Crowded Theory: European social scientists observe and analyse diversity in Amsterdam collectively

4 September 2014

For 2 days social scientists from Europe and elsewhere walked the streets of Amsterdam to observe diversity. The result was an immense amount of qualitative data that was analysed collectively with software developed by UvA researchers. This unique experiment proved that joint data gathering and online collaborative interpretation of qualitative data are feasible. The first results of the experiment also questions the accepted belief that Amsterdam is a hyper-diverse city.

About the Crowded Theory software tool

The participants in the experiment took notes and pictures of pedestrians, shops and restaurants, traffic, leisure activities and other objects to find out how and if diversity is visible. Next, they uploaded the documents and analysed them in a web tool called Crowded Theory. The tool starts with individual interpretations and enables participants to work towards shared interpretations. 

The current prototype combines existing software and is easy to use. In the next phase, UvA researchers will further develop the tool for teaching purposes. They hope to turn a MOOC – Massive Open Online Course – into MOOR: Massive Open Online Research. 

Online collaborative interpretation

Online collaborative interpretation will open up new opportunities for qualitative social science. It will enable researchers to gather more data and analyse them faster. More importantly, it will help to improve the quality of the analysis. Instead of hundreds of researchers all interpreting their own data, data and interpretations can be shared directly.  

The idea is to use the power of online tools to enhance collaboration, validate interpretations and co-author conclusions in qualitative research. Inspired by Wikipedia, digital humanities, crowd sourcing and MOOCs, Crowded Theory uses human intelligence as opposed to algorithms to solve problems.    

Background of this experiment

The experiment was part of the European Sociological Association’s  #ethnography conference, which was held from 28 to 29 August 2014 and was hosted by the UvA’s Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research. 

The experiment builds on an honours course in sociology, developed by Christian Bröer. The Crowded Theory team involves staff from sociology and psychology, from ICT support and from the University Library alongside students and freelancers.

If you wish to participate or have any questions,  please send an email to Christian Bröer.

Published by  AISSR