Giovanni Schiazza, MSc
Hello Meme Scholars, Experts, Makers and Connoisseurs
Do you want to participate and inform the next steps of Internet Meme research?
IF YES, then fill out my survey to sign up!
My PhD Research
My PhD Research revolves around developing a Proof of Concept (PoC) for a responsible researcher's tool for the analysis of Internet Memes (IMs): Meta-Meme (M-M). Meta-Meme is a researcher's tool that supports the analysis of IMs, created in co-production with and by, Internet Meme researchers and experts.
Internet Memes are socially-constructed digital phenomena composed of complex overlapping referential systems. As IMs are socially dependent artefacts, one researcher cannot simply characterise IMs in isolation. Adding to the complexity, studying IMs is best done in inter/multi-disciplinary approaches, where each researcher conceptualises and analyses IMs differently. This multidisciplinary scholarship is exciting and diverse but makes comparing papers and samples difficult. To resolve this issue, the PhD suggest an IM analysis tool might be needed.
As the scholarship of IMs is highly diverse in approaches and disciplines, it is essential that multidisciplinary researchers, experts and meme makers participate in the creation of M-M by providing their opinions, issues, views and critique on Internet Memes and the tool itself, Meta-Meme.
Using a Responsible Research and Innovation approach, I am inviting meme stakeholders (experts, makers and researchers) to a series of workshops or interviews to co-produce the building blocks of M-M by discussing: what memes are, how we could operationalise them, what the tool's features and outputs should be, and evaluate a prototype of the tool.
By including the primary stakeholders in the creation and development process we ensure that the tool answers the needs and wants of IM researchers, and how we can support their multidisciplinary and multimethod study of Internet Memes.
In the below sections you can see the workshop topics, timeline and sign up though a survey (opens a new window on Qualtrics)
Please help us understand and shape the next steps in studying Internet Memes!
Meta-Meme is a tool of the meme researcher, for the meme researcher and created by meme researchers.
As a token of appreciation, we are offering £25 vouchers for completing a 2-hour workshop and £10 for one-hour interviews.
If you wish, your contribution will also be recognised in the following works as either anonymous or named author or contributor of co-production efforts.
Want to participate?
Workshop Topics and Timeline
R1.
Internet Memes
What is an Internet Meme and its characteristics?
What makes a meme?
What characteristics?
What frameworks?
17th May 2024
31st May 2024
R2. Featurisation/ output selection
How can we operationalise new conceptualisations of Internet Memes?
What features should M-M have?
How can we operationalise IMs?
What outputs should M-M produce?
14th June 2024
26th June 2024
R3. Computational Social Science
How can we use machine learning techniques to analyse IMs?
What ML should be employed here?
How can we build a system for M-M?
How can we operationalise the human notions of IMs?
12th July 2024
26th July 2024
R4. Feedback and evaluation
What would Meta-Meme look like?
Showcase, feedback & evaluation M-M prototype
How can we improve M-M?
What should future versions include?
23rd August 2024
30th August 2024
RI.
Interviews
Interviews are available to discuss the various topics in more depth with the interviewee.
Choose a topic (or more than one) of the workshop and discuss it in a one-hour one-to-one interview!
Available throughout 2024