Discard Culture

Resources for mapping controversies

Below is a non-exhaustive list of recipes and tools for mapping controversies. Don't be seduced by this list. You can do a lot with run-of-the-mill software (e.g., word processing, spreadsheet, drawing, presentation applications). None of these on their own is sufficient to complete the assignment. However, learning to creatively work with and connect their capabilities and their outputs will help you build your controversy map. Whatever you use and how ever you use it, do so in a manner that adds substance to your controversy map. Avoid flashy window dressing that elevates appearance over substance.

 

Recipes

You will use Scalar (see below) to assemble your final controversy map, but just as there is no single way to cook a meal, there is no single way to best assemble a controversy map using Scalar. When well done, both a good meal and a good controversy map are satisfying. But satisfying for whom and under what conditions? To assemble a good controversy map, it is helpful to imagine the diversity of audiences who might want to read your map. 

Some other 'recipe books' that you may find helpful and inspiring include:

Kitchen tools

Making a meal requires the right implements. Just like in the kitchen, different tools can do different things. Figuring out how to creatively work with the limits and possibilities of different tools on their own and in combination is part of the art of cooking. It is also part of the art of controversy mapping. The list of tools below is not exhaustive. They can be used on their own and many can be combined in useful ways.

Data Journalism

This is a site devoted to collecting analytical tools for journalists interested in telling stories with and about data. Many of the tools can be used for and/or adapted to controversy mapping.

D3 Data Visualization Templates on GitHub

This is a collection of data visualization templates. Note that to use these you will need to have at least some comfort with coding. Scalar allows code and script to be embedded directly into Scalar pages using the "Source" option on the page editing menu.
 

Google News Lab

This is Google's own resource page for data journalism. Many tools and techniques gathered here can be used and adapted for controversy mapping.

Google Search Operators

Google has many advanced search functions that can help you find and generate data for your controversy map. You can find a listing of the specific operators and what they do on Google's "Punctuation, symbols & operators in search". Note in particular the "link:" operator.

Google Trends

Google Trends can help you get a sense of your controversy of choice as it is forming an issue online. Be careful to remember Venturini's warnings about online research, though. Also, be aware of how Google Trends' default settings can effect your search results. For example, Google Trends defaults to the country of your IP address (e.g., Canada), but your controversy may look different if you try different geographies.

IssueCrawler

IssueCrawler is a useful tool for figuring out how a controversy or issue is networked (or not) on the web. A good introduction to the tool is available on the Issue Mapping teaching wiki in the Recipe tab under the topic of "locating issue networks".

NaviCrawler

NaviCrawler is an older, but useful tool for collecting weblinks from a site and exporting them in a form that can be used in network analysis software like Gephi.

Networks

Gephi is an open source software for generating network visualizations of various kinds. It has many applications. One of its useful applications is for visualizing how scholarly literature is organized. It can also be used to analyze and display online issue networks (i.e., output from IssueCrawler). Gephi is a class of software devoted to network analysis. Many other examples of such software can be found at TAPoR and Data Journalism (e.g., Lynks, Kumu, VIS).

ScienceScape

ScienceScape is a suite of tools for bibliometric analysis. The tools can help you visualize how the scientific and technical literature is arranged and has shifted over time. ScienceScape tools require the use of data output from Scopus and Web of Science. The outputs from ScienceScape can be used on their own and in combination with Gephi.

Scalar

Scalar is a platform for online scholarly publishing. It is the main platform you will use to assemble and display your controversy map. The Guide for  Scalar is very straightforward. Pay particular attention to Sections 3 through 5 on working with media, content, and structure.

Story Map

Story Map is a free online mapping software from ArcGIS. It is very easy to use and integrates well with Scalar. Story Maps take a very broad definition of maps. Check out the gallery of examples for inspiration on how you might be able to use it in your own controversy mapping project. 

Tableau Public

Tableau Public is free version of an advanced, but easy to use data visualization  platform. Tableau is potentially useful for several components of your  controversy map, especially when you are looking to use your data for generating charts, graphs, and maps of various kinds.

TAPoR 2

TAPoR is a collection of analysis tools. Useful for finding appropriate tools for generating visualizations of large corpora of textual information.

Timeline JS3

Timeline is a very straightforward tool for creating animated timelines that can be embedded in Scalar pages.
 

Voyant

Voyant is a free, scholarly analysis tool for visualizing bodies of text. Voyant can be used on its own, but is also accompanied by a book making a case for digitally assisted research in the humanities.


VOSviewer

VOSviewer is a free tool developed by scholars in the Centre for Science and Technology Studies at Leiden University. It is useful for visualizing scientific and technical literature. It also is helpful for text analysis.
 

Zotero

Zotero is a free software for collecting and citing research. It makes bibliographies easy and is an excellent resource for organizing a document repository for research.

 

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