Blurring the boundaries: New social media, new social science?

Should social science researchers embrace social media and, if we do, what are the implications for our methods and practice? This project, led by NatCen Social Research, Sage and the Oxford Internet Institute will develop a network of those using or seeking to use social media in social science research to explore this question.

We know that social media tools are increasingly being used to as part of social science studies. The nature of these tools means that it is a fast changing environment, with new practice emerging all the time. Despite this, there is limited interaction of practitioners or synthesis of these methods; there are also few opportunities to reflect on the implications of social media tools for our subjects of study, methods and ethics. Our network of methodological innovation will bring together academics, researchers and research stakeholders from all sectors. The aim is to develop a community of practice with members drawn from the cutting-edge of academia, market research and applied social research.

Events

Membership is open to anyone with an interest in how social media are affecting what we research, how we research and who we involve with our research. If you would like to join the network, please email Kandy Woodfield with your contact details.

Listen to Gareth Morrell in NCRM podcast series talk about what implications social media has for research methods and practice.

Read the end-of-project report 'Blurring the boundaries? New social media new social research: Developing a network to explore the issues faced by researchers negotiating the new research landscape of online social media platforms'.

For further information, please see the project blog or contact:

Ms Kandy Woodfield
NatCen Social Research
Email: kandy.woodfield@natcen.ac.uk