Measuring Internet Activity: A (Selective) Review of Methods and Metrics

November 2013
Authored by Robert Faris and Rebekah Heacock

Im Measuring Internet Activity“Measuring Internet Activity: A (Selective) Review of Methods and Metrics,” authored by Robert Faris and Rebekah Heacock, explores current efforts to measure digital activity within three areas: infrastructure and access, control, and content and communities:

This paper seeks to describe the conceptual and practical impediments to measuring and understanding digital activity and highlights a sample of the many efforts to fill the gap between our incomplete understanding of digital life and the formidable policy questions related to developing a vibrant and healthy Internet that serves the public interest and contributes to human wellbeing. Our primary focus is on efforts to measure Internet activity, as we believe obtaining robust, accurate data is a necessary and valuable first step that will lead us closer to answering the vitally important questions of the digital realm.