Social Media Research Seminar - Einzelansicht

Dear students,

Throughout the course, we will rely heavily on Moodle. Zoom, videoconferencing tool, will be used too. While most of you are familiar with Moodle, using Zoom for learning might be new. Please explore our "Zoom for students" guidelines for more detail.
Moodle Course: Social Media Research - Seminar + Project (SMR S&P 21/22)
Moodle Key:      will be shared via email

To see topics' presentation and choose a topic timely and with enough information, make sure to attend the first session on the 2nd of November. It will take place in ZOOM. You can find the Zoom link on Moodle. Note: room 3.01.H09 is reserved for those who need a quiet place on campus to join the Zoom meeting. 

Have a great start into the semester,
your Seminar instructors

Students will work in groups of two (or by exeption of three) people.

The aim of each group is to carry out a research on a selected topic. You will be presented a number of topics and will be able to narrow down or slightly modify one of the topics, which your group likes and selects, with the help of course instructors. 

The control points during the course are:

1. research exposé
2. in-class presentations
3. written paper

Several social media platforms have gained incredible popularity in recent years (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.). Their phenomenal success manifests in millions of users all around the globe spending significant time on the platforms. Across its family of apps, only the Facebook company reaches 3.5 billion people monthly. 

By rapidly changing the way we communicate, inform ourselves, spend free time, study, work, and consume goods, social media and other digital platforms transform the society that we live in today. The new developments raise questions about their meaning and long-term consequences.

Hence, possible topics will revolve around

1. the motivation to use digital platforms, e.g., social media
2. the use of digital platforms
3. psychological and other outcomes of the use

Depending on the topic, students will conduct literature reviews, qualitative or quantitative studies. Close supervision is offered. Students present their preliminary results in class and submit a written paper at the end of the course.

This course is designed for students with some knowledge and skill in working with academic literature and scientific methods (qualitative or quantitative). Within the course, we only brush up such topics as reading and writing academic papers. What we offer is hands-on experience in conducting, presenting research, and writing papers. Your research journey will be structured and overseen by experienced instructors. The course represents a setting where students' previously acquired book-learning can finally come to life in practice, preparing them for the next milestone - thesis writing.