Humans broke the internet, understanding them better might help fix it
By Timo Hannay
Here's a multiple-choice question: Is the internet (a) the most open, egalitarian and empowering means of communication ever devised, or (b) a dystopian nightmare populated by hucksters, trolls and miscellaneous abusers of human rights? The answer is, of course, (c) all of the above and much else besides. This stark contrast between the internet's light and dark sides has become a defining characteristic of the digital age, but is not an inevitable consequence of the mostly innocuous technologies on which it's built. Rather, it is the product of their bewilderingly diverse and eccentric user base – otherwise known as humanity.
In Praise of the Digital in Social Research
"The collection of “big data” and the ability to do experiments using the internet, may be the start of a scientific revolution in social research. But there are important ethical considerations that also need to be factored in." says Roby Muhamad in this piece which both praises the innovations big data has been able to allow us to explore and puts caution to the wind for the future of what these advances may entail.
Validating a Questionnaire
Dave Collingridge discusses simple steps for validating a questionnaire.