Researching Social Media as Digital Platforms

This online workshop has been organised by the Data, Communication and New Technologies (DCT) Pathway and is open to all ESRC and non-ESRC funded PhD and MA Social Research students within the WRDTP’s seven partner universities. Whilst this workshop is aimed at DCT Pathway students, PGRs from all seven interdisciplinary Pathways are welcome to attend.

This workshop will introduce the key principles and concepts of platform studies: what does it mean to study platforms vis a vis social media? What are the main research objectives under platform studies? It will also provide an overview and some examples of three research methods in studying digital platforms: media economics, political economy, and software studies.

By the end of the session, students will:

• • Be able assess the extent to which the concept of “platform” is relevant to their research;
  • Be able to discuss the implications of platform studies for researching “the digital”;
  • Be able to discuss and consider using media economics, political economy, and software studies as research methods