big data, small data and everything in between
TRANSCRIPT
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Big Data, Small Data and Everything in Between
Weiai (Wayne) Xu, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher Department of Communication Studies Northeastern University
curiositybits.com
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Big enough to be powerful, small enough to be personal.
BIG DATA
• Computational tools
SMALL DATA
• Contexts• Theories
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UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT
Xu. W.W, & Miao, F. (2015). Networked Creativity on the Censored Web 2.0. Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia, 14(1), 23-43.
“Peeling the onion” to understand the Twitter community against internet censorship
Social network analysis
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UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT
Social network analysis
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Dimension Themes # of Tweets # of Retweets
Technological
Reporting 172 3702Sentiment 54 146
Commentary 87 188Solution 273 7019
Mobilization 20 212
PoliticalSharing news 130 684Commentary 121 741Mobilization -- 69
UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT
Content analysis
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UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT
Context analysis
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DATA ANALYTICS FOR THEORETICAL INSIGHTS
actioncommunity
information
Social connectivity Issue involvement
Testing Opinion Leadership Theory on Twitter.
• Social connectivity and issue involvement predict retweets• Linking social media analytics to theoretical components
Xu, W.W., Sang, Y.M., Blasiola, S., & Park, H.W. (2014). Predicting opinion leaders in Twitter activism networks: The case of the Wisconsin recall election. American Behavioral Scientist, 58(10), 1278-93.
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Investment Social Media Capital Return
Message-based investment
Connection-based investment
Network locations
Embedded resources
Word-of-mouth
Recognition
DATA ANALYTICS FOR THEORETICAL INSIGHTS
Data source: All Twitter-based community foundations in the U.S.
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Variety of targeted stakeholders
Investment Social Media Capital
DATA ANALYTICS FOR THEORETICAL INSIGHTS
Return
# of targeted local stakeholders
# of targeted non-local stakeholders
Frequency of stakeholder-targeting
Message richness
# of tweets
the size of acquired stakeholder network
the influence of ties with acquired stakeholders
the strength of ties with acquired stakeholders
the variety of acquired stakeholders
Centrality
Retweets
Recognition
Growth in recognition
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DATA ANALYTICS FOR THEORETICAL INSIGHTS
The evaluation stage in diffusions of (cultural) innovations
Semantic network Sentiments
Xu, W. W., Park, J. Y., & Park, H. W. (2015). The networked cultural diffusion of Korean Wave. Online Information Review, 39(1).
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DATA ANALYTICS FOR THEORETICAL INSIGHTS
Xu, W. W., Park, J. Y., Park, Kim, J.Y., & Park, H. W. (in press). Networked cultural diffusion and creation on YouTube: An analysis of YouTube memes. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media.
The trial stage in the diffusion of (cultural) innovations
Video genres in meme ecosystems
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MOVING FORWARD
GO BIGGER AND DELVE DEEPER
• Use machine learning for mining public opinion and for tracking social movements: focus on connections, content and context
• Provide contextual insights to improve reality-mining algorithm