The Centre for Social Sciences Institute for Sociology cordially invites you to

Jour Fixe 115. 

Ságvári Bence: Smart Social Science. Enriching surveys with smartphone-based sensor data

 

 

Lecturer: Bence Ságvári (CSS Centre for Sociology; CSS Recens) 

Date: 11 May, 2023, 1 p.m.

Venue: Centre for Social Sciences Institute for Sociology, 1097 Budapest, Tóth Kálmán utca 4. Room B1.15 

Online: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87470114941?pwd=MGFWQi9OcnNNZVdBYWdLb2RoV05Gdz09

Meeting ID: 874 7011 4941

Passcode: 126899

 

Abstract 

In recent years, personal scientific data collection has fallen into crisis all over the world. Empirical social research is confronted day by day with the fact that this method is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to implement. As a result, data collection that does not take place face to face is becoming more and more prominent. Also, research using “digital footprints” of human behaviour can replace or complement certain surveys. This data can come from a variety of sources: Website visits, social media activity, smartphone app use, and data on movement and other physical conditions from various sensors on devices. This type of data collection is not intrusive as it does not require constant user interaction, but it provides a high level of accuracy and detail about people’s digital lifestyles.

Within the framework of the National Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence (MILAB), the development of the Octopus Research Tools started in autumn 2021 at the Social Science Research Centre with the participation of social scientists and computer scientists. The aim of the Octopus project is to combine these two research methodologies, i.e. sensor and device usage log-based digital behaviour data collection and surveys capable of displaying various multimedia content (audio, images, video), in a complex smartphone-based software ecosystem. We also plan to use artificial intelligence to support both data collection and data analysis. Our overall aim is to create an internationally innovative research tool for the scientific communities worldwide for the investigation of a wide range of societal issues and problems, and for modelling and predicting human behaviour.

The aim of our jour fixe presentation is to showcase Octopus, to discuss innovative directions for future research methods with participants, and to build a community of interested researchers who could be the first users of Octopus inside CSS (TK) in the coming years