Web data: conducting research in the digital age

Third session of the seminar "Opening research in areal studies: actors, data and mediation".
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The web tends to play an increasingly important role in contemporary research practices in the humanities and social sciences. Not only does it provide a wealth of information on an almost infinite range of subjects, but it can also be approached as a large warehouse whose data can be analyzed in a variety of ways (types of content, frequencies and origins of publication, thematic associations, etc.), as a reflection of the social, political, cultural and other dynamics traversing the world today. In short, the web is both a valuable source for research and a research object in its own right. These are the questions that the third session of the seminar will address. Starting with a reflection on web data, it will explore what it means to conduct research in the digital age. The session will be divided into two parts: firstly, the terms of the debate will be set out through the presentation of a theoretical framework that will enable us to better define what the expression "web data" might cover; secondly, a presentation of two research projects carried out as part of the China CoREF project will serve to illustrate how this framework can be applied and declined in the field of areal studies, more specifically on contemporary China.

Speakers

  • Maya Anderson-Gonzalez, web data support officer, Service accompagnement de projets et science ouverte, Humathèque
  • Sébastien Colin, senior lecturer in geography, director of the International Relations department, Inalco, and member of the China CoREF project executive committee
  • Virginie Arantès, post-doctoral fellow (CNRS/UAR2999 China CoREF/CECMC-CCJ)
  • Cinzia Losavio, post-doctoral fellow (CNRS/UAR2999 China CoREF/PRODIG)

Organization

  • Bastien Sepúlveda, Digital Humanities Officer, DIRVED - Inalco, LaCAS project coordinator