Tinati, Ramine, Halford, Susan, Carr, Les and Pope, Catherine (2014) Big Data: methodological challenges and approaches for sociological analysis. Sociology, 48 (4), 663-681. (doi:10.1177/0038038513511561).
Abstract
The emergence of Big Data is both promising and challenging for social research. This article suggests that realising this promise has been restricted by the methods applied in social science research, which undermine our potential to apprehend the qualities that make Big Data so appealing, not least in relation to the sociology of networks and flows. With specific reference to the micro-blogging website Twitter, the article outlines a set of methodological principles for approaching these data that stand in contrast to previous research; and introduces a new tool for harvesting and analysing Twitter built on these principles. We work our argument through an analysis of Twitter data linked to political protest over UK university fees. Our approach transcends earlier methodological limitations to offer original insights into the flow of information and the actors and networks that emerge in this flow.
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- Current Faculties > Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences > School of Health Sciences > Nursing, Midwifery and Health > CLAHRC
School of Health Sciences > Nursing, Midwifery and Health > CLAHRC - Current Faculties > Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences > School of Electronics and Computer Science
School of Electronics and Computer Science - Faculties (pre 2018 reorg) > Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering (pre 2018 reorg) > Electronics & Computer Science (pre 2018 reorg) > Web & Internet Science (pre 2018 reorg)
Current Faculties > Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences > School of Electronics and Computer Science > Electronics & Computer Science (pre 2018 reorg) > Web & Internet Science (pre 2018 reorg)
School of Electronics and Computer Science > Electronics & Computer Science (pre 2018 reorg) > Web & Internet Science (pre 2018 reorg)
Current Faculties > Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences > School of Electronics and Computer Science > Web & Internet Science > Web & Internet Science (pre 2018 reorg)
School of Electronics and Computer Science > Web & Internet Science > Web & Internet Science (pre 2018 reorg) - Current Faculties > Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences > School of Electronics and Computer Science > Web & Internet Science
School of Electronics and Computer Science > Web & Internet Science - Faculties (pre 2018 reorg) > Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences (pre 2018 reorg) > Social Sciences (pre 2018 reorg)
Current Faculties > Faculty of Social Sciences > Economic, Social and Political Sciences > Social Sciences (pre 2018 reorg)
Economic, Social and Political Sciences > Social Sciences (pre 2018 reorg) - Current Faculties > Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences > Web Science Institute > DTC Web Science
Web Science Institute > DTC Web Science
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