Big Data Analysis
Abstract This chapter defines big data and sets out methodological decisions to be made in big data analysis. It offers ways of researching millions of instances of ‘everyday talk’ in the public sphere, on a scale that is impossible using other methods, and thus especially useful for deliberative sy...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Book Part |
| Language: | unknown |
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Oxford University PressOxford
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192848925.003.0016 https://academic.oup.com/book/chapter-pdf/53454110/oso-9780192848925-chapter-16.pdf |
| Summary: | Abstract This chapter defines big data and sets out methodological decisions to be made in big data analysis. It offers ways of researching millions of instances of ‘everyday talk’ in the public sphere, on a scale that is impossible using other methods, and thus especially useful for deliberative systems research. The chapter discusses some of the challenges in data gathering, sources, data cleaning, and tool selection and contextualize these challenges in two case studies featuring large-scale, national conversations around constitutional change: the Scottish independence referendum campaign of 2012–2014, and an Australian campaign to recognize First Nations in its constitution. The results illustrate the value of big data tools in inductively revealing patterns of communication at scale that may not be obvious using tools that rely on human or even automated coding. |
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