The course aims to provide students with a general understanding of social research focusing on the technological and social transformations that impact the citizen/consumer.

The purpose of the course is to introduce the main methods and main qualitative and quantitative research techniques for the understanding, analysis and implementation of socio-economic research, with particular reference to the analysis techniques carried out using digital methods.

In particular, the course will illustrate:
- Quantitative research: questionnaire creation; methodologies for carrying out the interview (C.A.TI. Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing; C.A.W.I. Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing; C.A.M.I. Computer-Assisted Mobile Interviewing; C.A.P.I. Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing); the digital methods approach;
- Qualitative research: focus groups; the in-depth interviews; digital ethnography.

From the theoretical point of view, the course will also provide the necessary skills to analyze the changes in society and in particular of final consumers, decision makers and opinion leaders.

The theoretical approach will address the following issues:
- Relationship between media and social construction of reality;
- Theory of public opinion;
- Citizen / consumer empowerment in web 2.0.

Knowledge of the methodologies and techniques related to media consumption represents a significant contribution to the student's autonomy of judgment and in particular to his ability to assess the impact of products on the market and on socio-economic dynamics.
The course will make use of practical examples which will provide to the student a critical perspective, and at the end of the course he/she will be in possession of an appropriate technical language. At the end of the course students will be able to critically relate to analyses and research published in the main media and social networks.