Text data are a resource that we are only beginning to understand. Many human interactions are moving to the digital world, and we become increasingly sophisticated in documenting interactions. Face-to-face encounters are replaced by written communication (e.g., WhatsApp, Twitter) and every crime incident or hospital visit is recorded. All of these interactions leave a trace in the form of text data.

Social media can be beneficial or distracting. Need a break?

Today's academic writers need to think about more than writing. Media and social media extend our reach.

2014 was the year that the digital media company Upworthy “broke the internet” in the words of cofounder Peter Koechley. By publishing positive, progressive news stories and optimizing them with A/B testing, Upworthy came to dominate online attention.

In the last few years, a huge amount of scholarship has emerged on disinformation and related topics, such as toxicity, polarization, populist rhetoric, and election interference. Researchers in disciplines from anthropology to psychology are working on disinformation-related questions, often with different taxonomies. This volume makes it hard for researchers to stay abreast of other disciplines. Seemingly contradictory findings present challenges for journalists, citizens, and policymakers seeking clear answers.  

MediaWell, the Social Science Research Council’s new web platform, is a response to this volume and spread – our aim was to create a one-stop platform that is freely accessible for researchers, policymakers, journalists, funders, and interested citizens alike. We’re excited to make the project available, and eager for feedback on this new format for curating research and promoting public scholarship.

Abstract, the Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA) open access blog, includes excellent advice for writers who have book contracts with publishers when mergers, acquisitions, or other changes that can potentially impact the agreement. Learn from lawyers and experts who specialize in this niche.

People look to academia as the source of innovation, and especially so in the natural and physical sciences. Researchers in biosciences, clinical medicine, physics, and chemistry have always generated new ideas for industry to capitalize on. Generally, innovations coming out of the social sciences would be assimilated into the private sector via secondments or collaborative projects, with Richard Thaler’s Behavioral Insights Team as the finest example. However, the emergence of big data and computational social science has generated a host of technologies that are either developed together with social science researchers or have clear application in the social science praxis outside academia. 

Abstract, the Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA) open access blog, offers advice for writers who want to cultivate a positive relationship with their editors and publisher.

Mentor-in-Residence Mark Carrigan offers suggestions about promoting your books.

Abstract, the Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA) open access blog, includes excellent advice for writers who are negotiating new contracts. Here are a few examples.

It's Academic Writing Month! This is a great time to think about writing style and voice.

The rise in automation and our digital economy are changing the way we work. In recent years, there’s been a rising sense of anxiety around how new technologies will impact our working lives: Will robots steal our jobs? Will we need to learn new skills to be employable? In this changing landscape, social science has a critical role to play in understanding the impact of this digital takeover and examine where we go next.