content analysis 10-11-11
DESCRIPTION
Lessons from content analysis component of my thesisTRANSCRIPT
CONTENT ANALYSISInteractive behaviours in constituency level online campaigns in the 2010 UK General Election
Benjamin LeeInstitute for social [email protected]
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BACKGROUND
Part of a PhD looking at the use of Web campaigns
Previous work had looked at adoption of online campaign tools, but how were they used?
Web 2.0 services built on interactivity, creates the possibility for innovation?
Specifically wanted to measure the level of interactive behaviour campaigns were engaging in
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REQUIREMENTS
Had to measure different levels of interactivity Public dialogue Potential dialogue Site based interactivity
Had to cover the entirety of a web presence across three platforms Website Facebook Twitter
Had to be relatively simple, 300+ campaigns in a week
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RESULTS – PUBLIC DIALOGUE
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RESULTS – POTENTIAL DIALOGUE
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RESULTS – SITE BASED INTERACTIVITY
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LESSON 1 – IDENTIFYING WEBSITES
How can we identify websites? Web 2.0 has shifted analysis away from
individual sites to collections of sites, we need to consider web presences
How can these be identified, especially when we don’t know the context
Practical difficulties in tracking down websites Google Tweetminster Facebook search
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LESSON 2 – WEB 2.0 IS DIFFERENT
Difficult to identify equivalent behaviours across platforms Common interactive behaviours on
websites are very uncommon on social networks e.g. downloading material
Social networks also very structured, difficult for campaigns to do new things
Interactivity is inbuilt into Web 2.0 platforms
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LESSON 3 – KNOW YOUR MEASUREMENTS What is content analysis actually measuring? Consider an aggregate interactivity index
either additive or based on PCA Can we really combine public dialogue,
potential dialogue and site-based interactivity?
Is a Facebook message as interactive or more interactive than a Twitter message?
Are we measuring behaviours or design decisions and organisational choices?
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LESSON 4 – THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN Future developments mean more complications
Google + Diaspora Mobile applications/html 5 Proprietary social networks LibDemACT, MembersNet, MyConservatives ?
‘I think Google Plus will change all that… Because you can search on issues, you link it up with Twitter and it’s designed to interact with other social networks, it’s somewhere between Live Journal, Facebook and Twitter all rolled into one’
Lib-Dem Campaign Manager
Innovation within current platforms e.g. Facebook pages Also, changes in user behaviour and attitudes e.g.
Privacy on Facebook