From the Oxford Internet Institute
Methodological innovation is vital given the changing nature of the Internet and advances in ICTs which both necessitate and facilitate the development of new techniques.
OII researchers are developing methodologies such as:
- big data approaches;
- the embedding of ICT s for real time observation of social phenomenon;
- webmetric techniques for observing the underlying structure of the web presence of social institutions;
- artificial intelligence design;
- experimental research;
- on-line action research;
- content analysis;
- investigation of virtual environments;
- and online survey research.
The five current research foci examine the role of the Internet and other ICTs in:
- government and democracy: where ICT s offer significant opportunities for restructuring practices and institutions, for example in the management and delivery of government services and the functioning of governance processes
- research and learning: focusing on the use and impact of ICTs within academic and research communities and the social and institutional contexts in which this takes place
- everyday life and work: covering the role of the Internet and other ICTs in personal interactions in the household, the arts, and entertainment, and the needs of individuals and the wider community in work, social relationships, leisure, and activities in other arenas that bring society online
- shaping the Internet: how rapidly developing ICTs are liberated or constrained, including how the Internet itself is governed.
- network economy: how ICTs reshape business models, markets and economic development.
Mind Bursts 