General information

Code: P5-0399
Period: 1.1.2019 - 31.12.2024
Range on year: 2.32 FTE | 2022
Project leader at FDV: prof.dr. Vasja Vehovar

Abstract

Contemporary societies face the evolving integration of Internet technologies into all domains of everyday life. This demands innovative social science research insights into Internet-related social phenomena in terms of substantial knowledge and research methods. The proposed research programme deals with both aspects: the Internet as a research object and the Internet as a tool for social science research. THE INTERNET AS A RESEARCH OBJECT covers a broad research area in which the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is shaping human relations and societal structures across various social domains (e.g. e-health, e-government, e-care and e-learning). Such emerging phenomena at the intersection of technology and society demands an integrated socio-technical approach to anticipate and understand their impact. In this context, the programme focuses on the following topics: • Digital inequalities – with an emphasis on overcoming the digital exclusion of older adults and low-skilled ICT users; • The adoption and outcomes of advanced ICT-based assistive technologies in health and social care to improve the social inclusion and quality of life of various population groups in the ageing society; • Better Internet and theoretically-informed prevention of illegal and harmful content on the Internet; • Advances in user experience research methods for designing more accessible and user-friendly mobile and smart technologies. With respect to the INTERNET AS A RESEARCH TOOL, the programme strengthens existing and builds new knowledge on methods related to Internet-enabled data collection by: • Systematically investigating factors that contribute to data quality in web surveys; • Addressing new challenges of web survey applications, with an emphasis on online panels and surveys on mobile devices; • Integrating the use of machine learning and language technologies for questionnaire development and data collection; • Providing evidence-based research on the use of paradata (digital footprints) and sensor data generated by mobile devices for an in-depth analysis of the behavioural patterns of participants involved in Internet-mediated data collection; • Studying the Internet’s role in e-social sciences for the integration of virtual collaboration in all stages of the research process. The research activities will strengthen the well-established role of the research group in the scientific community – as shown by its scientific and socio-economic outcomes – both internationally (publications, citations, awards, editorial boards, involvement in international organisations, international projects and scientific collaboration, mentoring and teaching abroad, the WebSM website, the open source web survey tool 1KA) and nationally (Web Survey Day, Safer Internet Centre SAFE.SI and Spletno oko). This guarantees that the proposed programme will be carried out successfully, will develop global scientific excellence and will translate new basic knowledge into practice.