Time: March 9, 2023, 9-17
Follow-up sessions for course participants (time TBA):
- Online feedback session in May 2023
- Wrap-up seminar with project presentations in October 2023
The purpose of the workshop is to learn the principles of doing social sciences and humanities research using digital methods. The notion of digital methods refers here to examining phenomena online either conducting “digitally native” research that "thinks along" with devices and services (Rogers, 2013) or by engaging in methods of computational social sciences (Lindgren, 2020; Nelimarkka 2023), often in combination with more traditional methods (e.g. Laaksonen et al., 2017). Digital methods projects can be conducted either by using available ready-made tools (e.g., DMI Tools, Korp) or coding with Python or R.
We will introduce a variety of tools and provide pathways to extend skills in engaging with them, also for participants who have more experience in computing. Furthermore, the course aims to develop the participants’ digital research imagination and mixed-method thinking to create meaningful and feasible research strategies for digital research in social sciences and humanities. After completing the course, the participants will have general and practical knowledge on the possibilities and limitations of utilizing digital methods and computational social science tools in their own research.
During the course all participants will plan and execute a small digital methods research project of their own. The mid-term assignment is a method-focused working plan for an article project that uses digital and/or computational methods. The final assignment is a report on a real-world empirical question explored using these methods.
The workshop is organized by the Helsinki Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities HSSH Methodological Unit in connection to the first visit of professor Simon Lindgren.
Target group
The workshop is targeted for doctoral students of the doctoral programmes in the center campus. Other researchers can also join if there is space, but priority will be given to early career scholars. Previous skills with programming and computational methods are not required. We will adapt the teaching both to student with and without such skills.
Registration
Please register by filling this e-form by Feb 28. We will inform accepted participants on Feb 29 the latest.
Teachers
The workshop is supported by the Helsinki Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities HSSH and it is run by Docent Salla-Maaria Laaksonen, Professor Katja Valaskivi, Visiting Professor Simon Lindgren, Dr. Matti Pohjonen, Dr. Jouni Tuominen, Associate Professor Eetu Mäkelä.
Credits and grading
Taking part in the workshop, feedback sessions and the final seminar, and returning both mid-term and final assignments corresponds to 5 credits of methodological studies. More details are to be agreed with supervisors.
If you have any questions, please contact salla.laaksonen@helsinki.fi.