Approaching Structured Debate with Quantitative Ethnography in Mind

Abstract

Structured Debate (SD) is a constrained discourse style that is popular in many different forums. The expansion of SD to online platforms leaves many questions about addressing this type of data during analysis. Quantitative Ethnography (QE) may provide a framework for the considerations that need to be made when analyzing SD datasets. In this paper, we review the ways in which QE methods are compatible with SD and the challenges associated with applying this method. Using data from an online, SD forum, we present a narrative of the decision-making process throughout the analysis process. We find that QE allows for myriad insights to be gained from this form of data depending on the approach one takes including insights into structures, content, and participation. This work intends to serve as a model for researchers hoping to utilize QE on SD and, more broadly, for approaching novel datasets.