Theme 4: Quantitative research

Which quantitative method or methods are used in the paper? Which are the benefits and limitations of using these methods?

What did you learn about quantitative methods from reading the paper?

Which are the main methodological problems of the study? How could the use of the quantitative method or methods have been improved?

I have chosen the paper; Social Networking Sites: Their Users and Social Implications - A Longitudinal Study, which is written by Petter Bae Brandtzæg and published in the journal; Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 2012. This paper compares different types of social networking sites (SNS)-users and their social capital, to see if there is any relationship between Social networking sites and the social capital.

This paper uses a longitudinal study to collect data from the same participants over a three-year period (2008-2010). All methods used in the study are quantitative methods. Three studies have been conducted and the participants have been asked to fill in a questionnaire. The quantitative methods used were: questionnaire survey with open questions, questions with set responses and questions with scales.

It was interesting to read a study that was carried out over a long period. Most of the studies I have fulfilled at KTH have only been going on for a short period. This paper gave me an insight into how a quantitative study for a longer time looks like, and the advantages and disadvantages of this.

This study required a longer examination because the authors wanted to study changes over time, which is the advantage with a longitudinal study. The disadvantage of this study is that because of the time many of the test participants dropped out during the study period. It was 2000 people from the beginning of 2008, but only 708 in the last survey, which was made in 2010.

I also think that many questions in the survey are better suited for a qualitative study. E.g.; the questionnaire survey consisted of a part where the test participants would estimate if they felt lonely. Such a question is difficult to answer in a questionnaire and a 4-point scale. I think it would have been better with an interview instead.

Another problem with this quantitative method is the selection of the test participants. All the 2,000 participants came from the same country, which can have affect on the final result. The result would have been trustworthier if the test participants would have come from different countries. However, the range of the participants was between 15 and 75 years old and the distribution between women and men was equal.





Which are the benefits and limitations of using quantitative methods?

Which are the benefits and limitations of using qualitative methods?

I have read parts of the study Physical activity, stress, and self-reported upper respiratory tract infection. The study discusses whether there is any relationship between Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), and physical activity and perceived stress.

One of the advantages with quantitative research is that it is easy to reach out to a large group of people and thus get into a lot of answers in a short time. Also because the answers often presents in statistics the figures and tables makes it easy to get a picture of the results and then analyse it. As Table 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Physical activity, stress, and self-reported upper respiratory tract infection shows.

Quantitative methods have of course its disadvantages too. Just like in Social Networking Sites: Their Users and Social Implications - A Longitudinal-Study as I mentioned before, there were many non-responses from the initial amount of test participants in this study too. 5000 people were invited to the study by mail and of those only 1805 people responded. With a questionnaire is also difficult to get a deeper understanding of the subject. A quantitative study can also change a lot and therefore it should be operated during a longer period. Therefore, a combination of quantitative and qualitative study is to prefer.

With a qualitative research you can get longer and more thorough answers to the survey questions. However this method should be used together with a quantitative research because fewer and longer responses wont give you the statistic information needed to draw concrete conclusions.

Theme 3: Post-reflections

This week we have read about theories; what a theory is and about different types of theories.

To summarize what a theory is you can say it is something that can answer the question "why”. For example why the result of a study turn out in a special way. I think it is a simple and good explanation that is easy to understand. Theory is a term that we often use, but no one really knows what it means. Therefor I believe that this kind of assignment is a good way to learn more about terms that we otherwise take for granted.

Before the seminary I read the texts "The Nature of Theory in Information System" and "What Theory is Not". I also read the paper; "The Benefits of Facebook "Friends:" Social Capital and College Students".

The paper examined how the use of Facebook can affect our social capital. I think it was a current and relevant paper and it was very interesting. To decide which theory that the authors used in the paper was quite difficult. To read one article about the different theories was not enough; I would need a deeper insight into the subject to make a good decision.

But after I read the literature, I came to the conclusion that the theory that was used in the paper was the type "analysis". No concrete conclusions were drawn in the paper, and therefor I think the paper just analysed the topic. 

On the seminar this Monday, we got the chance to present the paper we had read and then discuss them with the rest of the class. It was interesting to hear what the other had written about. One of the papers was presented two times; "Social Networking Sites: Their Users and Social Implications - A Longitudinal Study". This paper was also about how social media affects our social capital, but the authors had study this over a longer period.

The paper and the study seemed interesting, so I have decided to choose this paper for this week's assignment.

Theme 3: Research and theory

The journal I have chosen is Social Networks, which is an international journal of structural analysis with an impact factor of 3.381. (http://www.journals.elsevier.com/social-networks/).

The journal contains papers that study social network and covers topics such as biology, psychology, communication studies etc. for presenting studies on social network. It also contains articles on how our behaviour is influenced by social networks.

I think it's relevant because it contains papers on many different topics related to media use.

I have chosen the paper “The Benefits of Facebook Friends: Social Capital and College Students”. The paper is written by Nicole B. Ellison, Charles Steinfield and Cliff Lampe. It was published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (Volume 12, Issue 4, July 2007). The journal has an impact factor of 1,778.

This paper examines whether there is any relationship between Facebook use and establishment and provision of social capital. The essay examines both how the new contacts you get through the platform affects social capital, and it also explores if keeping in touch with old friends on Facebook can increases the social capital.

The background information used in the study consists of previous research and literature on the subject of social capital and the Internet influence of social capital.

The study was conducted on 286 students and consisted of a questionnaire sent out online. The questions concerned their Facebook use, their contact with others on Facebook, as well as questions about their self-esteem, life situation and satisfaction. The students respond to the questions with a scale of 1-5, and the data were shown in diagrams.

The study shows that there are significant links between Facebook use and social capital. Above all, Facebooks facilitating making new friends have a big impact on the social capital. Although self-esteem can be positively affected by Facebook use.

Briefly explain to a first year student what theory is, and what theory is not.

A theory is an attempt to understand why and how something is. Theories constructed by logical reasoning and from the theories you can get the information that helps you answer the questions “why” and “how” something or someone works or behaves in a particular way.

Describe the major theory or theories that are used in your selected paper.

The major theory used in my selected paper is analysis theory. The results from the study are based on answers from participants. Based on previous research and literature on the subject the writers got 7 hypotheses, which helped them analyse the results.

Since the results are just based on this questionnaire, may no concrete conclusions be deducted, instead the study just present an analysis of the results based on the literature and the previous research. The study is well done, but in order to give the require answers it needs more research. The errors can be many in this kind of exam.

As the Internet and Facebook are two relative new phenomenon’s, a theory like the analysis theory is to prefer.

Which are the benefits and limitations of using the selected theory or theories?

The advantage of this type of theory is that you can analyse the results from many different viewpoints. The disadvantage is that you can only answer the question "what is", not “how” and “why” the result looked like it did. 

Theme 2: Post-reflections

This week I have been on one lecture and one seminar, and I have also read a part from the book “Dialectic of Enlightenment” and answered the questions.

History is an interesting subject, and this week we got the chance to read a historical text that has links to topics that are relevant to our present day.

The discussion Adorno and Horkheimer expresses in ”Dialect of Enlightenment” is similar to the discussion we frequently have in school and with our friends, but for us, the new media which are criticized are the social media. It is easy to trivialize and laugh at people's fear of the new developments, but as I said we have the same fears and thoughts about today's "new media".

The discussion about media and how it control people is also a discussion that is relevant for today. I think of advertising and how we become a victim of it without being aware of it. For example; ads on Facebook. Products that will suit your interests are presented on your news feed, and it is based on the websites you have visited or the pages you have “liked”.

Media and commercials have become such a big part of our lives that we barely not reflects over it, therefore it is interesting to read older texts like “Dialectic of Enlightenment” where media still was upcoming and a relatively new phenomenon.

I think the part in the text that is dealing whit “the myth”, and the view of it, was an interesting part. Just like in last week's seminartext the authors questioned what is true, and who says that something is more real than something else. Questioning technology and science doesn’t happen in our engineering circuits, and therefor I think it is an important issue to reflect on.

It was fun to discuss these questions whit my classmates on yesterday’s seminar and it was interesting to hear other people’s opinion about the text and the subject.