Fourth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Social media have opened up new ways of examining digital data, which reposition traditional methods of data analysis and collection from small to considerable amounts. Through such shifts, we have encountered project anxieties which bear striking similarities despite disciplinary differences. In this paper, we contrast two similar experiences of anxiety concerning methodological challenges and the fast-paced and ephemeral nature of social media platforms. This speaks to the double-bind many graduate students face: Pressure to conform to the status quo of the academy while also proving the impact of and innovation in current research. Thus, we ask: How can emerging scholars navigate research in digital communities, while remaining grounded in traditional methods, specifically ethnography and discourse analysis? How can we arrive at conclusions and establish best practices given the ever-shifting nature of social media platforms and their users? In addressing these questions, in this paper, we first present the disciplinary, methodological, and analytic decisions encountered in two qualitative case studies on the social media platforms Twitter, Reddit, and Gab. We identify gaps in existing scholarship on the use of social media regarding descriptions of methodological and analytical rationales, as well as knowledge translation and reporting activities. We conclude our discussion with recommendations for fellow graduate students and senior faculty to anticipate and mitigate some of these or similar anxieties.