WCU Webometrics Institute
Investigating Internet-based Politics with e-Research Tools

Background to WCU Project.

The World Class University Project is a program financed by the Korean government that invites international scholars with advanced research expertise to collaborate with Korean faculty members and establish new academic programs in key growth-generating fields. With a vision to enhance the competence of Korean universities, the WCU project seeks to improve the level of higher education in the country, thereby contributing to development of world-class research institutions in Korea.

The objective of the WCU Project Group at YeungNam University is to identify, track, and analyze the effectiveness of networked political campaigns across a range of Web 2.0 platforms in Korea (e.g., social network sites, YouTube, blogs, candidate and campaign Web sites, NGO and civil society Web sites). Recently developed software tools make it possible to examine how issues of public interest develop across time. The purpose of the project is to extend hyperlink and Web sphere analysis methods, adapting them to the Web 2.0 environment.

What is Webometrics?

Webometrics refers to quantitative approach for tracking and investigating the web-mediated diffusion of socio-political actors, issues, and objects, and impact of websites and online ideas. Its main methods derive from bibliometrics and social network analysis and include hyperlink analysis, web mention analysis, (micro) blog analysis, social media, and search engine evaluation from the perspective of Humanities and Social Sciences.

-The source of Oii - http://microsites.oii.ox.ac.uk/tidsr/kb/23/what-webometrics
(Mike Thelwall, 2009)
Webometrics

Type of WCU Project more detail

According to this project type, foreign scholars are recruited and employed as full-time faculty members in existing departments and academic programs at Korean universities, to conduct joint research with Korean academics. Recruited foreign scholars are expected to be capable of developing new growth engine technologies and also creating interdisciplinary studies.

The project works in two ways. First, foreign scholars can be recruited to Korean universities to conduct joint research with Korean counterparts and offer lectures in existing departments. Second, foreign scholars can be recruited to Korean universities or affiliated research institutes as professional research faculty to carry out joint research programs with Korean scholars.

The length of employment is a minimum of three years with flexibility allowed according to individual circumstances. Assistant professors and lower must be employed in a full-time position for a minimum of three years. Associate professors and higher must be employed likewise as a full-time faculty member for a minimum of three years during which they should sojourn in Korea for at least one academic semester per year (aside from vacation periods)

Project goal

Project Contents

Expected Project Outputs

1.The training and retention of Korean grad students and faculty.
2.The development of Korean focused politics 2.0 and e-science research methods and tools.
3.The development of data repository of Korean online politics.
4.Comparative studies of European, North American, and Korean elections on the Internet
5.Potential technological (software) spin-offs to Korean government and private sectors partners interested in analyzing social media metrics, visualizations, and data sets
6.More broadly, the establishment of Korea as world leader on Web 2.0 research in the political sphere.
7.Peer reviewed publications, and edited volume, and multiple authored scholarly book.
8.The establishment of other international research networks – through scholars invited to participate in our workshops.

Recruiting

WCU PR Material

Contact us

Address