Handbook of Digital and Computational Research Methods

This comprehensive Handbook presents an examination of recent changes to data and methods in the social sciences and humanities (SSH). Contributors explore this heterogeneous and multidisciplinary landscape while focussing on the cross-cutting discussions and infrastructures that underpin them.

Drawing on epistemological and methodological perspectives, case studies reveal how the emergence of digital and computational methods has altered disciplines such as archaeology, anthropology, media studies, psychology and history. Insights into core debates are provided, including the role of theory in empirical work, the hope for objectivity, and the divide between qualitative and quantitative methods. The Handbook critically discusses the risks and ethical complications accompanying the convergence of digital and computational methods, as well as in delegating analytical power to algorithmic systems. It also provides a unique tool-makers perspective on the institutional set-up around digital and computational methods labs within SSH.

This Handbook is an invaluable resource for students and scholars in the fields of information systems, knowledge management and research methods. It is also an essential resource for researchers and decision-makers in SSH looking to further their understanding of digital and computational research methods and their disciplinary implications.