I often get requests to explain how I obtained the data I used in a particular piece of academic research. I am always happy to share my code along with my data. Having been through the learning process myself about 5 years ago, I understand the confusion and frustration that can go along with learning a programming language. There are a number of new concepts going on all at … [Read More...]
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Python: Where to Start?
For the complete beginner, getting up and running in a new programming language can be a daunting task. I'll try to simplify it here by walking you through the key … [Read More...]
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Does Twitter Matter?
Twitter is not the Gutenberg Press. The 'Big Data' revolution is over-hyped. Nevertheless, Twitter is significant in a number of ways: For identifying … [Read More...]
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Establishing a Presence: Advice for PhD Students
Being Director of Graduate Studies gives me plenty of time to reflect on what I'd like students to get out of graduate education. For budding academics, you have all likely heard (countless times!) that the ultimate "deliverable" is high-quality journal … [Read More...]
Why I Use Python for Academic Research
Academics and other researchers have to choose from a variety of research skills. Most social scientists do not add computer programming into their skill set. As a strong proponent of the value of learning a programming language, I will lay out how this has … [Read More...]
How Organizations Use Social Media: Engaging the Public
The research I've done on organizations' use of social media suggests there are three main types of messages that organizations send on social media: informational, community-building, and "action" (promotional & mobilizational) messages. Each type … [Read More...]