Improved Access and Searchability of Online Movie Databases

Max Bogaert, Department of Work and Organisation Studies

For our research on imaginaries about the future of work, we wished to create a large database of science fiction films containing representations of work and organization. Specifically, we were looking for postwar dystopian films depicting worker characters who resist technocratic futuristic regimes. iCANDID allowed us to search thousands of film synopses and user reviews for self-selected keywords related to work, making gigantic amounts of online metadata sourced from the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and the Movie Database (TMDB) manageable. The Excel files we exported via the user-friendly interface iCANDID formed the basis for a more refined selection process, saving us a lot of time in listing potentially relevant science fiction films as empirical material.


Empowering Research in the Digital Age: My Journey with iCANDID

Sercan Kiyak, Institute for Media Studies

As a researcher deeply immersed in the rapidly evolving domains of social sciences and humanities, finding robust and reliable data sources is paramount. iCANDID has not just emerged as a resource for me but as a cornerstone for both my study and research endeavours.

My experience with iCANDID has been incredibly rewarding, serving two major parts of my academic journey. Initially, it played a crucial role during my studies by offering easy access to Twitter data. This access was a game-changer for me and my team, allowing us to dive deep into our research without the usual hurdles. What stood out was how user-friendly and accessible iCANDID made the entire process, enabling us to focus on analyzing social media trends and patterns with much more efficiency. This ease of use not only saved us time but also significantly enriched our learning experience, proving to be an invaluable tool for students in gathering data for their research.  Moreover, iCANDID’s support has proved invaluable for my PhD research, particularly in the realm of acquiring comprehensive and nuanced social media data, which is pivotal for my work. iCANDID’s tailored services, especially in gathering social media data from various platforms, have become indispensable to my PhD project.

The landscape of social media data collection is fraught with challenges, primarily due to the ever-changing policies of platforms regarding data access. The shift in Facebook’s stance post-Cambridge Analytica, and more recently, the changes in Twitter’s (now X) management and their academic API, underscore the volatility and uncertainty researchers face. These changes not only disrupt ongoing projects but also necessitate a constant re-evaluation of data collection strategies, consuming valuable time that could be better spent on research and innovation. In this context, iCANDID stands out as a beacon of stability and support. The iCANDID team’s commitment to providing researchers with consistent access to vital data, even amidst the ever-changing landscape of social media policies, is commendable.

In conclusion, iCANDID has been an integral part of my academic and research journey. Its tailored services, responsiveness to the needs of researchers, and ability to navigate the complexities of data collection in the digital age have been invaluable. For researchers, iCANDID offers not just data but a partnership in pursuit of knowledge and understanding.


Making the impossible, possible

As a qualitative social scientist and an ethnographer, I had no experience of dealing with social media data collection. However, for my Marie Curie postdoctoral project I was supposed to use tweets of European public authorities during the Covid-19 pandemic, to analyse the ways in which they communicated different policy decisions to the public. However, a lot of things have changed since I submitted my research proposal in 2021, Twitter became X and the management, and their academic API has gone radical change restricting researchers’ access to tweet data drastically. I spent a lot of time to find solutions while recalibrating my research to look at other available resources such as policy measures directly. Until a colleague talked about iCANDID and that practically saved my research. Their unfailing and tailored support to the specific needs of each researcher enabled me to navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of social media data analyses, and to continue my project very close to the way I had planned. Finally, the professionalism and efficiency of colleagues at iCANDID are also to be highlighted, and I thank them for a such a smooth collaboration.