[Air-L] Call for Papers: Digital Methodologies – Beyond Big & Small Data

[Mark Carrigan]

Digital Methodologies: Beyond Big & Small Data
9th International Conference on Social Science Methodology (RC33)
September 11th – 16th, 2016, University of Leicester (http://www.le.ac.uk/)

Session Organizer
Christian Bokhove, University of Southampton, United Kingdom,
C.Bokhove at soton.ac.uk
Mark Carrigan, University of Warwick, United Kingdom, mark at markcarrigan.net
Sarah Lewthwaite, University of Southampton, United Kingdom,
s.e.lewthwaite at southampton.ac.uk
<selewthwaite at gmail.com>Richard Wiggins, Institute of Education, United
Kingdom r.wiggins at ioe.ac.uk

Session Abstract
In recent years the challenge of Big Data has become a dominant theme
within discussions of social science methodology. But these debates have
too often been played out within a limited methodological frame of
reference, in which the virtues and vices of Big Data are counterpoised or
the call is made to supplement Big Data with Small Data. This stream will
critically analyse this methodological framing of Big Data, its strengths
and limitations, with a view to developing digital methodologies which move
beyond Big Data and Small Data. In doing so, we hope the stream will also
addressed a broad range of related issues, such as:

   - The methodological challenge of big data and digital social research
   - The practical challenges of mixed methods approaches to digital social
   research
   - The role of theoretical ideas in digital methodologies
   - The relationship between Virtual Methods, Digital Methods, Technology
   Enhanced Methods etc.
   - The methodological utility of data mining and the dangers of data
   fishing
   - The continued utility of sampling in digital social research, for
   example with regard to collection methods involving Amazon’s Mechanical
   Turk and Twitter streams.
   - What are the ethical and social implications of linking and accessing
   administrative data?
   - What are the implications for epistemologies, data collection and
   analysis of the pace of change in which social life is increasingly played
   out online?

The stream seeks to incorporate technical issues pertaining to digital
methods into a broader discussion of the impact of digital methodologies.
We are particularly keen to receive papers that reflect upon and bridge
existing methods and draw out a vision for the  future of social science
research and practice.

The session is organised jointly between the *Independent Social Research
Foundation’s* *Digital Social Science Forum* and the *International Journal
of Social Research Methodology*.

DEADLINE: 21st January, 2016

Submission Instructions:
1. To submit a paper abstract for the RC33 9th International Conference on
Social Science Methodology, you should visit:
http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/sociology/research/rc33-conference After
landing on the homepage, navigate to ‘Abstract Submission’, which appears
in the top left hand column of the webpage, see image below:
[image: Abstract submissions screenshot]
<https://markcarrigan.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/11.png>
2. Complete the form in full. You may wish to cut and paste your abstract
into the Abstract field from another document.
3. Choose the relevant session for your stream. To do so you will need to
select the relevant lead session organiser from the drop-down menu
highlighted in the image below. To check you are submitting to the correct
session, you can view a table of sessions and session convenors by clicking
the link entitled ‘View the list of sessions and session convenors’. Once
complete, click submit.
[image: Session details screenshot]
<https://markcarrigan.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/2.png>
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