AI Methods Seminar: Integrating LLMs into Digital Data Analysis with Leona Su

_
About the Seminar

Digital data offers new opportunities for social scientists to study public discourse, attitudes, and behaviors, while also raising important questions about how these data can be analyzed rigorously and at scale.

In this session, Dr. Su will draw on a study of X posts about cultured meat to examine how established practices and human insights from traditional content analysis can inform LLM-assisted analysis. The presentation will consider how researchers can thoughtfully incorporate new technologies into established research practices while maintaining rigorous approaches to social science inquiry.

_
What You'll Learn

The session will explore:

• How LLMs can be used to analyze large-scale digital data
• How LLM-based approaches compare with conventional computational methods
• How traditional content analysis and human insights can strengthen AI-assisted analysis
• Methodological opportunities and challenges associated with using emerging AI tools in social science research

More broadly, the session will consider how researchers can thoughtfully incorporate new AI tools while maintaining rigorous social science practices.

_
About the Speaker

Leona Yi-Fan Su, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and director of the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research examines the interplay between media and society, with a focus on how social media and emerging technologies influence communication and social behaviors, particularly around science and health topics.

Dr. Su uses surveys, experiments, and computational approaches—including large-scale text analytics and machine learning—to study social media, public opinion, science communication, and emerging technologies. Her current research includes computational analysis of social media conversations about emerging food technologies and the use of digital tools to improve scientific literacy and public engagement with science and health.

_
Who Should Attend

This session is intended for University of Illinois researchers interested in using AI and computational methods to analyze digital data. Graduate students are also welcome to attend.

Registration is limited. Register Early!

Register for the AI Methods Series Workshop →

_
About the Series

The AI Methods Seminar Series explores emerging tools, technologies, and approaches that can support social and behavioral science research. Through presentations and conversations with researchers working across disciplines, the series highlights practical and methodological advances while considering how new technologies can be used thoughtfully and rigorously to advance research.

The series reflects SBSI’s commitment to supporting innovative, interdisciplinary research and helping researchers develop new approaches to understanding complex social and behavioral challenges.

_
Have Questions?

Send an email to the SBSI team: SBscience@illinois.edu