Page 147 - Demo
P. 147
Discussion and Conclusions1456Additionally, the analysis of image–text storylines in tweets in Chapter 5 was challenging, especially given the fact that on some occasions, only nuanced details in the text or the visualisation reveal the storyline. The failure to notice these details might have resulted in an inaccurate analysis. For example, one tweet contained the text, ‘Do you know which foods contain #nanotechnology? New searchable database: http://ow.ly/T5cNp’ and a visualisation of magnified structure with a layer of the text: ‘NANOTECHNOLOGY IN OUR FOOD / An Interactive Database Consumer Food Products Containing Nanomaterials’. Whereas the text and the visual could be considered informative, a close reading of them both reveals a warning tone. The text emphasises the surprise element (implying that consumers are not being informed about nanomaterials in their food), the text-layer in the visualisation is in red, and there is a logo in the visualisation of the Center for Food Safety, which implies there is a safety issue with nanomaterials in food. When checking the link in the tweet, the storyline of health concern is confirmed.6.3.3 Recommendations for further researchFurther research can test the research protocols we used and the results in larger datasets and in the context of other controversial technologies or policy controversies, more generally. Such research can use digital tools for the gathering and analysis of data. It should be noted that digital tools, either offered within no particular context (e.g., search engines) or specifically for conducting academic research (e.g., Twitter API for academic researchers), are often black-boxed and are possibly biased. Ideally, future research will use transparent software tools that will be completely independent of any black-boxed algorithms. Further research can also rely on my interpretation as a theoretical starting point when studying visualisations as playing a role in other policy controversies.6.4 Recommendation for practiceIn this section, I make several recommendations for policy controversy analysts and for those who visualise issues which are at the heart of policy controversies.6.4.1 Recommendations for policy controversy analystsWhen studying online visualisations of a policy controversy, it is advisable to alternate between zooming in and out in the analysis of the visuals. Online Efrat.indd 145 19-09-2023 09:47