Easy data, same old platforms? A systematic review of digital activism methodologies

Özkula, S. M., Reilly, P. J. and Hayes, J. (2023) Easy data, same old platforms? A systematic review of digital activism methodologies. Information, Communication and Society, 26(7), pp. 1470-1489. (doi: 10.1080/1369118X.2021.2013918)

Abstract

Burgess and Bruns (2015) have linked the computational turn in social media research to an increase in the number of studies focussing exclusively on ‘easy data’, such as the ‘low hanging fruit’ provided by Twitter hashtags. This paper explores whether there is a preponderance of such easy data in digital activism research through a systematic review of relevant journal articles published between 2011 and 2018 (N = 315). Specifically, it examines whether computational digital methods have become increasingly prominent in digital activism research during this period. A key focus of the paper is the extent to which digital activism research focused on easily accessible Twitter data, and whether these were obtained via standard API services. Results indicate that (1) traditional research methodologies were more commonly deployed in these articles than digital methods, but (2) Twitter was the most researched platform in the corpus, and (3) single-platform hashtag studies were an archetype of digital activism research alongside single-platform Facebook studies and holistic approaches (hybrid, multi-method & multi-sited, e.g., ethnography). The paper concludes by advocating for greater diversity in terms of the methodological approaches adopted in digital activism research.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Reilly, Dr Paul
• Authors: Özkula, S. M., Reilly, P. J., and Hayes, J.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: Information, Communication and Society
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1369-118X
• ISSN (Online): 1468-4462
• Published Online: 09 January 2022