NYU Data Science newsletter – October 22, 2015

GROUP CURATION: N/A

Quantitative research in social science research is changing rapidly. Researchers have vast and complex arrays of data with which to work: we have incredible tools to sift through the data and recognize patterns in that data; there are now many sophisticated models that we can use to make sense of those patterns; and we have extremely powerful computational systems that help us accomplish these tasks quickly. This book focuses on some of the extraordinary work being conducted in computational social science – in academia, government, and the private sector – while highlighting current trends, challenges, and new directions. Thus, Computational Social Science showcases the innovative methodological tools being developed and applied by leading researchers in this new field. The book shows how academics and the private sector are using many of these tools to solve problems in social science and public policy.

Available January 2016.

Open science describes the practice of carrying out scientific research in a completely transparent manner, and making the results of that research available to everyone. Isn’t that just ‘science’?

The conceptualization and measurement of political participation has been an issue vibrantly debated for more than 50?years. The arrival of digital media came to add important parameters to the debate complicating matters further. Digital media have added inexhaustive creative and nonpolitical ways to engage in social and political life that not only often appear to form the basis of political participation but also, in a plethora of everyday contexts, seem to become embedded into what eventually evolves to become a politically meaningful act. This article argues that digitally networked participation—and its manifestations—is a form of political participation and should be conceptualized, identified, and measured as one. Relying on recent conceptual and empirical work, it shows how various common manifestations of digitally networked participation conform to minimalist, targeted, and motivational definitions of political participation. Finally, tackling common misconceptions about the value of such acts, this article argues that nonpolitical forms of digitally networked participation can occasionally be far more impactful than forms of participation commonly accepted as political. This article concludes by recommending the systematic development of measures for digitally networked participation and its formal integration in the study of political participation.

There’s no denying that content marketing is a growing trend. A survey by the Content Marketing Institute revealed that 70 percent of B2B marketers are creating more content than they did just one year ago. Unfortunately, their research also revealed that 58 percent of marketers don’t feel they are effective at content marketing, and measurement is a key area where marketers are struggling. In order to drive results, marketers must understand how data science can be used to drive user engagement in the digital age.

New technologies and the evolving media landscape are changing the way consumers discover and purchase products. According to Forrester Research, a buyer might be 66-90 percent of the way through their purchasing journey before even contacting a vendor. Forbes also reports that only 1 percent of Millennials say advertisements build trust in a brand, while 33 percent say they rely on blogs before making a purchase. While marketers agree that the key to navigating this new landscape is consumer insights and data, how to use data for content marketing success is still unclear to many. Here are four key ways marketers should be applying data science in order boost content results.

When you hear about Volkswagen engineers cheating emissions tests, or face recognition software that can’t “see” Black people, you start to wonder who is in charge here. Or more to the point, who is to blame? … This post is about one way we might hold ourselves accountable to an ethical standard that we agree to by means of a pledge.

Deep in the corridors of Stanford University’s English department, graduate student Jodie Archer developed a computer model that can predict New York Times bestsellers. Her soon-to-be published research landed her a top job with Apple iBooks and may revolutionise the publishing industry. At the University of Notre Dame, philosopher Don Howard worked with a computer scientist to develop a code of ethics for “human-robot interaction” that could change the way Silicon Valley designs robots.

Both scholars share an academic background in humanities. And they join countless others working in fields such as technology, environmental sustainability and even infectious disease control.

But humanities is experiencing a crisis. Public support has dwindled. Enrolment in humanities majors is down and courses are disappearing from university curricula. A tightening job market means more humanities PhDs than ever are looking for – and not finding – jobs outside of academia.

According to online research outfit Comscore, the audience for this extravagant rethink of the Facebook News Feed had dropped to about 119,000 people—a pittance compared to the well over a billion people using Facebook proper—and various pundits, including the Internet watchers at Buzzfeed, questioned not only the app’s impact, but even “the ability of the new tech giants to launch small experimental projects.”

Today, those doubts were answered rather summarily when Facebook announced that anyone using the company’s iPhone app will now have access to Instant Articles, a service that loads stories into the main Facebook News Feed with unusual speed.

… Along with social scientists from several other fields, [anthropologists] formed a sub-group of the UK’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. Funded by the Department for International Development and the Wellcome Trust, the group supplied important advice on factors contributing to Ebola victims’ unwillingness to present themselves at medical centres. The group also provided invaluable insights into regional norms around travel and caring for the sick, as well as tips on how to address Ebola-related stigma and, importantly, how to promote culturally sensitive and safe funerals.

The case of Ebola does not simply point yet again to the unforeseen uses of academic research. Even more significantly, it highlights the central contribution of the social sciences and humanities to informed decision-making by national governments and transnational organisations. Put simply, the perspectives of historians, psychologists, geographers and others – alongside anthropologists – are essential to sound policy development and delivery. This truth, however, has been properly recognised only relatively recently.

Data & Society is currently looking to assemble its third class of fellows. (Please meet the 2014-15 and 2015-16 classes here and here, respectively.) The fellows program brings together an eclectic network of researchers, entrepreneurs, activists, policy creators, journalists, geeks, and public intellectuals who are interested in engaging one another on the key issues introduced by the increasing availability of data in society. We are looking for a diverse group of people who can see both the opportunities and challenges presented by access to data and who have a vision for a project that can inform the public or shape the future of society.

Fellows are at the heart and soul of Data & Society and are expected to develop innovative projects, interact with people who hold diverse perspectives, and participate in the creation of a growing community. Fellows play a pivotal role in shaping the Institute’s character and formation.

Application Deadline: Tuesday, December 1

The National Institutes of Health has partnered with London-based Wellcome Trust to launch a global science competition for new products or services to advance “open science,” a movement to make scientific research data broadly accessible to the public. Up to six teams of technology experts and researchers stand to win $80,000 each to develop their ideas into a prototype or to advance an existing early stage prototype. The prototype judged to have the greatest potential to further open science will receive $230,000.

First Phase Application Deadline: Monday, February 29, 2016