Analysing online political discussions : methodological considerations

Vergeer, Maurice (author), Hermans, Liesbeth (author)

Online political discussions are thought to lead to more political engagement and empowerment of peripheral groups in society and thereby contributing to deliberative citizenship. Because people have increased opportunities to voice their political opinions and publish these for a potentially large audience to read, the involved level of interactivity can mobilise people who would otherwise not have been in political life. Since Web 2.0 applications (i.e. blogs, social networking sites) have become popular, online discussions have taken a great flight on the web. This article discusses the advantages and difficulties of studying online discussions applying a mixed method approach of content analysis, social network analysis and longitudinal analysis. The additional value of using a combination of research methods simultaneously is that it does justice to the complex object of study because a more in-depth and triangulated measurement of political communications can be established. The methodological implications will be illustrated on data from the online political discussion group, nl.politiek, one of the most active discussion groups during the Dutch national elections in 2006.

• Language: English
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2008
• Number of pages: Str. 37-56
• Numbering: Vol. 15, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-75377
• UDC: 316.77:32
• ISSN on article: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 27434077
• Publication date in RUL: 21.12.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Javnost = The public
• Shortened title: Javnost
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, European Institute for Communication and Culture
• ISSN: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 40119808

Secondary language

• Language: Unknown

Abstract

Spletne politične razprave naj bi vodile k večji politični angažiranosti in večji moči perifernih družbenih skupin ter s tem prispevale k deliberativnemu državljanstvu. Ker imajo ljudje več možnosti za izražanje svojih političnih mnenj in predstavljanje potencialno velikemu občinstvu, lahko večja stopnja interaktivnosti mobilizira ljudi, ki sicer ne bi bili vključeni v politično življenje. Članek obravnava prednosti in težave proučevanja online razprav z uporabo analize vsebine, analizo socialnih omrežij in longitudinalno analizo. Dodana vrednost uporabe kombinacije različnih raziskovalnih metod je v tem, ker omogoča bolj poglobljeno in triangulirano merjenje političnega komuniciranja. Metodološke implikacije so ilustrirane na podatkih nizozemske spletne politične razpravne skupine nl.politiek, ki je bila med najbolj aktivnimi v času nizozemskih parlamentarnih volitev leta 2006.