Exploring Data Science

Are data science and social media analytics synonyms or are they different concepts?

Social media analytics is a toolkit with many specialised devices. It’s also at the border of several domains of inquiry: statistics, sociology, psychology, and even linguistics. The best way to understand this domain and profession is to listen to someone who practices it. Natalie White, a professor of communication and a social media analyst, gives you a peek into her world as she shares her perspective on how social media analysts approach projects, balance theory and method, and provides some advice for those starting out.

• We often think of data analytics as a tool for business, but Natalie discussed using it in ways beyond the business world—environmental public relations and research into why people go online for information. If you’re starting a social media analytics project and had access to any type of data, what questions would you want to answer? What would your goals look like? Let us know.