Using Apple Store reviews in Machines of Knowledge

One type of data with which you may want to work as part of the Machines of Knowledge course in the Master Digital Cultures, or in your MA thesis, are reviews scraped from the Apple Store.

Please consult the information on the Datascraping Apple Store page to learn about the opportunities and challenges of using this data source. The page also explain how to scrape the comments using Python and the Google API for YouTube.

Further Readings

• Fuchs, C., Hofkirchner, W., Schafranek, M., Raffl, C., Sandoval, M., & Bichler, R. (2010). Theoretical foundations of the web: Cognition, communication, and co-operation. Towards an understanding of Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0. Future Internet, 2(1), 41–59. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi2010041
• Levmore, S., & Nussbaum, M. C. (Eds.). (2010). The offensive internet: Speech, privacy, and reputation. Harvard University Press.
• McGregor, H. (2022). Podcast studies. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190201098.013.1338
• Wendland, J. (2024). Building a better participatory culture and enhancing sense of community in podcasts: Systematic literature review. Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/19376529.2024.2347609
• Wendland, J. (2025). Social podcasting – Levels of podcast audience participation. Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/19376529.2025.2460834