@article{2026:kessling:riding_the,
title = {Riding the Spider: A Network-Sampling Framework for Multi-Platform Data Collections},
year = {2026},
note = {Research on the digital networked public sphere is not only hindered
by challenges in data access but also by a lack of common standards
for describing and implementing data collection independently of the
form of access or technologies employed. These challenges are
particularly pronounced in cross-platform research. In this article,
we propose a network-sampling framework to conceptualize, implement,
and document explorative data collections in a generalizable, readily
operationalizable, and interoperable way. Building on the
theoretically established components of the networked public sphere,
the concept of multilayer networks, explorative network sampling, and
legal and technical realities of cross-platform data access, we
segment the data collection process into four modules: a Connector, a
Parser, a Filter, and a Sampler. This framework enables researchers
not only to describe their data collection in a precise and
reproducible way but also to follow guidelines on for developing
interoperable software implementations of these modules or to propose
new modules themselves.},
journal = {M&K Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft},
pages = {52--70},
author = {Kessling, Philipp and Münch, Felix Victor},
volume = {74},
number = {1}
}