The digitization of communications technology has led to an intense interaction between human and digital-based technology. A large number of digital data traces produced by humans as a result of that activity. Such data is commonly referred to Big Data. The availability of Big Data as a digital data source in turn, opens opportunities for communication scientists to be able to use that data to get the patterns and trends of human activities that have been done through social research. It is necessary to understand the basic concept of the Big Data, using appropriate tools and adequate access to the data, and appropriate research method in order to be able to conduct research by using such digital data. This paper aims to describe the potential of Big Data for the purposes of communication research, the use of appropriate tools, techniques and methods and to identify potential research directions in the digital realm. Some limitations and critical issues related to the research validity, population and sample, as well as ethics in digital media research method were also discussed.

This study investigates the main and interaction effects of valence and reviewers' expertise on behavioral intentions within the context of a hotel on Tripadvisor.com. A 2 (positive vs negative review valence) x 2 (high number vs low number of reviews) factorial design experiment was conducted to assess relations among the variables. The results of the statistical analyses showed a significant interaction effect between valence and the number of reviews on the intention to recommend a hotel. Moreover, significant main effects of valence on the intention to book and recommend were also found. Importantly, positive reviews tended to lead to greater intentions to book and recommend. Also, other conclusions for research and practice are formulated.

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Purpose In the context of integrated promotion, it is essential to promote destination images consistently across multiple digital channels. This study aims to examine the consistency of online destination images projected through the official tourism websites and the Instagram accounts of five main destinations in Southeast Asia. Design/methodology/approach Previous studies have used correspondence analyses to measure the relationship between categorical variables. In the present study, a Spearman’s rank-order correlation was performed after the correspondence analyses to cross-check the results. Findings Destinations in Southeast Asia tend to project images that are similar to each other. The correspondence analyses and Spearman’s correlation found that only one country in the area projected relatively consistent destination images. By contrast, the other destinations tend to promote inconsistent images through their official websites and Instagram accounts. Originality/value Previous studies have assessed the consistency of projected destination image by comparing communication channels managed by government/public organisations with channels of private sector organisations. This was achieved by comparing printed materials with digital channels. By contrast, this study highlights the importance of assessing a destination’s online projected image consistency across different digital platforms (official tourism websites and official Instagram accounts) within the perspective of integrated promotion.