Digital and Computational Approaches to Migration Studies: 3 Essays

This dissertation aims to contribute to the literature on computational social sciences and presents three essays in migration studies and demography, using digital data and computational methods. The first essay focuses on visual comparison of migration patterns using Turkey as a case study. The internal migration patterns in Turkey are compared with the settlement patterns of Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey, while questioning whether there is a possibility for replacement migration policies. The second essay also uses the case of Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey and contributes to the literature on nowcasting & forecasting based on digital data by following the mobility patterns of Syrians inside Turkey using online search data from Google Trends. The third essay contributes to the literature on high-skilled migration and the use of bibliometric data. The essay uses the Brexit decision in 2016 and the academic environment in the United Kingdom as a case study and monitors the change that occurred in the in- and out-migration patterns of researchers with respect to the UK, before and after the Brexit referendum.