Strengths and Weaknesses of Digital Trace Data

Chris Bail
Duke University

BIG

ALWAYS ON

NON-REACTIVE

CAPTURES SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

WEAKNESSES OF NEW TEXT DATA

INCOMPLETE

INACCESSIBLE

NON-REPRESENTATIVE

DRIFTING

 

ALGORITHIMICALLY CONFOUNDED

UNSTRUCTURED

SENSITIVE

ELITE/PUBLICATION BIAS

POSITIVITY-BIAS

THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL TRACE DATA