Research using Social Media

Challenges & Considerations

11 April 2014

Kelsey Beninger, NatCen Social Research

@KBeninger #NSMNSS

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Contents

Intro to context and recent research

Explore challenges

Suggestions for putting into practice

Discussion

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Context

Social Media provides new opportunities

Recent studies: NatCen:

www.natcen.ac.uk/our-research/research/research-using-social-media-users-views/

NSMNSS: nsmnss.blogspot.co.uk

Challenges

Recruitment & data collection

Researcher identity & wellbeing

Analysis & presentation of data

Recruitment & Data CollectionRecruitment

Participant’s views: scepticism, acceptance and ambiguity.

Digital identities

Digital risks for participants

Exclusion of particular groups

Informed consent

1. Morally and legally required

2. Promote trust

3. Verify user views haven’t changed

4. To publish photos or imagery

Data Collection

Ownership and expectations

Researcher identity & wellbeing

Your digital identity Impact on research outcomes Managing communication w participants Credibility and transparency

Analysis and presentation of data

Analysis Third Party Software How much is too much? Validity and representativeness

People behave differently online and offline Exaggerated views Impulsive comments Inaccurate profiles

Presentation Traceability of participant data short & long term implications for participants

Recommendations Is SM the right methodology for your research Q? Don’t make assumptions Review case studies and existing research

Recruitment:

• transparency in materials

• Explicit about privacy terms of the platform used

Collecting/generating data:

• Considering implications of legally permitted vs. intellectual property

• Acknowledge limits of accessing different user types

Reporting results:

• Test traceability of data, and paraphrase or remove handle

• Reasonably seek consent for use of verbatim/sensitive content

Thank you!

Questions?

Links to studies

Report on User’ Views: http://www.natcen.ac.uk/our-research/research/research-using-social-media-users-views/

Report on Researcher Views https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1-gmLw9jo6fLTQ5X0oyeE1aRjQ/edit

@nsmnss

#nsmnss

Helpful links: Ethics

• Association of Internet Researchers (AOIR), 

• British Educational Research Association (BERA), 

• British Psychological Society (BPS), 

• CASRO,

• European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR),

• Market Research Society (MRS), and

•  Market Research Association (MRA)