Abstract
This guide explains how to retrieve and analyse data from YouTube Application Programming Interface (API). The platform for video sharing has vast amounts of videos that come associated with different metrics and metadata. By resorting to computational methods, it is possible to use this information to answer research questions related to the characteristics of the content, the mechanisms involved in the circulation of videos on the platform and the common practices of the creators. It does this by providing an outline of how APIs in general and YouTube API, in particular, regulate the access to information and the different limitations that come into play; by offering a comprehensive description of the most relevant data associated with videos, channels, and recommendation systems; and by describing the technical infrastructure necessary to conduct research with YouTube data. After reading this guide, students and researchers will have a clearer idea of all the elements involved in the processes of collecting and analysing data from YouTube and assimilate technical concepts that can also be applied to other platforms’ APIs.
| Translated title of the contribution | Como estudiar YouTube con métodos basados en su API |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Journal | SAGE Research Methods: Doing Research Online |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 12 Jul 2022 |