Digital Methods
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- $41.99
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- $41.99
Publisher Description
A proposal to repurpose Web-native techniques for use in social and cultural scholarly research.
In Digital Methods, Richard Rogers proposes a methodological outlook for social and cultural scholarly research on the Web that seeks to move Internet research beyond the study of online culture. It is not a toolkit for Internet research, or operating instructions for a software package; it deals with broader questions. How can we study social media to learn something about society rather than about social media use? Rogers proposes repurposing Web-native techniques for research into cultural change and societal conditions. We can learn to reapply such “methods of the medium” as crawling and crowd sourcing, PageRank and similar algorithms, tag clouds and other visualizations; we can learn how they handle hits, likes, tags, date stamps, and other Web-native objects. By “thinking along” with devices and the objects they handle, digital research methods can follow the evolving methods of the medium.
Rogers uses this new methodological outlook to examine such topics as the findings of inquiries into 9/11 search results, the recognition of climate change skeptics by climate-change-related Web sites, and the censorship of the Iranian Web. With Digital Methods, Rogers introduces a new vision and method for Internet research and at the same time applies them to the Web's objects of study, from tiny particles (hyperlinks) to large masses (social media).
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Jantzi, an Old Order Amish mother, shares stories of her daily life in this collection of columns previously published in the Amish magazine The Connection. The very short pieces reflect on her marriage, raising her children, community events, and her work in the home. Originally published for an Amish audience, they provide little framing, but this makes them even more interesting, as they do not get bogged down in explaining Amish customs and beliefs. She provides insightful reflections on mainstream culture (gained mostly through reading newspapers) and how Amish life is both an escape from those pressures and a challenge. While not overtly preachy, she occasionally explains how her Christian faith intersects with and drives her life. The columns are subdued, at times repetitive, and short on humor. Readers looking for a glimpse into Amish life from a charming voice will be pleased, but others who want a bit of substance will find the book too light.
