From Object to Flow

Key points that connect to my thinking:

• three strengths of network sensibilities -[distinction between network analysis and network sensibilities] include
  • generate data, add complexity, multiple rendering, potential meaning, emergent
  • creating and juxtaposing visualizations; changing possible explanations ; shifting focus from object to relations
  • shifting visual mappings to highlight different elements; catalyst for reflection; ethical practice
• generate maps to examine shapes, positions, connections, relationships and movement (pg 10)
• types of maps – situational, relational, arena, positional (p 12)
• seek depth in complexity; thick descriptions; “despite one’s goal of identifying a discrete object for inquiry, the object will always be entangled in larger patters and flows of meaning that operate both at the surface, observable levels and also at less visible, deep structure levels.” (p 13)
• mapping is iterative process of sense making; visualizations serve 2 functions – 1st: production multiple renderings will destabilize the context and the phenomenon, 2nd: multiple layers provide systemic trace of movement through various analytical categories and interpretations (p 22)
• “end point of inquiry becomes a discussion point rather than an attempt at an explanation of the whole.” (p 23)
• to make sense of network assemblages, it’s not necessary to “explain the whole or conduct a holistic study of a bounded field”, but to “start anywhere and follow the data – attributes, profiles, persons, memes, or other salient units of information.” (p 23)
• p 26 – CCA=Connected Concept Analysis (Lindgren, 2012) using qualitative constant comparative coding (Glaser, 1965) to form basis for quantitative text analysis in order to visualize common discussion themes
• track and log the steps you take with data analysis; using Gephi (software) – describes types of algorithmic features of the software (Tutorial here) and [video here]
• post content analysis using Bibexcel software to filter out qualitative coded clusters relating to key words & discursive categories – this led me to Nvivo software [video tutorials listing here]
• research practice, like life, involves a process of “mapping, connecting and recentering the way we see the world around us”. (p 37) with a “focus on methods that can get at the liminal spaces between us, where meaning is formed”. (p 38).

One final item came from the NOTES section on p 38 – “All screenshots are taken by the authors from publicly accessible areas of the web or comprise original works of the authors” – following the best practice ethical principles outlined by the International Communication Association (2010), we determine that our use of the materials falls well within the U.S. doctrine of “fair use”. Following the ethics guidelines for the Association of Internet Researchers (AOIR Ethics Committee, 2012), we have either obscured information that might pose any risk to individuals or determined that the information does not pose likely risks from appearance in this context. – For me, this is an important consideration as I will be using tweets, slack notes and other social media messages for my reflections on actions in open digital spaces. I’ll also need to review the ethics guidelines from Lakehead as I begin to capture open digital artifacts for my SoTL project.