Abstract
This project articulates a new methodology, Discursive Nodal Analysis (DNA) to explore and track the growth, spread, and interaction of conspiracy-oriented communities in digital spaces. By utilizing a combination of social network analysis (SNA), critical discourse analysis (CDA), and memetic rhetorical analysis (MRA), DNA empowers researchers to explore the unique rhetorical characteristics of online conspiracy theories that enable their evolution within digital environments while simultaneously tracking and analyzing their velocity and spread. Through an examination of discursive patterns, rhetorical strategies, and the mapping of communicative networks in digital communities, this methodology seeks to shed light on the dynamics of conspiracy communities in ways that might inform interventions to address their impact.
Recommended Citation
Davis, Carleigh, Ryan Cheek, Kathryn Dolan, and Rachel Schneider. "Mapping The DNA Of Conspiracy Theories: Analyzing Key Nodes Across Digital Geographies." Proceedings of the 41st International Conference on Design of Communication, SIGDOC 2023, Association for Computing Machinery, 2023, pp.258-260.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1145/3615335.3623061
Department(s)
English and Technical Communication
Keywords and Phrases
Conspiracy; discourse analysis; internet communities; memetic rhetorical analysis; social network analysis
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2023 Association for Computing Machinery, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
26 Oct 2023
