230149 SE Computer supported content analysis (2015S)

The class is set up like a collaborative research project dealing with the issues revolving around shale gas and fracking. Therefore, students will choose thematic groups and assignments at the beginning of the semester, collect relevant text data until the start of the course in June. We will only use freely available software, to be installed and used on students personal computers.

Students are expected to complete all reading and other assignments prior to class. Time in class will be split between lectures, discussions, and group-exercises. Lectures will review conceptual points and challenges of each approach and data type (e.g. social media vs news media). Exercises contain practising methods of data collection and text analysis. The last meeting will be spent presenting and discussing results.