Forschungsschwerpunkte

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https://www.weizenbaum-library.de/handle/id/304

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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A Decentralized Provenance Network for Linked Open Data
(2019) Kirstein, Fabian; Qiao, Miao; Dragoni, Mauro
With 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.
Beyond Filter Bubbles and Echo Chambers: The Integrative Potential of the Internet
(ifpuk - Institute for Media and Communication Studies at FU Berlin, 2019) Mahrt, Merja
Are 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.
Algorithmen als Rationalitätsmythos
(FernUniversität in Hagen, 2020) Keiner, Alexandra; Leineweber, Christian; de Witt, Claudia
Algorithmen 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.
Quantification 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.
Weizenbaum 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.
Dynamics of opinion expression
(2020) Gaisbauer, Felix; Olbrich, Eckehard; Banisch, Sven
Modeling 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.
Weizenbaum 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, Christian
Die 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
Weizenbaum Panel: Politische Partizipation in Deutschland 2019, WP1-19 [Methodenbericht]
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Weizenbaum Panel
Der hier zum Download bereitstehende Methodenbericht enthält zentrale Informationen zur ersten Befragungswelle im Erhebungszeitraum von Anfang September bis Ende November 2019.
Why 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.
Toward 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, Christian
Computational 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.
Ronda. 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 Pedro
The 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.
Weizenbaum 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.
Twitter Explorer: A Framework for Observing Twitter through Interactive Networks
(2021) Pournaki, Armin; Gaisbauer, Felix; Banisch, Sven; Olbrich, Eckehard
We present an open-source interface for scientists to explore Twitter data through interactive network visualizations. Combining data collection, transformation and visualization in one easily accessible framework, the twitter explorer connects distant and close reading of Twitter data through the interactive exploration of interaction networks and semantic networks. By lowering the technological barriers of data-driven research, it aims to attract researchers from various disciplinary backgrounds and facilitates new perspectives in the thriving field of computational social science.
Ideological differences in engagement in public debate on Twitter
(2021) Gaisbauer, Felix; Pournaki, Armin; Banisch, Sven; Olbrich, Eckehard; Guidi, Barbara
This article analyses public debate on Twitter via network representations of retweets and replies. We argue that tweets observable on Twitter have both a direct and mediated effect on the perception of public opinion. Through the interplay of the two networks, it is possible to identify potentially misleading representations of public opinion on the platform. The method is employed to observe public debate about two events: The Saxon state elections and violent riots in the city of Leipzig in 2019. We show that in both cases, (i) different opinion groups exhibit different propensities to get involved in debate, and therefore have unequal impact on public opinion. Users retweeting far-right parties and politicians are significantly more active, hence their positions are disproportionately visible. (ii) Said users act significantly more confrontational in the sense that they reply mostly to users from different groups, while the contrary is not the case.
Don’t Shoot the Message: Regulating Disinformation Beyond Content
(2021) Iglesias Keller, Clara
This paper approaches regulatory strategies against disinformation with two main goals: (i) exploring the policies recently implemented in different legal contexts to provide insight into both the risks they pose to free speech and their potential to address the rationales that motivated them, and (ii) to do so by bridging policy debates and recent social and communications studies findings on disinformation. An interdisciplinary theoretical framework informs both the paper’s scope (anchored on understandings of regulatory strategies and of disinformation) and the analysis of the legitimate motivations for states to establish statutory regulation that aims at disinformation. Departing from this analysis, I suggest an organisation of recently implemented and proposed policies into three groups based on their regulatory target: content, data, and structure. Combining the analysis of these three types of policies with the theoretical framework, I will argue that, in the realm of statutory regulation that aims at disinformation. Departing from this analysis, I suggest an organisation of recently implemented and proposed policies into three groups based on their regulatory target: content, data, and structure. Combining the analysis of these three types of policies with the theoretical framework, I will argue that, in the realm of statutory regulation, state action is better off targeted at data or structure, as aiming at content represents disproportional risks to freedom of expression. Furthermore, content targeted regulation shows little potential to address the structural transformations on the public sphere of communications that, among other factors, influence current practices of production and spread of disinformation.
Riskante Retweets: „Predictive Risk Intelligence“ und Interessenvertretung in globalen Wertschöpfungsnetzwerken
(2021) Heimstädt, Maximilian; Dobusch, Leonhard
Soziale Medien spielen eine paradoxe Rolle für Interessenvertretung in globalen Wertschöpfungsnetzwerken. Zum einen bieten Social-Media-Plattformen Arbeitnehmer*innen und Gewerkschaften die Möglichkeit der Mobilisierung über geografische und institutionelle Distanzen hinweg. Zum anderen lassen diese Plattformen aber auch zu, dass Dritte die digitalen Spuren dieser Kommunikation über Interessenvertretung (z. B. Tweets) extrahieren und verarbeiten. Ziel dieses Beitrages ist es, eine Form dieser Verarbeitung – „Predictive Risk Intelligence“ – als neuen Forschungsgegenstand einzuführen. Anbieter von Predictive Risk Intelligence erstellen, basierend auf Social-Media-Daten, Vorhersagen über Ereignisse wie Streiks und Proteste. Diese Vorhersagen stellen sie anderen Akteuren – beispielsweise Unternehmen – als Dienstleistung zur Verfügung. In diesem Beitrag nähern wir uns dem neuen Forschungsgegenstand über eine Fallstudie zu einem Anbieter dieser Dienstleistung. Ausgehend von der Fallstudie entwickeln wir eine Reihe an Forschungsfragen in Bezug auf etablierte und neue Akteure der Interessenvertretung in Wertschöpfungsnetz- werken. Abschließend diskutieren wir Lösungsansätze für methodische Herausforderungen des neuen Forschungsgegenstandes.
Somebody's Watching Me: Smartphone Use Tracking and Reactivity
(2021) Toth, Roland; Trifonova, Tatiana
Like all media use, smartphone use is mostly being measured retrospectively with self-reports. This leads to misjudgments due to subjective aggregations and interpretations that are necessary for providing answers. Tracking is regarded as the most advanced, unbiased, and precise method for observing smartphone use and therefore employed as an alternative. However, it remains unclear whether people possibly alter their behavior because they know that they are being observed, which is called reactivity. In this study, we investigate first, whether smartphone and app use duration and frequency are affected by tracking; second, whether effects vary between app types; and third, how long effects persist. We developed an Android tracking app and conducted an anonymous quasi-experiment with smartphone use data from 25 people over a time span of two weeks. The app gathered not only data that were produced after, but also prior to its installation by accessing an internal log file on the device. The results showed that there was a decline in the average duration of app use sessions within the first seven days of tracking. Instant messaging and social media app use duration show similar patterns. We found no changes in the average frequency of smartphone and app use sessions per day. Overall, reactivity effects due to smartphone use tracking are rather weak, which speaks for the method's validity. We advise future researchers to employ a larger sample and control for external influencing factors so reactivity effects can be identified more reliably.
Multidimensional Measurement of Mobile Media Use
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2021) Toth, Roland
Just 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.
Data and Digital Platforms in Industry: Implication for enterprises strategies and governance
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2021) Butollo, Florian; Schneidemesser, Lea
This 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.
Understanding 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
European Union (EU) member states consider themselves bulwarks of democracy and freedom of speech. However, there is a lack of empirical studies assessing possible violations of these principles in the EU through Internet censorship. This work starts addressing this research gap by investigating Internet censorship in Spain over 2016-2020, including the controversial 2017 Catalan independence referendum. We focus, in particular, on network interference disrupting the regular operation of Internet services or contents. We analyzed the data collected by the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) network measurement tool. The measurements targeted civil rights defending websites, secure communication tools, extremist political content, and information portals for the Catalan referendum. Our analysis indicates the existence of advanced network interference techniques that grow in sophistication over time. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) initially introduced information controls for a clearly defined legal scope (i.e., copyright infringement). Our research observed that such information controls had been rpurposed (e.g., to target websites supporting the referendum). We present evidence of network interference from all the major ISPs in Spain, serving 91% of mobile and 98% of broadband users and several governmental and law enforcement authorities. In these measurements, we detected 16 unique blockpages, 2 Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) vendors, and 78 blocked websites. We also contribute an enhanced domain testing methodology to detect certain kinds of Transport Layer Security (TLS) blocking that OONI could not initially detect. In light of our experience analyzing this dataset, we also make suggestions on improving the collection of evidence of network interference.

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