Analysis of Digital Audiences
Code: 104996 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism | OT | 3 |
| Journalism | OT | 4 |
Contact
- Name:
- Maria Victoria Mas
- Email:
- maria.victoria@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
Students need to have a minimal knowledge on the use of social networks and digital media. Part of the bibliography is in English so a good level of reading in this language is also required.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The main objective of the Analysis of Digital Audiences course is for students to obtain basic knowledge about the behavior and activity of digital audiences in the field of journalism and communication, an essential aspect from a professional point of view.
The specific objectives are:
- Explore the context and the factors that condition the activity and analysis of audiences in the field of journalism and digital media.
- Develop critical capacity to interpret and evaluate audience data in the digital context.
- Acquire the techniques and specific knowledge necessary for audience analysis using different methodologies and perspectives.
Competences
- Journalism
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Adequately present the findings of the research process in oral, print, audiovisual or digital media forms, in accordance with the canons of journalism.
- Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
- Demonstrate a self-learning and self-demanding capacity to ensure an efficient job.
- Demonstrate adequate knowledge of the modern world and its recent historic development in terms of social, economic, political and cultural aspects.
- Differentiate the discipline's main theories, its fields, conceptual developments, theoretical frameworks and approaches that underpin knowledge of the subject and its different areas and sub-areas, and acquire systematic knowledge of the media's structure.
- Introduce changes in the methods and processes of the field of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and demands of society.
- Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply knowledge of the research context.
- Apply scientific research methods to the design of journalistic projects.
- Apply survey analysis and qualitative research techniques.
- Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
- Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
- Demonstrate a self-learning and self-demanding capacity to ensure an efficient job.
- Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
- Propose new ways to measure the success or failure of the implementation of innovative proposals or ideas.
- Propose projects and actions that are in accordance with the principles of ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and obligations, diversity and democratic values.
- Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Weigh up the risks and opportunities of both one's own and other people's proposals for improvement.
Content
- The concept of audience
- Basic theoretical concepts
- From active audiences to social and participatory audiences
- Basics for Digital Audience Analysis
- Relationship of the media with the digital audience
- Digital journalism and social media
- Social television and streaming
- Digital audience interaction
- Digital communities
- Networks and collective actions
- Digital metrics
- Web Analytics
- Social Network Analysis and Social Listening
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Group project work | 18.5 | 0.74 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 5, 9, 13, 12, 10, 11 |
| Seminars | 18 | 0.72 | 4, 5, 14, 8, 9, 12, 10, 11 |
| Theoretical classes | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 10 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorials | 7.5 | 0.3 | 2, 3, 7, 11 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Personal study, project preparation and seminar-related activities | 82.5 | 3.3 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 5, 7, 14, 8, 9, 13, 12, 10, 11 |
The methodology of this course includes theoretical classes, analysis exercises and debates in the seminars and a practical part where the final group project will be developed which consists of the analysis and research of a current digital audience trend chosen by the stuents.
The calendar will be available on the first day of class. Students will find all information on the Virtual Campus: the description of the activities, teaching materials, and any necessary information for the proper follow-up of the subject.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group project | 40% | 3.5 | 0.14 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 5, 9, 13, 12, 10, 11 |
| Seminars | 30% | 3 | 0.12 | 4, 5, 7, 14, 8, 9, 12, 10, 11 |
| Theoretical test | 30% | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 3, 6, 7, 14, 12, 10 |
The evaluation consists of three different activities:
- Theoretical exam, 30% of the final grade
- Seminars, 30% of the final grade.
- Group project, 40% of the final grade
It is necessary to obtain a minimum grade of 5 in the three activities to pass the subject.
This course/module does not provide for a single-assessment system.
Students will be entitled to reassessment in the course if they have been evaluated on a set of activities accounting for at least two-thirds of the total course grade. Seminars (30% of the final grade) are excluded from the revaluation process. The retake will consist of an exam, which will be averaged with the seminar grade obtained during the first call.
In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted as an integral part of assignment development, provided that the final outcome demonstrates a significant contribution from the student in terms of analysis and personal reflection. Students must clearly identify any content generated using AI, specify the tools employed, and include a critical reflection on how these technologies have influenced both the process and the final result of the assignment. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty to the assignment grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
In the event that the student performs any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation of an evaluation act, this evaluation act will be graded with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that could be instructed. In the event, that several irregularities occur in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.
Bibliography
Cardon, Dominique. (2018). Con qué sueñan los algoritmos: nuestros sueños en el tiempo de los big data. Madrid: Dado ediciones.
Craig, Jonathan (2017). Reinventing audience studies. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 34(1), 79-83. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295036.2016.1266680
González Neira, Ana & Quintas Froufe, Natalia (coords.) (2021). Los Estudios de la audiencia: de la tradición a la innovación. Barcelona: Gedisa Editorial.
Huertas Bailén, Amparo (2015). Yo soy audiencia : ciudadanía, público y mercado. Barcelona: Editorial UOC.
López García, Guillermo (2015). Periodismo digital : redes, audiencias y modelos de negocio. Salamanca: Comunicación Social.
Neira, Elena (2015). La otra pantalla. Redes sociales, móviles y la nueva televisión. Barcelona: Editorial UOC.
Perlado Lamo de Espinosa, Marta; Papí Gálvez, Natalia and Bergaz Portolés, María (coord) (2023). Audiencias y medios digitales: más allá del dato. Valencia: Tirant humanidades.
Quintas Froufe, Natalia & González Neira, Ana (2021). Evolución de la medición digital de la audiencia en el mercado español: estado de la cuestión y retos de futuro. Profesional de la información, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2021.ene.02
Zeller, Frauke; Ponte, Cristina & O’Neill, Brian (eds.) (2017). Revitalising Audience Research: Innovations in European Audience Research. New York: Routledge.
Complementary bibliography for each topic will be provided during the course.
Relevant data sources:
Comscore https://www.comscore.com/esl/Productos/Audiencia-digital
Estudio General de Medios (EGM) realizado por la Asociación para la Investigación de Medios de Comunicación(AIMC) https://reporting.aimc.es/index.html#/main/cockpit
Informe Redes Sociales IAB Spain https://iabspain.es/estudio/estudio-de-redes-sociales-2024/
“Navegantes en la red” realizado por la Asociación para la Investigación de Medios de Comunicación (AIMC) https://www.aimc.es/otros-estudios-trabajos/navegantes-la-red/
OJD Interactiva https://www.ojdinteractiva.es/
Twitch Traker https://twitchtracker.com/
Software
The software and tools we will use during the course will be the following:
- Google Analytics
- Table
- Genially, Canva or other tools to generate infographics and visual elements
- Text and spreadsheets programs
All softaware used will be open source or with free student accounts.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PLAB) Practical laboratories | 11 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PLAB) Practical laboratories | 12 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 11 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 12 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |