Digital platforms like Instagram, TikTok, ChatGPT, Netflix and Spotify have become deeply entwined with the cultural landscape, playing a critical role in the Australian economy and society.
As a result, they have come to inform much of the research taking place in universities across the country. However, access to data and the ability to observe activities on these platforms is extremely limited among research institutions.
Concerns over the dangers of online gambling, social media, scams and the widespread integration of AI have added urgency to questions surrounding digital platform use. AIO's tool is designed to address these questions by enhancing the capabilities of researchers exploring the harmful impacts of online platforms.
RMIT Distinguished Professor Julian Thomas, AIO Director, said the platform will remove a significant practical barrier that many researchers encounter when undertaking projects.
“Researchers often need to build their own technical systems before they can begin answering the questions they are interested in,” he said.
“That can be expensive, time-consuming and out of reach for smaller teams or researchers without specialist technical expertise.”
“The AIO platform provides shared national infrastructure so researchers can focus on designing rigorous and ethical studies rather than building the underlying technology from scratch.”
The AIO is led by RMIT University and the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) through the HASS and Indigenous Research Data Commons, in collaboration with several universities across Victoria and Queensland. It provides national research infrastructure for digital platform transparency and observability.
Developed primarily for researchers from within the humanities and social science disciplines, the platform allows for more comprehensive exploration into online issues affecting Australian society, including digital content consumption, advertising and sponsored content, digital footprints, and how digital services influence culture, health, education and public debate. Importantly, it has been designed to be accessible for those without advanced programming skills.
“Current concerns about harms related to social media, online gambling, scams, and the mainstream adoption of artificial intelligence add urgency to broader questions about how people use and experience digital platforms,” said Julian.
The new platform will initially utilise data donations using Data Download Packages (DDPs). These are personal data archives that can be requested from social media, streaming and other digital services with the informed consent of the individual donating. Researchers can use these records to investigate questions that surveys, interviews and publicly visible content can’t adequately answer.
Researchers at Australian universities will be able to use their institutional credentials to access the platform, where they can make use of the relevant tools, data downloads, resources and training necessary to assist with their projects.
Jenny Fewster, HASS and Indigenous Research Data Commons Director at ARDC said this development in digital platform visibility deepens our understanding of the online world and its implications for Australian society.
“The Australian Internet Observatory is the missing piece in helping researchers and all Australians understand the impact of digital platforms and social media algorithms on society,” she said.
“It’s national research infrastructure that’s making the hidden world of online interactions accessible to researchers nationally.”
Find out more about the Australian Internet Observatory and the new research platform
