Following the US elections on Twitter
On November 8, 2016, American citizens went in millions to polling stations to cast their votes for the next President of the United States. Counting began almost immediately and, although not officially confirmed until sometime later, the forecasted result was well known by the next morning. Let's start our investigation a couple of days before the major event itself, on November 6, 2016, so that we can preserve some context in the run-up. Although we do not exactly know what we will find in advance, we know that Twitter will play an oversized role in the political commentary given its influence in the build-up, and it makes sense to start collecting data as soon as possible. In fact, data scientists may sometimes experience this as a gut feeling - a strange and often exciting notion that compels us to commence working on something without a clear plan or absolute justification, just a sense that it will pay off. And actually, this approach can be vital...
