4. Mixed Methods
In multidisciplinary research projects a number of researchers have lately advocated for mixed methods approaches in which the 'deep analysis' of qualitative research and the ability of computational analysis to cover massive datasets would give the best insight into the analysed phenomenon. Especially research that is dealing with images, researchers have sought different ways to combine visual analysis and computation analysis emphasizing the essential role that visuality and images have in social media.
References:
Hokka, Jenni ja Nelimarkka, Matti (2020) Affective economy of national-populist images: Investigating national and transnational online networks through visual big data. New Media & Society, 22(5): 770-792. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819868686
Kennedy, Helen, Moss, Giles, Birchall, Christopher & Stylianos Moshonas (2015) Balancing the potential and problems of digital methods through action research: methodological reflections, Information, Communication & Society, 18:2, 172-186, DOI:10.1080/1369118X.2014.946434
(2020) Visual cross-platform analysis: digital methods to research social media images, Information, Communication & Society, 23:2, 161-180, DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2018.1486871
Sen, I., Floeck, F., Weller, K., Weiss, B., & Wagner, C. (2019). TED-On: A Total Error Framework for Digital Traces of Human Behavior on Online Platforms. arXiv preprint arXiv:1907.08228.