Interdisciplinary Perspectives: Bridging Sociological Studies in the Digital Age

Organised by DDH PhD students, this event aims to foster discussions and collaborations across various disciplines, specifically including Natural Language Processing (NLP), Social Sciences, and Social Media and Digital Methods in broader research in Digital Humanities.

In an era defined by unprecedented connectivity and vast digital datasets, the intersection of NLP, Social Sciences, and Social Media alongside Digital Methods sparks a profound dialogue, reshaping our understanding of human behaviour and societal dynamics within vast digital ecosystems. NLP emerges as a transformative force, equipping computers with the ability to comprehend, interpret, and generate human language, bridging the gap between digital data and human insights. This integration with Social Sciences fosters a multidisciplinary framework, enabling nuanced analyses of cultural phenomena, societal trends, and individual behaviours within digital realms. Concurrently, Social Media platforms emerge as dynamic arenas, offering real-time glimpses into human interactions, preferences, and sentiments, thus serving as invaluable sources for both NLP-driven research and social science inquiry. Through this interconnected dialogue, researchers navigate the complexities of the digital landscape, uncovering layers of meaning and driving innovation at the nexus of technology, social sciences, and digital methods.

For this conference, we invite submissions of abstracts in English focusing on the intersection of sociological studies and the digital age.

Abstracts should be tailored for presentations lasting 20 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes allotted for questions. We particularly welcome submissions in the following areas or any intersection between them:

• NLP
• Social Sciences
• Social Media and Digital Methods

We encourage submissions from researchers, scholars, practitioners, and postgraduate researchers who are exploring innovative approaches, methodologies, and findings within these domains.

The conference will feature keynote speakers for each of its main thematic areas: Andrea Nini (Manchester University) for Linguistics and NLP, Chiara Amini (UCL) for Social Sciences, and Tim Highfield (University of Sheffield) for Social Media and Digital Methods. They will offer insights into the latest advancements, challenges, and future directions within their respective fields, enriching the interdisciplinary dialogue and inspiring attendees to explore innovative avenues at the intersection of sociological studies and the digital age.

Submission Guidelines:

• Abstracts should not exceed 300 words in length.
• Abstracts should include the name of the author(s) and their affiliation(s).
• Abstracts should clearly outline the research objectives, methodology, and, possibly, anticipated contributions to the field.
• Abstracts must be submitted via email to andrea.farina@kcl.ac.uk by 1 May 2024.
• Please write “ABSTRACT Interdisciplinary Perspectives Conference” as the subject of your email.
• Please indicate the preferred topic area for your presentation (NLP, Social Sciences, Social Media and Digital Methods).
• Notification of acceptance: 10 May 2024.