Research Methods for the Online World offers a unique overview of research methods developed to analyse media and online data with an emphasis on %E2%80%99big data%E2%80%99 sources such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. We will discuss methods to research both about and through the Internet. We will explore the rationale by which useful information can be extracted from social media and online sources. Particular emphasis will be given to native techniques for digital media such as opinion and social media mining, online communication and social networks, and "big data" analytics.The module presents an overview of cutting edge qualitative and quantitative methods developed to carry out online social research with an emphasis on the latter. Starting from qualitative methods, participants will be introduced to an array of quantitative online methods. Web surveys, online experiments, and in particular recent social data and opinion mining techniques and social network analysis will be deployed as means to analyse cultural, social and political phenomena. Such techniques have a wide range of applications in social scientific research as well as in business intelligence.A combination of lectures and seminars will provide both the theoretical underpinnings of each methodology and a practical hands-on session in which participants can familiarise themselves with some of the tools used in this kind of research.

Course leader
Dr Giuseppe Veltri

Target group
This course may be of interest to:- researchers and scholars with a social science background interested in online research;- professionals interested in carrying out or interpreting consumer and market research online; and- NGOs activists interested in using online data to study and promote social change.

Course aim
The module aims at providing an understanding of the main research methods that are specific to online media data and to analysing social and communication processes. On completion of the course, participants will have:- a firm grasp of the similarities and differences between conducting online research and offline research;- the ability to assess the use of online media data using quantitative data for social science inspired research;- an understanding of opinion mining and its core principles and techniques; the ability to combine qualitative and quantitative methods - mixed methods - to analyse online media data; and - an understanding of the basic concepts of networks and their role and measurement in the context of social media data.

Credits info
The decision to award credits is at the discretion of the student's home institution. Students should always check with their home institution to confirm the number of credits that can be awarded.

Fee info
GBP 935: Student rate - available to current university (including PhD) students.Academic staff and staff of UK charities are eligible for a reduced rate of 1,930. EUR 1575: Standard Rate

London School of Economics
Address: Houghton Street
Postal code: WC2A 2AE
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.lse.ac.uk/study/summerSchools/Methods/home.aspx
E-mail: summer.methods@lse.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)20 7955 6422