When does big data become big hype? A critical reflection of computational methods for the humanities and social sciences

The computer scientists are coming, and it would seem that no branch of the academy can avoid their nerdy gaze. Be it algorithmic poetry, computational journalism, or the philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, at every turn there are computational methods and theoretical perspectives popping up. This burgeoning interest in the intersection of computer science with the humanities and social sciences is not without healthy scepticism, and for good reason given the unrealised expectations of Artificial Intelligence in the 1970s. In this talk I will explore recent developments in computer science and offer a pragmatic perspective on the utility of these technologies for humanities and social science research.

Dr Daniel Angus is a computational social scientist who specializes in the design, development and application of advanced computational methods for the study of communicative practices. Dr Angus is a co-inventor of the Discursis software technology which has been used to assist analyses of the dynamics of topical exchange in health, education, media, and political conversational contexts.