Cybermethodology is a newly emergent field that focuses on the creative development and use of computational and technological research methodologies for the analysis of next-generation data sources such as the Internet. The first formal academic program in Cybermethodology is being developed by the
University of California, Los Angeles.
Background
Cybermethodology is an outgrowth of two relatively new academic fields. The first is
technology and society. This field focuses on the impact of research and innovation on society, and related policy issues. Many universities, including Berkeley, Cornell, MIT and Stanford offer degrees and/or programs of study in this and related fields. A great strength of technology and society studies is that it exists at the intersection of the natural and social sciences, engineering, and public policy.
The second field closely integrated with cybermethodology is
Internet studies
Internet studies is an interdisciplinary field studying the social, psychological, political, technical, cultural and other dimensions of the Internet and associated information and communication technologies. The human aspects of the Internet ...
. This recently developed field has generated programs at several universities including Minnesota, Washington, Brandeis, and Georgetown. Internet studies involves the study of the fundamental workings of the Internet as well as learning about entities and issues such as Internet security, on-line communities and gaming, Internet culture, and intellectual property.
Nature
Cybermethodology is the component of internet and technology studies that is specifically concerned with the use of innovative technology-based methods of analysis, new sources of data, and conceptualizations in order to gain a better understanding of human behavior. It is characterized by the use, as primary data sources, of emergent entities such as
virtual worlds,
blogs
A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...
,
texting
Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile devices, desktops/laptops, or another type of compatible compute ...
, on-line gaming (
mmorpgs),
social networking
A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...
sites,
video sharing,
wikis,
search engines, and numerous other innovative tools and activities available on the web.
Major components of cybermethodology include:
# Basic Cyber-Literacy, a core knowledge of information technology and Internet tools such as statistical and analytic software, electronic library resources, digital devices, and use of the Internet as a source of data.
# The Research Life Cycle, knowledge of the data lifecycle from acquisition and input to archiving and accessibility.
# Non-Linear Technologies, including
hyperlinks, dynamics surveys, and technological methods such as
neuroimaging.
# Programming Concepts, including the ability to create new interactive research tools.
# Analytical Methods and their relationship to different types of data: non-linear, qualitative, spatial, time-variant processes, and agent-based information such as rules of social interaction and agent mental representations.
# Modes of Interaction extending beyond person-to-person interviews, on-site fieldwork, and anonymous surveys to contemporary environments such as online and virtual communities and interaction through games and virtual environments.
# Research Presentation including the use of
new media techniques,
[Wardrip-Fruin, Noah and Nick Montfort, eds. (2003). ''The New Media Reader''. MIT Press.] issues raised by intended or unintended rapid dissemination of results by electronic means to untargeted audiences, and the dynamic potentially interactive nature of cyber-research.
# Meta-Literacy, the ability to critically evaluate the methods, tools, and results of cyber-research.
See also
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Cyberculture
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Cyberinfrastructure
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Cyberpsychology
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Cyberspace
Cyberspace is a concept describing a widespread interconnected digital technology. "The expression dates back from the first decade of the diffusion of the internet. It refers to the online world as a world 'apart', as distinct from everyday rea ...
*
Scientific method
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Social software
References
{{Reflist
Computing and society
Social science methodology