What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine how communication and social computing researchers interpret digital trace data and whether they evaluate the validity of those interpretations.

January 2, 2014Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media

On the Interpretation of Digital Trace Data in Communication and Social Computing Research

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To examine how communication and social computing researchers interpret digital trace data and whether they evaluate the validity of those interpretations.
Reviewed recent scholarship across communication and social computing literature.
Analyzed the application and interpretation of three widespread digital trace data types: hyperlinks, Twitter followers, and retweets.
Interpretive strategies for identical digital trace metrics varied widely across studies, relying primarily on scattered, ad hoc assumptions.
Researchers across both fields consistently neglected to assess or report the construct validity of their trace data interpretations.

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Implication

Methodological review uncovers inconsistent interpretations of digital trace data across communication research, highlighting a pervasive lack of validity testing.

Cite This Study

Deen Freelon (2014) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a0b7f4a85cdbbac7497e87e https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2013.875018

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Implication

Methodological review uncovers inconsistent interpretations of digital trace data across communication research, highlighting a pervasive lack of validity testing.

On the Interpretation of Digital Trace Data in Communication and Social Computing Research

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Implication

Cite This Study

On the Interpretation of Digital Trace Data in Communication and Social Computing Research

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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