New Research for New Media Blog

New media offer both new research techniques and new communication arenas to be studied. This Symposium will bring together researchers who a) use new media technologies to further their existing research methodologies or b) use innovative research methodologies (or rethink traditional methods) to further their research into any aspect of new media. Perspectives from around the world and from several disciplines will meet in a dialog with the goal of sharing experiences.

The Institute for New Media Studies at the University of Minnesota and the Communication Department of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili have joined efforts to offer researchers an engaging environment in which to reflect on the craft of new media research. Invited chair persons will summarize the state of the art and selected papers will be presented describing the methodological procedures of actual research projects. Symposium participants will serve as discussants, elevating the examination of these techniques and their implications for research.

After a successful and exciting first edition at the University of Minnesota, USA, the Symposium moves to Europe with the aim of broadening the research traditions sharing experiences. The goal is to provide an examination of current practices and an opportunity for reflection on future directions new media research methods might take. Panel participants will be selected based on current research they have conducted. Symposium participants will be selected through application to the event. We will look for a mix of highly credentialed as well as promising new voices in the area of new media research to participate in the workshop.

The dynamics of the Symposium will avoid the traditional paper presentations format. Papers will be distributed to all the participants prior to the conference so everyone will be familiar with the research methods that will be discussed. Sessions will be organized in discussion groups, coordinated by a chair person invited by the organizers. Participants will work in small groups to discuss the implications of the research methods presented in terms of ethics, logistics, impact on results, and other open questions about application of this type of research. The reports from the small group discussions will be an important part of the symposium’s outcomes. Participants are expected to join all the discussion sessions in order to enrich the debate with his/her own methodological and disciplinary perspective.

PANELS

Ethnographic research: Using ethnographic and new research techniques for the study of new media organizations and populations. While ethnographic research means the investigator goes into the field, instead of bringing the field to the investigator, what are the techniques that have been used to identify and study organizations and populations? Use of chat rooms or instant messaging, ways of contacting individuals in populations, technological monitoring techniques for observation of work processes, etc.

Content and Discourse Analysis: Examination of new media messages, communication, web content, etc. Papers could cover different programs or technological aids used in conducting content and discourse analyses as well as the challenges of capturing the "moving target" of online content and communication.

Research Ethics and Issues: New or unusual ethical issues raised in conducting new media research, methods for dealing with human subject concerns, confidentiality and privacy issues, sampling and verifying issues.

Historical Research: Research focused on examination of the evolution of new media. Techniques used to find and analyze earlier forms, methods for anticipating and capturing current media for future examination and comparison. Issues of access to archives of materials.

Quantitative Research: Development of lab experimentation into new media effects, surveying techniques, and other methods for gathering and analyzing quantitively the impact of new media.


PARTICIPANTS

After presentation of papers in each session, the participants will work in small groups to discuss the implications of the research methods presented in terms of ethics, logistics, impact on results, open questions about application of this type of research. The reports from the small group discussions will be an important part of the symposium’s outcomes.


ORGANIZERS AND CO-SPONSORS

Nora Paul: Director, Institute for New Media Studies, University of Minnesota

David Domingo: Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Catalonia

* Click here to see conclusions of the
New Research for New Media - First Edition *