Using Digital Footprints in Social Research: an Interdisciplinary Approach

Abstract

The aim of the study is to clarify the concept of the digital footprint in jurisprudence and social sciences and determine its meaning for interdisciplinary research. The subject of this work is the analysis of the concepts of “digital footprint”, “digital reputation”, “digital image of a person”. The article notes that special machine techniques are required to process digital traces. The ways of storage, transmission and use of digital traces are considered. The research identified the main problems of using digital information in public relations. Digital traces can be used in various studies in the humanities, social sciences: sociology, law, economics, psychology using interdisciplinary research methods. The result of the study was the conclusion that digital information does not always mean a digital footprint. Digital information will have a digital footprint only when it is transferred from one user to another in an online environment, uploaded to a social network, etc. (in the case when it is possible to "trace" its movement). Thus, the "digital footprint" is the ability of information recorded in digital form, to leave special "marks" on the route from subscriber to subscriber, the ability to track such marks, receive information about its movement and transformation in order to collect, process and analyze these data.