There’s a lot of hope attached to idea that the use of big data-drivers like social media can create important social science. In a small scale test of that big idea, software developers, requirements engineers and social scientists collaborated to see if they could make practical use of Twitter to learn about patient experiences of […]
Categories: Big Data, MentorSpace, Quantitative
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There’s a developing “data gold rush” for social science, and to address it a popular recent paper in the journal Big Data & Society calls for researchers to combine their traditional skills in qualitative methodology with the newly available social media data analytics. As the pell-mell imagery of a gold rush suggests, there are riches […]
Categories: Qualitative
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While MethodsSpace is a community of researchers, many of us also find ourselves in the role of instructor. This post is the first of a series that will explore juxtapositions of research methods and instruction. In Learning to Research/Researching to Learn posts I will explore ways that instructors can infuse research activities into courses where […]
Categories: Focus Series, Instruction, Qualitative, Teaching, Tools and Resources
Continue ReadingEarlier this month, we held the webinar, Learn the essentials of data visualization, with Stephanie Evergreen, a US-based expert on using research to present data effectively, and Andy Kirk, a UK-based apostle for better designed data visualization. In this one-hour webinar, Evergreen and Kirk addressed the basics of data design and demonstrated various ways for showing different […]
Categories: MentorSpace, Opportunities, Webinars
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Designing and online qualitative study works best when a holistic approach is used. It is important to not only take into account overall coherence, as we would in any qualitative research design, but also to reflect on the implications of the specific tools or platforms we intend to use. This is true whether we are […]
Categories: Qualitative
Continue ReadingWhy conduct a qualitative inquiry, and what is the rationale for doing it online? What kinds of design and ethical issues do qualitative researchers need to consider when planning to collect data online? These are some of the questions an interactive webinar hosted by MethodSpace and featuring Janet Salmons, MethodSpace blogger and author of the […]
Categories: Opportunities, Qualitative, SAGE Posts
Continue ReadingSome years ago, two great research traditions arose in social and behavioral science: talking to people and gathering data and numbers about people. A hybrid tradition, which goes by various names but which we’ll call ‘mixed methods,’ arose in the interstices of those qualitative and quantitative approaches. But something else arose in those traditions: partisans […]
Categories: Opportunities, SAGE Posts
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In her first blog post for MethodSpace, Janet Salmons reminds us that research design is a dynamic, living process and introduces her Qualitative E-Research Framework to help acknowledge that in your research.
Categories: Qualitative
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Homelessness is a major problem in many global cities, and research on the issue recognizes that urban aspect. But homelessness is not just a problem for cities, as criminologist Michael Young describes in this Methods in Action interview. Young describes his experiences conducting this research, details some of the nuts and bolts of his mixed methods approach, and explains how geography mediates culture in ways that wise researchers need to understand.
Categories: Mixed
Continue ReadingWith the arrival of the revamped MethodSpace, some users have been reporting various issues with accessing their accounts or having their favorite group’s activity show up. We’re actively working on addressing these issues. To make sure we don’t overlook something that’s affecting your experience, and to help us locate where problems that aren’t affecting everyone can be pinpointed, feel free to contact the community manager at this email: michael.todd@sagepub.com.
Categories: SAGE Posts
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MethodSpace’s inaugural webinar ‘Methods in Action: Tackling the Tweet’ took place on April 13th with researchers Luke Sloan and Joshua Tucker. They explained how to conduct Twitter-based research projects while detailing some of the fascinating findings from their labs’ social media research. The archived webinar and answers to some of the questions that couldn’t be answered in the hour appear here.
Categories: Big Data, MentorSpace
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As you can see, MethodSpace has changed. Connecting the research community since 2007, we’ve outgrown our former platform and have moved to WordPress, which in addition to better serve our members allows us to take the opportunity to offer new features and improve old ones. But perhaps you have questions about this transition (and what it means to members) …
Categories: SAGE Posts
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