The software Qualichat, developed at Unicamp with the aim of being a tool to combat fake news, is open to researchers who wish to use it. The call also includes tutorials on how to use the tool, which was developed by the post-doctoral fellow at the Institute of Language Studies (IEL), Fernando Nobre Cavalcante. Through the software, researchers can carry out analysis of groups on the WhatsApp application, free of charge.
Through conversation analysis, Qualichat allows data to be obtained such as news and topics most shared in the group studied, people involved, commonly used symbols and temporal specificities of the language, explains Fernando. The researcher exemplifies the importance of the software's functionalities based on the current context of the circulation of misinformation regarding the pandemic. “Data from Fiocruz reveals that 10,5% of fake news about Covid-19 was published on Instagram, 15,8% on Facebook and 73,7% circulated on WhatsApp. In this context, Qualichat is an important tool in combating misinformation”, he assesses.
The software is available for anyone to use, through the open Python language. However, the researcher points out that the call, open until July 31st, aims to also offer support for use, with tutorials. “Detecting public opinion in groups is the objective of our free computational package for researchers”, says Fernando. He also points out that the tool continues to be improved, and the next step will be to launch a functionality that can detect the presence of robots, so-called bots, on Whatsapp.
The software does not collect or store data, being in alignment with the General Data Protection Law and the General Regulation of Data Protection (GDPR).
Registrations
To register, interested researchers must have research previously approved by university ethics committees. Registration can be completed until July 31st, using the form available on the Ernest Manheim Public Opinion Laboratory website, of which Fernando is the founder: https://ernestmanheim.com.br/index.php/qualichat/. From August 2021, the Laboratory will carry out free activities on basic programming in the Python language, using the computational package. See how Qualichat works in the video below:
Aligning qualitative and quantitative research
The Qualichat software is developed by a network of researchers on the subject of Digital Humanities and Post-Humanisms from the Institute of Language Studies (IEL) at Unicamp under the supervision of professor Marcelo Buzato, who explains the importance of a tool like this in qualitative research. “These digital methods are very useful for understanding very large conversations. You have millions of people talking and there are meanings there that are collective and that are constructed in a way that you cannot capture without using strong quantitative methods”, says the professor.
The professor also highlights the relevance of combining qualitative and quantitative methods, and states that Qualichat contributes to bridging this gap. “It is very important for us to find methods that allow this conversation between human and exact sciences, and this will involve finding quantitative and qualitative methods. The application of Qualichat and others come in an interesting framework so as not to fall into harsh quantitative reductionism, but at the same time it takes care of the amount of things that happen”, he says.
The project is also the result of debate with the Laboratory for the History of Communication and Media Change at the University of Bremen, in Germany, and received investment from the United States Political Science Association for development costs.
