Pedro J. Pérez

Web data and methodologies to understand cultural and social phenomena

The research undertaken during this secondment is directly connected with the principal objective of the WP, that is, searching for new forms of knowledge. Indeed, the first objective of the secondment was to continue to learn about the semantic web in general, and social networks and Wikidata in particular. The recent growth and development of the semantic web, opens the possibility to obtain information and data about cultural events, agents etc., and this could open new ways and channels to research and document cultural phenomena. As the host institution, Arrupe Institute, is mainly focused on social phenomena and problems we wil focus on trying to understand what is the role of the new channels of information, as social networks, but also traditional media, in shaping the public vision and understanding of social phenomena like migration but also local phenomena like the impact of educational programs in Palermo.