Social Media Data Analysis: A Focus on the Government–Citizen Dynamic

Abstract

Social media scholarship inadequately conceptualizes the online interactions between emergency managers and the communities they serve. Limited data availability, data formatting constraints, and the general failure of researchers to apply relevant social science theories contribute to the problem. This paper summarizes a framework to conceptualize and measure interactions by accounting for both the information flow between different actors (i.e., structure) and the messages’ underlying meaning (i.e., content). By combining both concepts, analysts can distinguish between profoundly different ways to inform and engage followers. The approach (1) provides precise terminology to characterize the government–public dynamic on social networking sites, microblogs, and instant messaging services; (2) draws on multiple data collection techniques and research methods; and (3) illuminates methodological pitfalls to avoid. The technical paper also contributes to a larger conversation about extracting meaning from the data found in the digital environment.