Tusk’s Shakespearean tweet shows the gravity of the UK’s EU vote and its potential consequences for both parties

At 11:35 AM on 2 February 2016, Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, tweeted: ‘To be or not to be together, that is the question…’ A link to Tusk’s European Council letter outlining his proposed ‘new settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union’ was included. Jennifer Jackson-Preece suggests that this curious Shakespearean moment invites reflection on the dynamics and significance of Brexit politics on Twitter

Britain risks securitising its future relationship with the EU

On September 22, Theresa May's speech in Florence ostensibly outlined a way forward on Brexit. Is the £20bn on offer too much, too little or too late? Are promises to protect the rights of EU citizens in the UK real or merely rhetorical? What will happen next - renewed dialogue with Brussels or a bust-up with Boris and other Brexiteers? ..

Divorce doesn't have to be bloody difficult

Framing Brexit as overwhelmingly negative prevents productive dialogue. Jennifer Jackson-Preece who has recently introduced the Generation Brexit project on the blog, which gives voice to the millennial generation, addresses ways of developing a less confrontational Brexit identity

An undiscover’d country: the Brexit debate on Twitter reveals widespread democratic discontent

The topic of democracy is emerging as a core value that cuts across both camps active on Twitter in the referendum debate. Jennifer Jackson-Preece writes that the democratic discontent that’s represented there is directed at Westminster and Brussels alike. Her findings show that this kind of populist political resentment has been a growing feature of British and European politics for some time now. People have lost faith in the political elites, want greater democratic accountability, and believe the migration crisis requires urgent action

Is nationalism to blame for the post Brexit vote divisions?

The EU referendum was intended to answer, once and for all, the thorny question of Britain’s relationship with the European Union. But instead it has brought to the fore many even more fundamental questions. The status of Scotland within the United Kingdom is once again a pressing issue. Concern is growing over the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and with it the future of the Good Friday Agreement. The divide in values and outlook between a prosperous greater London and the rest of England, itself underscored by longstanding economic disparities, has become a looming chasm. Jennifer Jackson-Preece explains whether nationalism is to blame for these divisions

INTERMITTENT PARTICIPATION: HOW SOCIABILITY AND USABILITY SHAPE MEDIATED MOBILE INTERACTION

Mobile devices are common communication tools, which deeply affect social engagement practices. Smart-mobile devices move beyond voice and textual communication: they enable ubiquitous online connectivity, and bring changes to mediated social interaction. In this paper we bring the results of a study of the meditated social practices of students who use smart mobile devices on a university campus and beyond it. While the common premise is that smart mobile devices enable continuous collaborative interaction, our study shows this interaction is limited than previously believed. Two distinct factors were found to affect mobile interaction: sociability and usability. While sociability entices users to engage in continuous mobile-mediated interaction, usability issues encumber the full embracement of mobile-social applications. The tension between the two creates a new form of interaction - intermittent participation - in which users are constantly attuned to absorb notifications and updates, but rarely respond to them, unless a response is absolutely necessary

In-between identities and cultures: Ms Marvel and the representation of young muslim women

Can superheroes tell us something important about changing public attitudes towards young Muslim women? To answer this question, we compare how young people react to the portrayal of the superhero Ms. Marvel as a young Muslim woman in different locations in the Middle East and beyond. Our findings suggest that a superhero like Ms. Marvel can create a global discourse on gender and Islam that transcends specific cultural contexts

Conducting Research on the Internet:: Online Survey Design, Development and Implementation Guidelines

Using the Internet to conduct quantitative research presents challenges not found in conventional research. Some of our knowledge concerning the effective design and use of paper-based surveys does translate into electronic formats. However, electronic surveys have distinctive technological, demographic and response characteristics that affect how they should be designed, when they can be used and how they can be implemented. Survey design, subject privacy and confidentiality, sampling and subject solicitation, distribution methods and response rates and survey piloting are critical methodological components that must be addressed in order to conduct sound online research. This paper focuses on those distinctive characteristics. It reviews the current literature on the subject of electronic surveys and presents guidelines for designing, developing and implementing them, particularly web-based surveys. This paper argues that Web-based surveys are superior to email surveys in many aspects, but that email combined, perhaps with offline media, is an excellent vehicle for inviting individuals to participate in Web-based surveys. The application of these guidelines are demonstrated through the authors’ current research involving defining the nature of “non-public participation” (commonly referred to as lurking) in online discussion groups. Guidelines do not eliminate the many “trade-off” decisions required in the use of online surveys