Controversy Mapping
Project: MA Thesis - Integrated Design (Part 01)
Institution: Köln International School of Design
Project duration: 5 months
Contribution:
Design Research & Theory
Data Collection, Data Analysis, Data Visualisation
Information Design
About the project
The first section of the MA Thesis project aims to develop a visual analysis on a case study regarding children refugee age assessment controversy. It combines Bruno Latour’s Controversy Mapping framework with Digital Method using various online tools to detect, retrieve, analyse and visualise the intricate controversial landscape surrounding age assessment controversy. The Internet not only becomes a source of information, but also the object of study, finding the representation of knowledge through links, term of contents, networks, etc. It is backed up with the notion that visualisations play a role as tools where they include users along with the context and aims to orientate further knowledge and practice.
Alluvial Diagram represents an evolution of changes in network structure with different variables are assigned to parallel vertical axes, and values are represented with blocks on each axis. This diagram helped to show the different category of actors who have different positions on the debate that leads to different interests that based their positions. It is also used to highlights the first 20 websites which normally appear on the first page of Google “child refugee age assessment” search result. It is good to find that the first positions in the search results are occupied by almost all category of actors. It means, users could have a fair information from different perspectives and interests.
Dividing the network accordingly according to the actors categories gives a meaningful representation of the controversy. It can immediately show different clusters around the map. By comparing networks visualising separated outlinks and inlinks, the visualisations could show both a different approach to the dialogue between the type of actors and when there are some important actors which others relate with. Visualising the actor network and the distribution of the nodes on the network area helps to understand actors needs, aims and behaviour.
Building The Controversy Map
It is always expected since the beginning that age assessment controversy would be semantically rich. Search for information on delivery within the web could mean to come across web pages of private structures that advertise their services, blogs, and forums of people who exchange information and personal experiences, a medical forum with technical, scientific updates. Semantic analysis helps to fully comprehend the richness of vocabulary that was used in the discussion through occurrences of topics and keywords. Listing the different terminology which characterizes the actors’ statements.
Sunburst Diagram visualises hierarchical data, starting from root node (interest) in the middle and moving outward from the center. Each segment bears a hierarchical relationship to those segments of the outer circle. The center of the chart is occupied by the main interests in the topic; the second level relates to the investigative questions per interest; the third and fourth level gives the answers of the questions while also giving us essential terms specifically related to the issue. The next layer is dedicated to the possible solutions proposed by the actor who talked where the audience of the debate could go.
Download Issue Assessment Report here
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