The invention of the World Wide Web, especially the Web 2.0, originally led some sociologists to believe that this tool would have favoured the creation of a ＂collective intelligence＂ able to spread and increase the...The invention of the World Wide Web, especially the Web 2.0, originally led some sociologists to believe that this tool would have favoured the creation of a ＂collective intelligence＂ able to spread and increase the level of democracy in the society. Nowadays, as a matter of fact, Information and Communications Technologies （ICTs） continue excluding part of the population and contribute to a top-down organisation of the main streams of information neutralising active potentialities and risking, paradoxically, to isolate users who are not aware of the mechanisms of the lnternet. The ＂doxic＂ acceptance of web contents, structures, and tools indeed precludes some kinds of knowledge and some different models of participation, with significant consequences on the social construction of reality. As a result, a tendency emerges towards a virtual-only participation and the click-tivism seems more and more to be turning into a form of slack-tivism.展开更多
This paper explores how artificial intelligence(AI)can support social researchers in utilizing web-mediated documents for research purposes.It extends traditional documentary analysis to include digital artifacts such...This paper explores how artificial intelligence(AI)can support social researchers in utilizing web-mediated documents for research purposes.It extends traditional documentary analysis to include digital artifacts such as blogs,forums,emails and online archives.The discussion highlights the role of AI in different stages of the research process,including question generation,sample and design definition,ethical considerations,data analysis,and results dissemination,emphasizing how AI can automate complex tasks and enhance research design.The paper also reports on practical experiences using AI tools,specifically ChatGPT-4,in conducting web-mediated documentary analysis and shares some ideas for the integration of AI in social research.展开更多
Higher education institutions(HEIs)attach great importance to the building of their brands,which can serve as their unique signs in the world education market.The increasing marketization has propelled contemporary un...Higher education institutions(HEIs)attach great importance to the building of their brands,which can serve as their unique signs in the world education market.The increasing marketization has propelled contemporary universities to utilize web-mediated communication as an effective venue for branding practice.This study examines how an elite university in China,namely Tsinghua University,represents and brands itself through its web discourse.The hypertextual and multimodal resources presented on the university’s About webpage were compiled and analyzed by drawing upon a hypermodal approach.It finds that multimodal resources of various types on the About webpage are hypertextually interconnected to construct a prestigious university brand in a reader-friendly format.This study contributes to existing research by extending the multimodal focus to hypertextual discourse.Furthermore,the findings could help practitioners design university webpages that effectively communicate a unique brand identity to engage audiences.展开更多
文摘The invention of the World Wide Web, especially the Web 2.0, originally led some sociologists to believe that this tool would have favoured the creation of a ＂collective intelligence＂ able to spread and increase the level of democracy in the society. Nowadays, as a matter of fact, Information and Communications Technologies （ICTs） continue excluding part of the population and contribute to a top-down organisation of the main streams of information neutralising active potentialities and risking, paradoxically, to isolate users who are not aware of the mechanisms of the lnternet. The ＂doxic＂ acceptance of web contents, structures, and tools indeed precludes some kinds of knowledge and some different models of participation, with significant consequences on the social construction of reality. As a result, a tendency emerges towards a virtual-only participation and the click-tivism seems more and more to be turning into a form of slack-tivism.
文摘This paper explores how artificial intelligence(AI)can support social researchers in utilizing web-mediated documents for research purposes.It extends traditional documentary analysis to include digital artifacts such as blogs,forums,emails and online archives.The discussion highlights the role of AI in different stages of the research process,including question generation,sample and design definition,ethical considerations,data analysis,and results dissemination,emphasizing how AI can automate complex tasks and enhance research design.The paper also reports on practical experiences using AI tools,specifically ChatGPT-4,in conducting web-mediated documentary analysis and shares some ideas for the integration of AI in social research.
基金funded by the 2023 Teaching Reform Project of Soochow University“Building an Innovative Curriculum for English Majors by Emphasizing International Communication and Moral Integrity”.
文摘Higher education institutions(HEIs)attach great importance to the building of their brands,which can serve as their unique signs in the world education market.The increasing marketization has propelled contemporary universities to utilize web-mediated communication as an effective venue for branding practice.This study examines how an elite university in China,namely Tsinghua University,represents and brands itself through its web discourse.The hypertextual and multimodal resources presented on the university’s About webpage were compiled and analyzed by drawing upon a hypermodal approach.It finds that multimodal resources of various types on the About webpage are hypertextually interconnected to construct a prestigious university brand in a reader-friendly format.This study contributes to existing research by extending the multimodal focus to hypertextual discourse.Furthermore,the findings could help practitioners design university webpages that effectively communicate a unique brand identity to engage audiences.
