Meta-Meme: a Responsible Researcher?s Tool for the analysis of Internet Memes

Internet Memes (IMs) are widely used in the digital world and serve many social, psychological, political and economic functions. IMs are multidimensional digital artifacts that are socially constructed by many users through repetition, sharing, and complex referential systems. Studying IMs is a complex feat and is best understood through a multi/inter-disciplinary perspective. The literature on IMs is still young and lacks cross-study comparisons. To address this issue, this position paper illustrates the background upon which the PhD seeks to build a Proof of Concept (PoC) for a responsible IM analysis tool. The building blocks of the tool are co-produced by internet meme researchers, makers, connoisseurs, and experts. By grounding the PhD in Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), co-production, and exploration of responsibility with stakeholders, we ensure that the tool is valuable to multiple disciplines and researchers, collectively constructing novel notions of IMs. Figure 1 is a graphical representation of where the PhD PoC is situated within the larger fields of research. This position paper introduces PhD project and IMs, then follows on RRI importance, and how RRI has been embedded and implemented within the PhD process.