Analysis of qualitative data gathered during the course of social research about the Internet requires both a set of specialized skills and an understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of qualitative approaches to social research. This methods option course for the OII MSc in “Social Science of the Internet” is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to carry out qualitative data analysis of a variety of kinds of data (e.g. text, photos, videos) collected from both online and offline settings. Students will gain familiarity with techniques for using a variety of Internet-related methods, and will understand their challenges. Students will gain experience analysing qualitative data, and give them a conceptual understanding of the reasons for using qualitative analytic approaches, the limits of the techniques they will be using, and the opportunities and challenges unique to qualitative social research methods and the Internet.
