SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH STANDARDS

How researchers can uphold professional and ethical standards

and why they should care

SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH

Good research is not just about asking questions it is about having a good conversation.

“The Internet, including blogs, chat rooms, and forums, has changed how people get ideas, share information, communicate in a human voice, ask questions, and respond. Its two-way style has been embraced, changing how people want to learn, connect, and build relationships. Conversations, once key, are now crucial”

David Maister

Social media is about observing people’s conversations and getting insights.

ASKINGQUESTIONS

WATCHING AND LISTENING

OBSERVING

SPYING?

NEW SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH GUIDELINE

Scope

These guidelines cover the collection of social media data for research purposes.

Researchers that are engaged in collecting social media data that will be used for purposes other than research must clearly differentiate this activity from their research activities and not misrepresent it as research.

DEFINITIONS

Social media is defined as internet based platforms and technologies that permit users’ interaction and/or facilitate the creation and exchange of user generated content.

Social media data refers to the information (photos, comments, etc.) that users generate or share while engaged in or with social media.

Social Media Research (SMR) covers all research where social media data is utilised either by itself or in conjunction with information from other sources. Examples of current social media research include:

Monitoring or crawling social media platforms (from automated monitoring of brand sentiment through to ad-hoc desk research);

Ethnographic research (from observing online behaviour to collecting primary data in various forms, including ‘friending’ users);

Co-creational techniques;

Online communities that generate or deliver consumer opinions, reactions, feedback on a regular, formal or systematic basis.

Social Media Data Services (SMDS) refers to the provision of data from the social media world provided for a non-research purpose.

IT’S IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN BUT IS IT FOR EVERYONE?

fake page

IS IT LEGAL?

Two main legal aspects:

1. Social media research must comply with national and international data privacy legislation and relevant requirements for notice, consent, accuracy, security and access when personally identifiable data is collected and stored.

2. Virtually all online services have Terms of Use (ToU). Most ToU have intellectual property rights clauses that explicitly forbid the unauthorised copying of material without permission. Many go further to bar all forms of scraping.

DEFINING THE SOCIAL MEDIA SPACE

Public space

A place where content is contributed with the assumption that it could be read by anyone in the public and where contributors could not be surprised that it is linked to/copied/cited.

Semi-public space

A place where people contribute content which although technically open to all to read, many would not expect it to be read or used by people not involved in the specific topic or conversation.

The boundary between public and semi-public space is open to interpretation and researchers are encouraged to act with caution and regard sites as ‘semi-public’ if they have doubts.

Private space

A place where most users would expect their comments to be private and which is available only to genuine community members. They are often called ‘walled gardens’ as they can only be accessed after the user has obtained a login and/or password.

Specific market, social and opinion research space

An online place specifically created for market, social and opinion research purposes where users have been informed of its function and the use to which their comments might be put. Typically (but not always) these are also private spaces. Examples include Market Research Online Communities (MROC’s), certain online ethnographic and co-creational techniques which utilise social media platforms.

SCRAPING OPTIONS FOR RESEARCH PURPOSESSpace Available for

researchersIdentifiable in reports

Cloaking of verbatim quotes in reports(see Appendix 2)

1 Public space Yes, subject to service ToU

Yes, except if might cause harm

No, only required if it might cause harm

2 Semi-public space Yes, subject to service ToU

No, except with user permission

More likely to be required than a public space and essential if it might cause harm

3 Private space Only with permission of service

No, except with user permission

Essential unless user gives permission to cite

4 Market research space

Yes Possible, subject to sign up agreement

No, only required if it might cause harm

QUESTIONS