Completed projects
A selection of data donation studies completed using Port. Each entry includes study materials, ethics documentation, and processing code to help you plan your own study.
Behind the screens: Exploring Netflix via Data Donations
Dennis Nguyen and Karin van Es, Utrecht University
Netflix is often hailed as a disruptor of the traditional media industry, primarily due to its extensive data collection and analysis capabilities, as well as the effectiveness of its recommendation system. This study used data donations to investigate Netflix viewing behaviours, moving beyond the platform's own selective data sharing to gain an independent understanding of streaming habits.
- Data collection
- January -- February 2024
- Recruitment
- Participants were recruited through Ipsos I&O.
- Instructions
- Instructions to request data and download data.
- Ethics
- Reviewed by the Ethical Review Board of the Faculty of Humanities of Utrecht University. See the invitation letter, consent form, and privacy policy.
- Software
- Port
- Processing
- GitHub
- Data
- Contact the PI.
- Funded by
- Funded by PDI-SSH D3I.
References
- Lotz, A. D. (2023). “Netflix Data Dump: Cautions Regarding Gifts of Data.” LinkedIn
- Van Es, K. (2023). “Netflix, (Re)Claiming Television: Myths and Horseless Carriages.” Keynote at ECREA TV Studies Section Conference, Potsdam, Germany, 26 October 2023.
The Google Family Home -- Exploring the Use of Google Assistant in Families via Data Donations
Rebecca Wald, Jessica Piotrowski, Theo Araujo, Johanna M.F. van Oosten, Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam
Smart speakers have become increasingly popular in family households. This study investigated how Dutch families with young children use Google Assistant at home, comparing self-reported use with actual registered interactions obtained through data donations.
- Data collection
- May -- June 2024
- Recruitment
- Participants were recruited through Motivaction.
- Ethics
- Approved by the university’s Ethics Review Board (ref: FMG-8809).
- Software
- Port
- Processing
- Available on GitHub upon completion.
- Data
- Anonymized dataset will be available on OSF.
- Funded by
- Funded by the Communication in the Digital Society Initiative.
References
- Wald, R., Piotrowski, J. T., Araujo, T., & Van Oosten, J. M. F. (2023). Virtual assistants in the family home. Computers in Human Behavior, 139. DOI
- Wald, R., Piotrowski, J. T., Van Oosten, J. M. F., & Araujo, T. (2024). Who are the (non-)adopters of smart speakers? Tijdschrift Voor Communicatiewetenschap, 51. DOI
- Wald, R., Van Oosten, J. M. F., Piotrowski, J. T., & Araujo, T. (2024). Smart Speaker Data Donations in Families. In IDC ‘24. DOI
Harnessing digital data to study 21st-century adolescence
Amy Orben (PI), Laura Boeschoten, Daniel Oberski, Sebastian Kurten, Amanda Ferguson, Valerie Yap, Amelia Leyland-Craggs
Large cohort studies have failed to gather comprehensive digital data about participants' online lives. This project tested the feasibility of deploying the D3I data donation infrastructure in the MRC UK Adolescent Health Study, collecting TikTok and Instagram data from secondary school students.
- Data collection
- March -- May 2024
- Recruitment
- Six secondary schools in the UK were visited in person, identified through Gov.uk and existing partnerships.
- Instructions
- TikTok guide, Instagram guide.
- Ethics
- Approved by Cambridge Psychology Research Ethics Committee. Information sheet, consent form.
- Software
- Port
- Processing
- TikTok, Instagram on GitHub.
- Data
- Contact the PI.
- Funded by
- Funded by SUAG/091 and SUAH/031.
An investigation of Facebook groups dedicated to rare diseases
Annemiek Linn and Kaiyang Qin, University of Amsterdam
This study mapped the collective wisdom of a Facebook group dedicated to FOXP1 syndrome, a rare disease. Using data donations of posts and comments, combined with survey data, the study explores how caregivers leverage online platforms for knowledge sharing and community support.
- Data collection
- January -- February 2024
- Recruitment
- Participants were recruited from the Friends and Family of FOXP1 Facebook group.
- Instructions
- Procedure
- Ethics
- Approved by the Ethics Review Board, University of Amsterdam (ref: FMG-4422). Informed consent, privacy policy.
- Software
- Port
- Processing
- GitHub
- Data
- Contact the PI.
- Funded by
- Funded by NWO.
Social Media Use of Individuals in the Context of Organizational Posts
Sarah Marschlich
This study investigates how individuals engage with organizational posts on social media and whether their engagement differs depending on the platform. Using data donations from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram combined with semi-structured interviews, it explores how motivations and perceived platform affordances shape user engagement with organizational content.
- Data collection
- January -- August 2024
- Recruitment
- Participants were recruited from a lab recruitment system from UvA.
- Instructions
- OSF
- Ethics
- Approved by the Ethics Review Board, University of Amsterdam (ref: FMG-2664_2023). Materials.
- Software
- Port
- Processing
- GitHub
- Data
- Contact the PI.
- Funded by
- Funded by the Digital Communication Methods Lab (digicomlab), University of Amsterdam.
Assessing WhatsApp Networks with Donated Data
Mobile instant messenger services play an increasingly important role in social life, yet we know surprisingly little about these networks. This study used data donations from LISS panel respondents to collect WhatsApp contact and group metadata, producing one of the first datasets on WhatsApp usage from a broad, high-quality sample.
- Data collection
- February -- April 2023
- Recruitment
- Participants were recruited through the LISS Panel.
- Instructions
- Documentation
- Ethics
- Approved by the Ethical Review Board of the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences of Utrecht University and of the LISS panel.
- Software
- Port
- Processing
- GitHub
- Data
- Contact the LISS panel.
- Funded by
- Funded by the 2022 ODISSEI-LISS panel grant and NWO VIDI (195.152).
Mapping the digital food environment using YouTube data
Kaiyang Qin, Saar Mollen, Wilma Waterlander, and Eline Smit
Social media represents an emerging dimension of the digital food environment. This study used YouTube data donations to map how users interact with food-related content, examining whether people are exposed to more unhealthy than healthy food content and the role of both advertiser targeting and user self-selection.
- Data collection
- April -- November 2023
- Recruitment
- Participants were recruited from Panelinzicht and a lab recruitment system from UvA.
- Instructions
- Instructions
- Ethics
- Approved by the Ethics Review Board, University of Amsterdam (ref: FMG-472). Informed consent, privacy policy.
- Software
- Port
- Processing
- GitHub
- Data
- Contact the PI.
- Funded by
- Funded by the Healthy Future initiative of the University of Amsterdam.
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