag Red as a critique to the Workers Party
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  Discrete bots
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  The various facetsof Bolsonaro
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  Arrows as indicatorsof right-leaning
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  Gays & Womenmovements with Bolsonaro
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  26 account names 15accounts via Instagram recommendation system [when searching for Bolsonaro] 4 accounts based on previous exploratory study 7 accounts via Instagram recommendation system [when searching for Bolsonaro & Women] grammars [account names] Google Spreadsheet + PhantomBuster (Instagram Following Network) → List of profiles image URLs + Chrono Sniffer 22.351 image profiles Data capture [API calling] Analysis software Google Spreadsheet + ImageSorter Visual Research Protocol IMPORTANT: TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE + THE RECOGNITION OF PLATFORM RESTRICTIONS AND AFFORDANCES
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  Platform Grammatisation
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  1h API callper day Software to study online activity which is delineated, inscribed and rearranged by digital platforms.
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  .gdf .gexf .tab .csv .jason .html .pdf .py .png
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  After collecting datasetsbased on keywords, the doing of digital methods requires: → a degree of technicity → technical and practical knowledge on platform grammatisation and software starting point number 2
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  Data sprints makethe doing of & learning from digital methods complete. THE DOING OF DIGITAL METHODS
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  starting point number3
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  ˚ ˚Call forapplications˚ ˚ 2017 What is the data journalism debate on social media? 2018 Interpreters of Platform Data 2019 Beyond Visible Engagement Digital Media Winter Institute https://smart.inovamedialab.org/ starting point number 3
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  Query design →to search as research KEYWORDS on the doing of digital methods . Technical-Practical Knowledge → invest time and energy! Trajectory → what precedes and takes place, visual research protocol, descriptions matter! Data Sprints → to learn from doing and to collectively achieve concrete outcomes in a interdisciplinary environment. See smart.inovamedialab.org I wiki.digitalmethods.net/Dmi/DmiSummerSchool
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  Digital methods proposea medium-specific research that follows and repurposes the methods-of-the-medium & platform data; evolving with them overtime. See Rogers 2013, 2017, 2019 THE BASES OF DIGITAL METHODS
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  Algorithmic information ordering,machine learning, AI
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  Ranking & Recommendationsystems
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  Selecting & Curatingcontent via trends or most relevant topics
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  Capturing & Rearrangingactivity via Graph APIs
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  The methods ofInternet platforms ARE NOT STATIC, BUT CONTINUALLY UPDATED; GETTING BETTER OR WORSE THE MORE/HOW PEOPLE USETHEM O´Reilly 2005
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  Repurposing the methods-of-the-medium
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  [Computer VISION APIS& DIGITAL METHODS] 1. Machine learning & image-face recognition for studying institutional communication. Repurposing Facebook Page timeline images: the case of Portuguese Universities.
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  The history ofPortuguese Universities’ visualities according to Facebook timeline images.
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  Computer vision forseeing the mood of Portuguese Universities over the years: from 2010 to 2018. Omena & Granado, forthcoming
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  The presence ofthe president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is synonymous of joy and a series of pictures featured in the Facebook Pages of Portuguese Universities. Omena & Granado, forthcoming
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  [VISION APIS &DIGITAL METHODS] 1. Machine learning & image-face recognition for studying institutional communication. Repurposing Facebook Page timeline images: the case of Portuguese Universities. 2. Machine learning & web detection (full matching images) for image circulation studies. Tracing bot engagement across social media platforms.
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  https://wiki.digitalmethods.net/Dmi/SummerSchool2019Botsandtheblackmarket Reading image circulationthrough computer vision API-based network.
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  [Computer VISION APIS& DIGITAL METHODS] 1. Machine learning & image-face recognition for studying institutional communication. Repurposing Facebook Page timeline images: the case of Portuguese Universities. 2. Machine learning & web detection (full matching images) for image circulation studies. Tracing bot engagement across social media platforms. [RECOMMENDATION SYSTEMS & DIGITAL METHODS] 3. Platform recommender algorithms for perceiving the dominant and marginal frames. Mapping the spheres and publics that remember Srebrenica on YouTube.
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  Network of YouTubevideo recommendation. https://wiki.digitalmethods.net/Dmi/SummerSchool2018MappingWarAtrocities Dutch news media Serbian news media
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  Like-Share buttons &related metadata as representations of activity-positioning-opinion
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  Like buttons &related metadata as representations of activity-positioning-opinion
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  Hashtags & HashtagEngagement Image retrieved from https://neilpatel.com/br/blog/como-usar-hashtag/
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  Uniform Resource Locators(URLs) & ID attributes as means of research [channel, playlist, video] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtxGqPJPPi8ptAzB029jpYA https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcGiWiKtsR0-NixqFGMQ_PE5lmurVBCIH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrM3nunCuXQ&list=PLcGiWiKtsR0-NixqFGMQ_PE5lmurVBCIH&index=3&t=5s [image] https://66.media.tumblr.com/5a752e0e7a855b02cfe4d905c650f19b/tumblr_p0ttavZFoA1vwo6cso6_250.jpg [FB page] https://www.facebook.com/913068012121624 [post] https://www.facebook.com/331782250179584/posts/1375410369150095 [tweet] https://twitter.com/jack/status/1189634360472829952
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  .imperial.ac.uk acorianooriental.pt advocatus.pt afro.who.int aovivo.slbenfica.pt appsp.org arte-factos.net beachcam.sapo.pt biblioteca.fct.unl.pt bibliotecaunl.blogspot.com bibliotecaunl.blogspot.pt bit.ly blog.fcsh.unl.pt boasnoticias.sapo.pt briefing.pt calltoaction.pt cenimat.fct.unl.pt challenge.fraunhofer.pt cidadeinformacao.pt cienciahoje.pt Link domains aspaths to social enquiry cienciapt.net cienciaviva.pt cmjornal.xl.pt comecoucomumaideia.com computerworld.com.pt congressos.abreu.pt crup.pt df.fct.unl.pt diariodigital.sapo.pt dinheirodigital.sapo.pt dinheirovivo.pt distritonline.pt dn.pt e-cultura.sapo.pt e-konomista.pt easseportugal.org ec.europa.eu economico.sapo.pt em-a.eu emissao.canalsuperior.pt emissao.canalsuperior.pt emprego.unl.pt encuestas.universia.net ensp.unl.pt eventbrite.pt eventos.fct.unl.pt exameinformatica.sapo.pt executiva.pt exercito.pt expresso.sapo.pt expressoemprego.pt fabricadestartups.com famelab.pt fcm.unl.pt fcsh.unl.pt fct.unl.pt flickr.com formadevida.org fox.canais-fox.pt ft.com futuralia.fil.pt gandaia.info giphy.com ihmt.unl.pt imedconference.org informatics-europe.org ionline.pt ireg-observatory.org isegi.unl.pt issuu.com itqb.unl.pt jm-madeira.pt jn.pt jornaldenegocios.pt jornalmedico.pt jpn.up.pt justnews.pt kazan2013.ru legofoundation.com letshelp.pt
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  Public & Suspicioususername accounts https://wiki.digitalmethods.net/Dmi/SummerSchool2019Botsandtheblackmarket IMAGES SHARED BY DIFFERENT BOTTED ACCOUNTS
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  Reimagining the grammarsof web platforms
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  [Computer VISION APIS& DIGITAL METHODS] 1. Machine learning & image-face recognition for studying institutional communication. Repurposing Facebook Page timeline images: the case of Portuguese Universities. 2. Machine learning & web detection (full matching images) for image circulation studies. Tracing bot engagement across social media platforms. [RECOMMENDATION SYSTEMS & DIGITAL METHODS] 3. Platform recommender algorithms for perceiving the dominant and marginal frames. Mapping the spheres and publics that remember Srebrenica on YouTube. [THE GRAMMARS OF WEB PLATFORMS & DIGITAL METHODS] 4. Hashtag engagement as means for studying political polarisation The case of pro-impeachment & anti-coup protests in Brazil 2016 + Presidential Elections 2018.
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  Seeing shifts inmeaning through a double-sense hashtag. Omena, Rabello & Mintz (forthcoming). #nãovaitergolpe co-tag network. Protests in Brazil, March 2016.
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  The appropriation ofemojis according to high-visibility and ordinary groups. Protests in Brazil, March 2016. Omena, Rabello & Mintz (forthcoming). [emojis organised according to frequency of use]
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  Hashtag engagement +Computer vision APIs to trace the visual circulation of #EleSim vs. #EleNão one week before Brazilian Presidential Elections in 2018.
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  #EleSim #EleNão IMAGE CIRCULATION humour, fallacies, misinformation andthe endorsement of public figures Images that hit at least 5 and at maximum 10 different URLs ---—> ---—>
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  IMAGE CIRCULATION Instagram &Twitter
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  [Computer VISION APIS& DIGITAL METHODS] 1. Machine learning & image-face recognition for studying institutional communication. Repurposing Facebook Page timeline images: the case of Portuguese Universities. 2. Machine learning & web detection (full matching images) for image circulation studies. Tracing bot engagement across social media platforms. [RECOMMENDATION SYSTEMS & DIGITAL METHODS] 3. Platform recommender algorithms for perceiving the dominant and marginal frames. Mapping the spheres and publics that remember Srebrenica. [THE GRAMMARS OF WEB PLATFORMS & DIGITAL METHODS] 4. Hashtag engagement as means for studying political polarisation The case of pro-impeachment & anti-coup protests in Brazil 2016 + Presidential Elections 2018.. 5. Link domains as means for studying the history of climate change images The case of ‘climate emergency’ visuality over years and its dominant actors.
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  The image-domain networkof Climate Emergency through Google search results: 2008 to July 2019.
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  [Computer VISION APIS& DIGITAL METHODS] 1. Machine learning & image-face recognition for studying institutional communication. Facebook Page timeline images 2. Machine learning & web detection (full matching images) for image circulation studies. Instagram Posts & Link domains + Image URLs [RECOMMENDATION SYSTEMS & DIGITAL METHODS] 3. Platform recommender algorithms for perceiving the dominant and marginal frames. YouTube Video IDs [THE GRAMMARS OF WEB PLATFORMS & DIGITAL METHODS] 4. Hashtag engagement as means for studying political polarisation Lists of hashtags (program vs. anti-program) + Related emojis 5. Link domains as means for studying the history of climate change images Keyword & Link domains + Image URLs
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  Plotting a collectionof images Network Analysis & Force-directed algorithms Charts & Graphs Vision Api-based methods Image-Label Networks Image-domain Networks Label-detection Web detection The mood & emotions Face detection
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  Natively Digital Methods& Objects Methods Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence Ranking & Recommendation systems Trends & most relevant topics Graph APIs, crawling, indexing, scraping Objects Like-Share buttons & related metadata Hashtags & Hashtag Engagement Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) & ID attributes Public & Suspicious user name accounts → Placed in a given context and period of time.
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  Digital methods areonline grounded approaches that look at hybrid assemblages - “entanglements of users, algorithms, data, servers, work flows, business plans, communication protocols and trackers and so forth” (Latour et. al 2012 in Marres 2017), to study both ONLINE CULTURE & THE TECHNICITY OF THE MEDIUM See Rogers 2013, 2019; Rieder et al. 2015; Gerlitz & Rieder, 2018; Omena, Rabello & Mintz, forthcoming
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  To evolve withthe medium → interrogating and accounting for what is permanent or subject of replacement To handle platform restrictions and changes overtime To recognise the problems with web data See Venturini & Rogers, 2019; Rogers 2019; Omena, Rabello & Mintz, forthcoming NOTES on the basis of digital methods .
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  The realization ofresearch based on digital methods requires ‘another culture of’ making research questions; designing research processes; and analysing the subject of study. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DIGITAL METHODS See Omena, 2019 (forthcoming)
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  Query Design or searchas research the technique of building lists of keywords-URLs-ids as research questions Platform Infrastructure affordances of programmability & data relational nature Praxis Platform data collection trials, exploratory analysis & visualization Visualization & Analysis unique actors + timing perspective + context quali-quanti THE FUNCTIONAL LOGIC OF DIGITAL METHODS See Omena, 2019 (forthcoming)
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  See Venturini &Rogers, 2019; Rogers 2019 An inter-dependent position to research processes Platform sensitive approach, infrastructure matters Technical & Practical knowledge can inform research questions & practices Interpretive-quantitative logic, the trajectory matters 4keyFACTORS
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  Obrigada ☺