What is it about?
In this position paper, I illustrate the approach and techniques used in my PhD Project to produce a proof of concept for a tool that aids internet meme researchers. The Project is grounded in Responsible Research and Innovation, an approach to science that helps researchers produce better, more equitable, sustainable and responsible science. I have been engaging with the main users of the tool, meme researchers, and the larger meme-maker community to create new definitions and concepts which directly influence what the tool is and might look like. By co-producing these 'building blocks' with the people interested, I have sketched out a better, more equitable and responsible version of the tool than I could have by myself. Thanks to this engagement with the people, I have been able to address issues early on, limit the misuse of the tool, and research the population's needs and wants, ultimately making the tool (Meta-Meme) more useful and valuable for stakeholders.
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Why is it important?
This PhD is critical in today's fast-paced, disruptive and often irresponsible world of technology, research, digital tools, and AI. By doing this research, we can show that it is possible to produce responsible digital tools and AI products, how to do this, and why it is worthwhile. Ultimately, we aspire to a future where more responsible and socially desirable products are created with their target customer in mind. We believe that by collaborating with the user base, we can bring about positive change and produce products that truly meet their needs.
Perspectives
Working on this project has been amazing; I have talked to so many people who are doing exciting work in Internet Memes, and I have learned so much from them. This project has shown me the boundaries of academic knowledge and my knowledge of Internet Memes. I think as academics, we value more peer-reviewed knowledge set out in the "formal" ways, but this project has really shown me the importance of community and participant knowledge to be as valuable as academic formal knowledge (if not more in some cases). I think that in this current day and age people should be at the centre of innovation as technology and innovation affects more people in more ways than we could ever imagine. Ask yourself: Who was this innovation made by? What people were included in the process? How is this innovation responsible and ethical? What is the purpose here?
Giovanni Schiazza
University of Nottingham
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Meta-Meme: a Responsible Researcher?s Tool for the analysis of Internet Memes, September 2024, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3686038.3686051.
You can read the full text:
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