PROZIS-analysis: The possibility of assessing users' reaction to significant newsworthy events on the internet

The article discusses the possibilities of using PROZIS-analysis, a new visualization and data analysis method in sociological research. The method allows fixing six indicators of users' network activity: the number of posters, reposts, audience coverage, requests, sources, messages. PROZIS-analysis allows assessing the level of public interest in any significant event/phenomenon/process, tracking the dynamics of the dissemination of information about it in the global network, including technologies for its targeted promotion. The fixation of specific numerical values of these indicators is carried out using the toolkit of available online services. In the framework of this study, the WordStat service from Yandex was used to estimate the number of user requests. For the other five, IQbuzz, which evaluates user posts on social networks, was used. Key indicators of network activity are divided into two groups: the first - “sources”, “posters” and “messages” - characterizes those who actively disseminate information and how actively new ideas are being promoted in the Internet space; the second group - “reposts”, “requests” and “coverage” - is the periphery, its analysis allows judging how new ideas arouse massive interest and how actively they are assimilated by users. Data from PROZIS-analysis are used to create PROZIS-diagrams. The PROZIS-diagram is an applied visualization and express analysis tool that reflects the dynamics of the core and periphery indicators, shows their interconnections, mutual influence over time. PROZIS-diagrams are divided into diffuse ones, showing the dynamics and scale of new ideas' diffusion, and logarithmic ones, suitable for long-term analysis. Expert assessment and competent interpretation of the data of PROZIS-diagrams allows making a quick assessment of the situation; obtaining an instant “snapshot” of the dissemination of information for a specific time period; and conducting a deeper sociological analysis, taking into account the sex and age composition of posters, their average activity, and the ratio of activity of the nucleus and the periphery. As an example of the implementation of the method, data on the socio-political activity of users during the preparation and organization of the meeting of Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden on June 16, 2021. In general, PROZIS-analysis is suitable for assessing the level of public interest in any significant event, tracking the dynamics of the dissemination of information about it in the global network.

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