Forschungsschwerpunkte
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Aktualisiertes Forschungsprogramm
Zum Auftakt der ersten Etablierungsphase im September 2022 hat das Weizenbaum-Institut sein Forschungsprogramm aktualisiert. Um die relevanten Herausforderungen und Chancen des digitalen Wandels für Individuen und Gesellschaften interdisziplinär, grundlagenorientiert und wertebasiert zu untersuchen, wird die Forschung fortan in vier interdisziplinären Forschungsschwerpunkten organisiert:
- Digitale Technologien in der Gesellschaft: zwischen Teilhabechancen und neuen Ungleichheiten
- Digitale Märkte und Öffentlichkeiten auf Plattformen: zwischen Gemeinwohl und wirtschaftlichen Imperativen
- Organisation von Wissen: zwischen Offenheit und Exklusivität
- Digitale Infrastrukturen in der Demokratie: zwischen Sicherheit und Freiheit
Jeder Schwerpunkt analysiert ein gesellschaftliches Spannungsverhältnis, das den gemeinsamen Bezug für die Arbeit in den jeweils vier Forschungsgruppen bildet, die einem Schwerpunkt zugeordnet sind. Flankiert und unterstützt werden die Forschungsgruppen vom neuen Weizenbaum Digital Science Center, das Forschungs-, Vernetzungs-, Orientierungs- und Infrastrukturleistungen für die interdisziplinäre Digitalisierungsforschung erbringt und die Kohärenz der Forschung stärkt.
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- ItemBeyond Filter Bubbles and Echo Chambers: The Integrative Potential of the Internet(ifpuk - Institute for Media and Communication Studies at FU Berlin, 2019) Mahrt, MerjaAre online audiences today fragmented into echo chambers or filter bubbles? Do users only see what digital platforms (like search engines or social media) let them see? And if so, what are the consequences for the cohesion of a society? Concerns like these abound in recent years. They attest to widely held assumptions about a negative influence of digital media or even the Internet in general on society. Empirical studies on these phenomena are, however, not as unequivocal. To understand why results from previous research are so far inconclusive, this study investigates the role of the Internet for social integration from a more general point of view. The integrative potential of the Internet is assessed to compare it with other media and ultimately better understand to what degree and due to which factors the Internet may or may not help bring society together. Using survey data, clickstream data on actual usage of websites, and data on content structures, the present work investigates how user behavior and structural features of the Internet determine its positive or negative effects on social integration. The results reveal that the Internet in general is not as bad as popular accounts of digital fragmentation may suggest. How much integrative potential can be realized via online offerings, however, depends on numerous factors on the side of the users as well as content and platform providers.
- ItemA Decentralized Provenance Network for Linked Open Data(2019) Kirstein, Fabian; Qiao, Miao; Dragoni, MauroWith the growing availability of Linked Open Data (LOD) and the consequential generation of derived and aggregated data, the need for trustworthy, reproducible and accessible provenance informa- tion has increased. Yet, no consistent mechanism has been established to manage provenance data of LOD on a global dataset-level. Decentralized networks and peer-to-peer mechanisms have made their revival in the last years with blockchain and similar distributed ledger technologies. We propose a novel approach to track and store provenance information for LOD on a dataset-level by sharing an immutable, common state between data providers. The basic architecture will not disrupt existing methodologies and standards for publishing LOD, but will be transparently integrated into existing ecosystems as an additional layer to foster broad acceptance. We will investigate the application of emerging blockchain technologies and established Linked Data specifications for building this decentralized anchor of truth. We are actively involved in the design and implementation of LOD and Open Data platforms and will evaluate our approach in real-world scenarios regarding feasibility, governance, scalability and usability.
- ItemAlgorithmen als Rationalitätsmythos(FernUniversität in Hagen, 2020) Keiner, Alexandra; Leineweber, Christian; de Witt, ClaudiaAlgorithmen gelten derzeit als die Antwort auf eine Vielzahl gesellschaftlicher Probleme. Von der Bekämpfung des Klimawandels über die Vorbeugung von Armut und Kriminalität bis hin zur Früherkennung von Krebs – Algorithmen scheinen eine Universallösung zu sein. Mit dem neo-institutionalistischen Konzept rationalisierter Mythen wird in diesem Beitrag versucht, für diese solutionistische Faszination eine Erklärung zu liefern.
- ItemWeizenbaum Panel: Politische Partizipation in Deutschland 2019, WP1-19 [Methodenbericht](Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Weizenbaum PanelDer hier zum Download bereitstehende Methodenbericht enthält zentrale Informationen zur ersten Befragungswelle im Erhebungszeitraum von Anfang September bis Ende November 2019.
- ItemWeizenbaum Panel: Digital Citizenship – Politische Kommunikation und Partizipation in Deutschland 2019, WP1-19 [Fragebogendokumentation](Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Emmer, Martin; Schaetz, Nadja; Leißner, Laura; Porten-Cheé, Pablo; Strippel, ChristianDie hier zum Download bereitstehende Fragebogendokumentation enthält den Fragebogen, welcher in der ersten Befragungswelle im Erhebungszeitraum von Anfang September bis Ende November 2019 verwendet wurde. This questionnaire was used in the first survey wave from the beginning of September to the end of November 2019. --- **Erhebungsmodus:** Computerunterstützte telefonische Befragung (CATI) **Sprache der Befragung:** deutsch **Erhobene Konstrukte:** - – Internet- und Social-Media-Nutzung: Nutzungsmotive/-aktivitäten - – Nachrichtennutzung und politische Diskussionen - – Politisches Interesse, Political Efficacy und Politisches Vertrauen - – Demokratieverständnis und -zufriedenheit - – Wichtigkeit politisches Thema - – Traditionelle und internetbezogene Bürgernormen - – Politische Orientierung und Parteimitgliedschaft - – Politische Partizipation und Partizipationsbereitschaft - – Reaktion auf Hasskommentare und Falschnachrichten im Internet (Online Civic Intervention) - – Soziodemographie
- ItemWhy we find little evidence of digital fragmentation, but should not stop researching it(2020) Mahrt, Merja; Gehrau, Volker; Waldherr, Annie; Scholl, Armin; Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Publizistik- Und Kommunikationswissenschaft E.V.While mass media are generally ascribed integrative potential, scholars assume negative effects on social cohesion for the Internet. Respective metaphors such as "filter bubbles" and "echo chambers" have meanwhile found their way into public discourse. However, empirical research that documents detrimental effects of digital fragmentation remains the exception. The state of research thus does not support fears about a stark loss of social cohesion due to the Internet. Yet there are groups on the fringe of the political spectrum that appear to be digitally fragmented. Given these heterogeneous results, the article systematizes theoretical assumptions and empirical findings and argues that it remains necessary to assess the extent and effects of digital fragmentation.
- ItemQuantification 2.0? Bibliometric Infrastructures in Academic Evaluation(2020) Krüger, Anne K.Due to developments recently termed as ‘audit,’ ‘evaluation,’ or ‘metric society,’ universities have become subject to rat- ings and rankings and researchers are evaluated according to standardized quantitative indicators such as their publication output and their personal citation scores. Yet, this development is not only based on the rise of new public management and ideas on ‘the return on public or private investment.’ It has also profited from ongoing technological developments. Due to a massive increase in digital publishing corresponding with the growing availability of related data bibliometric infrastructures for evaluating science are continuously becoming more differentiated and elaborate. They allow for new ways of using bibliometric data through various easily applicable tools. Furthermore, they also produce new quantities of data due to new possibilities in following the digital traces of scientific publications. In this article, I discuss this develop- ment as quantification 2.0. The rise of digital infrastructures for publishing, indexing, and managing scientific publications has not only made bibliometric data become a valuable source for performance assessment. It has triggered an unprece- dented growth in bibliometric data production turning freely accessible data about scientific work into edited databases and producing competition for its users. The production of bibliometric data has thus become decoupled from their appli- cation. Bibliometric data have turned into a self-serving end while their providers are constantly seeking for new tools to make use of them.
- ItemWeizenbaum Report 2019: Politische Partizipation in Deutschland(Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Schaetz, Nadja; Leißner, Laura; Porten-Cheé, Pablo; Emmer, Martin; Strippel, Christian**Deutsch** Der Weizenbaum Report ist eine jährlich erscheinende Publikation zur politischen Partizipation in Deutschland. Er stellt Befunde der bevölkerungsrepräsentativen Befragung der Forschungseinheit Weizenbaum Panel vor, die seit 2019 durchgeführt wird. Im Zentrum steht die Untersuchung verschiedener Formen politischer Partizipation im Zeitverlauf und ihre Entwicklung unter Digitalisierungsbedingungen. Die erste Welle aus dem Jahr 2019 untersuchte digitale Partizipationsformen, Bürgernormen und den Umgang mit Hass im Netz. Die Ergebnisse geben Einblick in Verhalten und Meinungen der deutschen Gesellschaft mit besonderem Fokus auf traditionelle vs. „vernetzte“ Bürgernormen.
- ItemDynamics of opinion expression(2020) Gaisbauer, Felix; Olbrich, Eckehard; Banisch, SvenModeling efforts in opinion dynamics have to a large extent ignored that opinion exchange between individuals can also have an effect on how willing they are to express their opinion publicly. Here, we introduce a model of public opinion expression. Two groups of agents with different opinion on an issue interact with each other, changing the willingness to express their opinion according to whether they perceive themselves as part of the majority or minority opinion. We formulate the model as a multigroup majority game and investigate the Nash equilibria. We also provide a dynamical systems perspective: Using the reinforcement learning algorithm of Q-learning, we reduce the N-agent system in a mean-field approach to two dimensions which represent the two opinion groups. This two-dimensional system is analyzed in a comprehensive bifurcation analysis of its parameters. The model identifies social-structural conditions for public opinion predominance of different groups. Among other findings, we show under which circumstances a minority can dominate public discourse.
- ItemDon’t Shoot the Message: Regulating Disinformation Beyond Content(2021) Iglesias Keller, Clara
- ItemToward a stronger theoretical grounding of computational communication science. How macro frameworks shape our research agendas(2021) Waldherr, Annie; Geise, Stephanie; Mahrt, Merja; Katzenbach, Christian; Nuernbergk, ChristianComputational communication science (CCS) is embraced by many as a fruitful methodological approach to studying communication in the digital era. However, theoretical advances have not been considered equally important in CCS. Specifically, we observe an emphasis on mid-range and micro theories that misses a larger discussion on how macro-theoretical frameworks can serve CCS scholarship. With this article, we aim to stimulate such a discussion. Although macro frameworks might not point directly to specific questions and hypotheses, they shape our research through influencing which kinds of questions we ask, which kinds of hypotheses we formulate, and which methods we find adequate and useful. We showcase how three selected theoretical frameworks might advance CCS scholarship in this way: (1) complexity theory, (2) theories of the public sphere, and (3) mediatization theory. Using online protest as an example, we discuss how the focus (and the blind spots) of our research designs shifts with each framework.
- ItemUnderstanding internet censorship in europe: The case of spain(Association for Computing Machinery, 2021) Ververis, Vasilis; Ermakova, Tatiana; Isaakidis, Marios; Basso, Simone; Fabian, Benjamin; Milan, Stefania
- ItemRonda. Real-Time Data Provision, Processing and Publication for Open Data(Springer International Publishing, 2021) Kirstein, Fabian; Bacher, Dario; Bohlen, Vincent; Schimmler, Sonja; Scholl, Hans Jochen; Gil-Garcia, J. Ramon; Janssen, Marijn; Kalampokis, Evangelos; Lindgren, Ida; Rodríguez Bolívar, Manuel PedroThe provision and dissemination of Open Data is a flourishing concept, which is highly recognized and established in the government and public administrations domains. Typically, the actual data is served as static file downloads, such as CSV or PDF, and the established software solutions for Open Data are mostly designed to manage this kind of data. However, the rising popularity of the Internet of things and smart devices in the public and private domain leads to an increase of available real-time data, like public transportation schedules, weather forecasts, or power grid data. Such timely and extensive data cannot be used to its full potential when published in a static, file-based fashion. Therefore, we designed and developed Ronda - an open source platform for gathering, processing and publishing real-time Open Data based on industry-proven and established big data and data processing tools. Our solution easily enables Open Data publishers to provide real-time interfaces for heterogeneous data sources, fostering more sophisticated and advanced Open Data use cases. We have evaluated our work through a practical application in a production environment.
- ItemWeizenbaum Panel: Politische Partizipation in Deutschland 2020, WP2-20 [Methodenbericht](Weizenbaum Institute, 2021) Weizenbaum PanelDer hier zum Download bereitstehende Methodenbericht enthält zentrale Informationen zur zweiten Befragungswelle im Erhebungszeitraum von Anfang Oktober bis Anfang Dezember 2020.
- ItemWeizenbaum Panel: Digital Citizenship – Politische Kommunikation und Partizipation in Deutschland 2020, WP2-20 [Fragebogendokumentation](Weizenbaum Institute, 2021) Emmer, Martin; Schaetz, Nadja; Leißner, Laura; Porten-Cheé, Pablo; Strippel, ChristianDie hier zum Download bereitstehende Fragebogendokumentation enthält den Fragebogen, welcher in der zweiten Befragungswelle im Erhebungszeitraum von Anfang Oktober bis Anfang Dezember 2020 verwendet wurde. This questionnaire was used in the second survey wave from the beginning of October to the beginning of December 2020. --- **Erhebungsmodus:** Computerunterstützte telefonische Befragung (CATI) **Sprache der Befragung:** deutsch **Erhobene Konstrukte:** - – Internet- und Social-Media-Nutzung: Nutzungsmotive/-aktivitäten - – Nachrichtennutzung und politische Diskussionen - – Politisches Interesse, Political Efficacy und Politisches Vertrauen - – Demokratieverständnis und -zufriedenheit - – Wichtigstes politisches Thema - – Traditionelle und internetbezogene Bürgernormen - – Politische Orientierung und Parteimitgliedschaft - – Politische Partizipation und Partizipationsbereitschaft - – Reaktion auf Hasskommentare und Falschnachrichten im Internet (Online Civic Intervention) - – Soziodemographie
- ItemRiskante Retweets: „Predictive Risk Intelligence“ und Interessenvertretung in globalen Wertschöpfungsnetzwerken(2021) Heimstädt, Maximilian; Dobusch, Leonhard
- ItemDemocratic legitimacy in global platform governance(2021) Haggart, Blayne; Iglesias Keller, Clara
- ItemWeizenbaum Report 2021: Politische Partizipation in Deutschland(Weizenbaum Institute, 2021) Emmer, Martin; Leißner, Laura; Strippel, Christian; Porten-Cheé, Pablo; Schaetz, Nadja**Deutsch** Der Weizenbaum Report ist eine jährlich erscheinende Publikation zur politischen Partizipation in Deutschland. Er stellt Befunde der bevölkerungsrepräsentativen Befragung der Forschungseinheit Weizenbaum Panel vor, die seit 2019 durchgeführt wird. Im Zentrum steht die Untersuchung verschiedener Formen politischer Partizipation im Zeitverlauf und ihre Entwicklung unter Digitalisierungsbedingungen. Die zweite Welle aus dem Jahr 2020 legte einen Schwerpunkt auf demokratische Partizipationsformen und ihre gesellschaftliche Verteilungen im Lichte der COVID-19-Pandemie. Die Ergebnisse deuten eine insgesamt stabile demokratische Beteiligung während der Pandemie an, aber zeigen auch soziale Klüfte vor allem in der digitalen Partizipation auf.
- ItemMultidimensional Measurement of Mobile Media Use(Weizenbaum Institute, 2021) Toth, RolandJust like all types of media use, mobile media use is usually measured using retrospective, self-reported indications of quantity in the form of duration and frequency. This is not only problematic due to the fact that people misjudge their own use to a great extent, but also because theoretical approaches predominantly suggest that mere contact is not sufficient for the description of media use. This especially holds for mobile media use, as specific contact episodes are not easily distinguishable anymore due to their short duration and high frequency. Mobile media use is rather characterized by circumstances surrounding the contact itself - they are used for countless purposes, in a habitual manner, and in various situations. In this paper, I am proposing a renewed, multidimensional measure of mobile media use that takes into account these characteristics in addition to well-known measures of quantity and suggest methods for assessing its convergent and content validity.
- ItemData and Digital Platforms in Industry: Implication for enterprises strategies and governance(Weizenbaum Institute, 2021) Butollo, Florian; Schneidemesser, LeaThis article explores the position of industrial internet platforms (IIP) in manufacturing value chains. We develop an understanding of the role of data in global value chains (GVCs), referring to literature on intangible assets and theories on platform business models. We use data from a qualitative empirical study based on 45 interviews on platforms active on the German market to answer (1) whether there are tendencies of oligopolization that lead to an accumulation of power on the side of the platforms, and (2) whether it is the platforms that capture most of the gains derived from higher productivity or lower transaction costs. The analysis shows that platforms mainly act as service providers and/or intermediaries that support manufacturing companies in reaping benefits from data. While the relationship between platforms and manufacturers currently corresponds to a symbiosis, a stronger power imbalance could evolve in the future since processes of oligopolization are likely.