Background and Learning Objective: 

Online communities have become an integral part of everyday personal and professional life. Platforms such as Twitch, GitLab, Reddit, and Discord not only facilitate exchange, collaboration, and knowledge production, but also generate rich digital traces of social and technical activity. For research in Information Systems, such data offer great potential for empirically investigating and theoretically advancing sociotechnical phenomena.

In this course, students learn how data from online communities can be collected, processed, analyzed, and used to develop new theoretical insights through computational-intensive theorizing. The focus is on independently conducting a research project in groups. Students collect data from online communities themselves and examine relevant social, technical, or sociotechnical dynamics within them.

Administrative Details: 

The module is worth 6 ECTS (180 hours of workload) and is conducted as a project with 4 SWS over the course of one semester (Tuesdays, 12 pm - 4 pm, six sessions)

The course assessment consists of a written report and a colloquium:

• Written report, deadline: 3 months
• Colloquium, duration: 30 minutes

The language of instruction, assignments, and presentations is English.

Prior knowledge of research methods is helpful but not required.

Please refer to the schedule in UnivIS for the exact dates.

Application Procedure: 

To apply, please fill out the form below by October 12 at 10 am. Notifications regarding acceptance will be sent on October 12 (afternoon). A binding confirmation of your participation in the seminar is required by October 12 at 11:59 pm. Otherwise, your spot will be offered to others on the waiting list. The first session will take place October 13 (12 pm - 4 pm).