‘Selfie Stories and Personal Data: Mixed Methods for the Analysis of Visual Narratives in Digital Culture (SELFIESTORIES)’

Elisenda Ardèvol Piera; Antoni Roig Telo; Begoña Exguix Grau and Pau Alsina González and Irma Vilà Ódena, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya; Matteo Ciastellardi, Internet Interdisciplinary Institute; Edgar Gómez Cruz, University of Leeds.

The main focus of the project is the conception of person, personal image and the issues surrounding such matters as access to personal data, the body, intimacy and privacy in the context of digital technologies, starting from a process of reflection and critical exploration of the contributions of the digital humanities. “Selfie Stories” examines the personal narratives generated by social network users, taking the selfie as its case study; the selfie being a modern-day exponent of modes of self-representation which has gained massive popularity, among women and young people especially.

To this end, we will develop a series of mixed methods combining quantitative and qualitative analysis that articulate a reflection on the possibilities and limitations of data analytics as a social research instrument. We will also enlarge the body of qualitative research on this subject, providing a frame of analysis using Big Data.

The results projected are of two kinds: on the one hand, we wish to make a methodological contribution (via mixed tools and methods) of use to future researchers and, on the other, to define and model the personal narratives of selfies, whose study in the personal and social context they arise in may shed light on social issues to do with the body, identity and our ability to express ourselves through stories.