Computer Vision and Unstructured Data Analysis for Social Science Research
Introduction
In today’s digital age, vast amounts of data are being generated in the form of text, sound, image, and video. Unstructured data, in particular, holds tremendous potential for social science research, as it can reveal insights that would be difficult or impossible to obtain through traditional methods. However, working with unstructured data requires specialized skills and techniques, which many social scientists may not possess.
This course, Unstructured Data Analysis for Social Science Research, is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively analyze unstructured data. Throughout the 15-week course, students will learn how to collect, preprocess, and analyze text, sound, image, and video data, and how to integrate different forms of unstructured data to gain deeper insights. They will also explore ethical considerations related to using unstructured data and best practices for presenting findings.
By the end of this course, students will have a deep understanding of the potential of unstructured data in social science research and the skills needed to analyze it. They will be able to apply their knowledge to real-world problems, and they will have a portfolio of projects demonstrating their ability to work with unstructured data. The course is suitable for graduate students and researchers in social sciences who want to expand their research methods and explore new avenues for analysis, as well as professionals who work with data in a social science context.
Syllabus
Week 1: Introduction to unstructured data analysis in social science research
Overview of unstructured data and its relevance in social science research
Understanding the different forms of unstructured data
Ethical considerations in using unstructured data
Week 2: Introduction to text data analysis
Collecting and preprocessing text data
Text mining techniques for exploratory analysis
Sentiment analysis and topic modeling
Week 3: Advanced text data analysis
Named entity recognition and extraction
Text classification and clustering
Deep learning for text analysis
Week 4: Introduction to sound data analysis
Collecting and preprocessing sound data
Sound visualization and analysis
Feature extraction techniques
Week 5: Advanced sound data analysis
Music information retrieval
Speech recognition and sentiment analysis
Deep learning for sound analysis
Week 6: Introduction to image data analysis
Collecting and preprocessing image data
Image visualization and analysis
Feature extraction techniques
Week 7: Advanced image data analysis
Object detection and recognition
Image classification and clustering
Deep learning for image analysis
Week 8: Introduction to video data analysis
Collecting and preprocessing video data
Video visualization and analysis
Feature extraction techniques
Week 9: Advanced video data analysis
Action recognition and detection
Video classification and clustering
Deep learning for video analysis
Week 10: Data integration and fusion
Combining different forms of unstructured data
Fusion techniques for unstructured data analysis
Case studies on integrated data analysis
Week 11: Social media data analysis
Collecting and preprocessing social media data
Sentiment analysis and opinion mining
Network analysis and visualization
Week 12: Web data analysis
Web scraping and preprocessing
Web content analysis and classification
Web usage and access analysis
Week 13: Geospatial data analysis
Geospatial data collection and preprocessing
Geospatial data visualization and analysis
Geospatial data fusion with other unstructured data
Week 14: Visualization and presentation of unstructured data analysis
Visualization techniques for unstructured data
Storytelling with unstructured data
Best practices for presenting unstructured data analysis
Week 15: Project presentation and feedback
Students present their project work and receive feedback from the instructor and peers
Wrap-up and future directions in unstructured data analysis for social science research