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Introduction: The Importance of Method in the Study of the ‘Political Internet’

Laura Sudulich, Matthew Wall Orcid Logo, Rachel Gibson, Marta Cantijoch, Stephen Ward

Analyzing Social Media Data and Web Networks, Pages: 1 - 21

Swansea University Author: Matthew Wall Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1057/9781137276773_1

Abstract

In this introduction, we outline our understanding of the ‘political Internet’ and present the methodologically focused approach that we take to the topic in this volume. We then discuss the growing social and political relevance of the Internet and examine the characteristics of the contemporary ‘W...

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Published in: Analyzing Social Media Data and Web Networks
ISBN: 9781349446803 9781137276773
Published: London Palgrave Macmillan UK 2014
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69931
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spelling 2025-08-11T14:34:51.7206587 v2 69931 2025-07-10 Introduction: The Importance of Method in the Study of the ‘Political Internet’ 22914658d586a5759d4d4b945ea140bd 0000-0001-8265-4910 Matthew Wall Matthew Wall true false 2025-07-10 SOSS In this introduction, we outline our understanding of the ‘political Internet’ and present the methodologically focused approach that we take to the topic in this volume. We then discuss the growing social and political relevance of the Internet and examine the characteristics of the contemporary ‘Web 2.0’ Internet, before outlining the general methodological challenges and opportunities that it presents for researchers. We argue that three key characteristics of online political information in the Web 2.0 era shape and constrain any study of the political Internet. These characteristics are (1) extremely large volume, (2) heterogeneity and (3) plasticity. We contend that this combination creates what we term a ‘dynamic data deluge’ for social scientists, which makes distinguishing and recording meaningful information generated by the political Internet a methodologically challenging endeavour. We then discuss how the chapters collected here attempt to make sense of the dynamic data deluge that the political Internet presents. In the course of doing so, we build a picture of what distinguishes social media from earlier types of digital communication and discuss how social media content can be assimilated and processed by social science. We touch on epistemological concerns arising from this discussion before outlining the structure of the book and providing details of the individual contributions. Book chapter Analyzing Social Media Data and Web Networks 1 21 Palgrave Macmillan UK London 9781349446803 9781137276773 1 1 2014 2014-01-01 10.1057/9781137276773_1 COLLEGE NANME Social Sciences School COLLEGE CODE SOSS Swansea University 2025-08-11T14:34:51.7206587 2025-07-10T09:31:01.2933099 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Social Sciences - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations Laura Sudulich 1 Matthew Wall 0000-0001-8265-4910 2 Rachel Gibson 3 Marta Cantijoch 4 Stephen Ward 5
title Introduction: The Importance of Method in the Study of the ‘Political Internet’
spellingShingle Introduction: The Importance of Method in the Study of the ‘Political Internet’
Matthew Wall
title_short Introduction: The Importance of Method in the Study of the ‘Political Internet’
title_full Introduction: The Importance of Method in the Study of the ‘Political Internet’
title_fullStr Introduction: The Importance of Method in the Study of the ‘Political Internet’
title_full_unstemmed Introduction: The Importance of Method in the Study of the ‘Political Internet’
title_sort Introduction: The Importance of Method in the Study of the ‘Political Internet’
author_id_str_mv 22914658d586a5759d4d4b945ea140bd
author_id_fullname_str_mv 22914658d586a5759d4d4b945ea140bd_***_Matthew Wall
author Matthew Wall
author2 Laura Sudulich
Matthew Wall
Rachel Gibson
Marta Cantijoch
Stephen Ward
format Book chapter
container_title Analyzing Social Media Data and Web Networks
container_start_page 1
publishDate 2014
institution Swansea University
isbn 9781349446803
9781137276773
doi_str_mv 10.1057/9781137276773_1
publisher Palgrave Macmillan UK
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Social Sciences - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Social Sciences - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations
document_store_str 0
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description In this introduction, we outline our understanding of the ‘political Internet’ and present the methodologically focused approach that we take to the topic in this volume. We then discuss the growing social and political relevance of the Internet and examine the characteristics of the contemporary ‘Web 2.0’ Internet, before outlining the general methodological challenges and opportunities that it presents for researchers. We argue that three key characteristics of online political information in the Web 2.0 era shape and constrain any study of the political Internet. These characteristics are (1) extremely large volume, (2) heterogeneity and (3) plasticity. We contend that this combination creates what we term a ‘dynamic data deluge’ for social scientists, which makes distinguishing and recording meaningful information generated by the political Internet a methodologically challenging endeavour. We then discuss how the chapters collected here attempt to make sense of the dynamic data deluge that the political Internet presents. In the course of doing so, we build a picture of what distinguishes social media from earlier types of digital communication and discuss how social media content can be assimilated and processed by social science. We touch on epistemological concerns arising from this discussion before outlining the structure of the book and providing details of the individual contributions.
published_date 2014-01-01T05:33:31Z
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score 11.098395

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