Интеграция опросных данных и цифровых следов: обзор основных методологических подходов

Социология: методология, методы, математическое моделирование. 2021. № 53. С. 117–164.

Saponova A. V., Куликов С. П.

The main purpose of current study is to review the main existing methodological approaches for the integration of survey data and digital traces that are used in sociological research. The paper discusses a methodological discussion about the place of big digital data in the conceptual apparatus of social sciences. The authors made an attempt to problematize the practice of integrating survey data and digital traces through the concept of “reactive – non-reactive” measurement. The possible functions of digital traces in the design of the study are indicated (on the example of social media data). On the example of three research areas (the study of media consumption, media effects and electoral behavior) general methodological principles for integrating data of different nature were demonstrated and possible prospects for the development of these approaches were also described. The article discusses a wide range of methodological issues: problems of the data linking validity; potential threats to the validity of digital traces; opportunities to improve survey questionnaire, to enrich data, to search for new valid indicators of socio-political processes and to provide cross-validation of research results. The case with integrating administrative data are considered as well.

Keywords: большие данные, интеграция данных, big data, цифровые следы, data integration, survey data, digital traces, data linkage, nonreactive research, связывание данных, нереактивные методы, опросные данные