This strand of MODE activity attends to the development of innovative multimodal methods for harnessing types of data that new technologies make available for social research purposes; multimodal processes and frameworks for data collection; and for analysis. The Strand focuses on the use of both researcher generated digital data and ‘naturally occurring’ multimodal digital data. The latter is a key feature of many digital environments (e.g. video and visual digital displays used in work places, computer logs generated through online activity such as gaming/searching etc.), data from the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and mobile data, as well as visible records of activity on social networking sites (e.g. Twitter, Flickr and Facebook). The Node research projects will build on existing methods (e.g. Kress et al, 2005; Norris, 2004; Heath, Hindmarsh & Luff, 2010) including that of NCess, and ESRC networks and programmes (e.g. RDI) to test, extend and develop multimodal methods to capture and analyze digital data and environments, and critically review how these data and methods be exploited in social research.

Indicative topics: multimodal data collection methods using digital technologies; the ethics of research using naturally occurring multimodal digital data; what can and cannot be investigated with video data; multimodal methods and frameworks for analyzing gaze and gesture in digital environments; multimodal methods for analyzing technology-mediated collaborative interaction; methods for analyzing the functions of screen technologies in digital environments.

Indicative research questions: What multimodal methods are effective for examining digitally-mediated practices? How do screen-based digital technologies shape the character of multimodal interaction in digital environments and what are the implications for methodological approaches? What multimodal methods can harness the potentials and manage the limitations of using naturally occurring multimodal digital data for research?

Click here for an overview of research and training activity in this strand.