Video-on-demand catalog and interface analysis: The state of research methods

Abstract

The global proliferation of internet-distributed video-on-demand (VOD) services has left in its wake a rich but scattered corpus of research into the catalogs and interfaces of these services. Using empirical methods and sources including scraping, observation, digital simulations, and third-party datasets, researchers have found many ways to study VODs, their content, and their recommendations. Our article provides a critical review of this research landscape. We describe the evolution of two key methods: catalog analysis and interface analysis. We then explain how these methods intersect with each other and also with audience research. Throughout, we assess the value and limitations of various methods, showing how they fit within a wider research landscape that involves multiple ‘ways of knowing’ VOD. The practicalities and politics of access to VOD data are considered throughout.