Dubois, E and Ford, H (2015) Trace interviews: An actor-centered approach. International Journal of Communication, 9. 2067 - 2091. ISSN 1932-8036
Abstract
The current communications environment is characterized by a complex and hybrid system. Individuals use multiple digital platforms in various ways to communicate politically. This presents both theoretical and methodological challenges. As a response, we propose trace interviewing, an actor-centric method that employs visualizations of a user’s digital traces during the interview process. Trace interviews are useful for enhancing recall, validating trace data-generated results, addressing data joining problems, and responding to ethical concerns that have surfaced in the current era of surveillance and big data. If the challenges of the method are successfully navigated,trace interviewing could allow researchers to respond creatively to new questions about the current, complex political communication environment.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015, Elizabeth Dubois & Heather Ford. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd). |
Keywords: | Research methods; mixed methods; interviewing; social network analysis; data visualization; practice |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Media & Communication (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 28 Oct 2015 09:11 |
Last Modified: | 29 Oct 2015 10:02 |
Published Version: | http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/3378/1... |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:90625 |