Il ciclo della ricerca sociale digitale: continuità e riconfigurazioni metodologiche
Abstract
Questo contributo esplora alcune caratteristiche del ciclo della ricerca empirica nei con-testi digitali, evidenziando come le condizioni introdotte dalle piattaforme e dalla disponibi-lità di dati tendano a destrutturare la sequenzialità tradizionale delle sue fasi. Il percorso della ricerca sociale negli spazi digitali si configura così come un processo dinamico e non lineare, in cui le diverse attività risultano intrecciate e potenzialmente reversibili. L’articolo analizza le implicazioni di questi cambiamenti, soffermandosi sulla co-evoluzione delle domande di ricerca, sul ruolo attivo dei dati nella definizione degli obiettivi cognitivi, sulla simultaneità di momenti tradizionalmente distinti e su come le infrastrutture digitali ridefiniscano le dina-miche e le interazioni tra le fasi del ciclo della ricerca.
This contribution explores certain features of the empirical research cycle in digital con-texts, highlighting how the conditions introduced by platforms and the availability of data tend to disrupt the traditional sequentiality of its phases. As a result, the trajectory of social research in digital environments emerges as a dynamic and non-linear process, in which dif-ferent activities are intertwined and potentially reversible. The article examines the implica-tions of these transformations, focusing on the co-evolution of research questions, the active role of data in shaping cognitive objectives, the simultaneity of traditionally distinct mo-ments, and the ways in which digital infrastructures redefine the dynamics and interactions among the phases of the research cycle.
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