Sampling Twitter users for social science research: Evidence from a systematic review of the literature

All social media platforms can be used to conduct social science research, but Twitter is the most popular as it provides its data via several Application Programming Interfaces, which allows qualitative and quantitative research to be conducted with its members. As Twitter is a huge universe, both in number of users and amount of data, sampling is generally required when using it for research purposes. Researchers only recently began to question whether tweet-level sampling—in which the tweet is the sampling unit—should be replaced by user-level sampling—in which the user is the sampling unit. The major rationale for this shift is that tweet-level sampling does not consider the fact that some core discussants on Twitter are much more active tweeters than other less active users, thus causing a sample biased towards the more active users. The knowledge on how to select representative samples of users in the Twitterverse is still insufficient despite its relevance for reliable and valid research outcomes. This paper contributes to this topic by presenting a systematic quantitative literature review of sampling plans designed and executed in the context of social science research in Twitter, including: (1) the definition of the target populations, (2) the sampling frames used to support sample selection, (3) the sampling methods used to obtain samples of Twitter users, (4) how data is collected from Twitter users, (5) the size of the samples, and (6) how research validity is addressed. This review can be a methodological guide for professionals and academics who want to conduct social science research involving Twitter users and the Twitterverse.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Digital Activism: a Hierarchy of Political Commitment

Political action has a long history. Information systems provide new affordances for political action that go well beyond sending an email to elected officials or liking a political Facebook page. Digital activism -- political action enabled by Information Systems (IS) -- not only provides citizens with enhanced opportunities for organization and communication, but also allows opportunities to take direct political action and create greater impact with fewer resources. This paper seeks to explore and build theory on the use and impact of digital activism by extending Milbrath’s hierarchy of political participation to reflect digital activism. The paper contributes to both the IS and political science literature with a digital activism framework that builds on digital activism theory

Digital diplomacy in GCC countries: strategic communication of Western embassies on Twitter

Drawing upon online communication research, this study identifies six effective communication strategies for social media-based diplomacy on Twitter: interactive, personalized, positive, relevant, and transparent communication among a broad network of stakeholders. By using an extensive mix-method design (i.e., combining a manual content and automated network analyses, N = 4438 tweets), this research examines to what extent these communication strategies are adopted on Twitter by Western embassies active in countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council. We found that embassies are not utilizing social media to its full potential. Although embassies are transparent, use positive sentiment in their online communication and post relevant information to their stakeholders, they hardly engage in direct interactive and personal communication, and only reach out to a limited group of stakeholders. We recommend embassies to put more emphasis on two-way interactive communication with a vast variety of stakeholders

Social Media, Political Change, and Human Rights

In this Essay, the role of social media in progressive political change is examined in the context of the Arab Spring uprisings. The concept of social media is explained, and Clay Shirky’s arguments for and Malcolm Gladwell’s arguments against the importance of social media in revolutions are analyzed. An account of the Arab Spring (to date) is then given, including the apparent role of social media. Evgeny Morozov’s arguments are then outlined, including his contentions that social media and the Internet can be tools of oppression rather than emancipation, and spreaders of hate and propaganda rather than tolerance and democracy. The United States’ policy on Internet freedom is also critiqued. Finally, the role, responsibility, and accountability of social media companies in facilitating revolution are discussed

Open Government in the social media age? The role of Twitter in the policymaking process in the Shura Council of Saudi Arabia

This research examined the role of Twitter in the policymaking process of the Shura Council of Saudi Arabia. The research investigated government use of social media and how it is utilised in a non-western, non-democratic country. Therefore, this study explored whether social media can enhance engagement between citizens and policymakers in a political context where this engagement does not take place through democratic elections. This research investigated how Council members perceive the socio-political use of Twitter and the impact their perceptions have on the policymaking process. It also considers how Twitter enhances public interventions in a legislative/parliamentary process, has changed the views of the legislators/decision makers in the Council, has influenced the agenda setting of the Council during the policy-making process, and has affected the workings of the Council during that process. Using interviews and a survey amongst Council members, and interpretive content analysis of Council members’ Twitter posts, the research explored how Twitter has influenced Council members during the policy-making process. The empirical finding of this research is that in Saudi Arabia, Twitter has opened government to the public, as the appointed Council members have a positive view of using Twitter within decision- and policymaking at the Shura Council. Council members use Twitter to engage in conversations with the public and learn about public concerns. Applying key concepts from both social media and policy studies shows how Twitter has facilitated public engagement. The research found Twitter has facilitated public engagement, but communication is often top-down in nature. Also, only a few Council members found that Twitter affected their decision-making process; Council members see Twitter as a useful public platform, but their primary motivation for using social media is to send out statements and for self-promotion rather than to actively communicate with the public

Egyptian Civil Society (Transnational vs. Local): The Distinction Between Theory and Practice

Abstract: The strength and dominance of political society, rather than the weaknesses of civil society, is arguably one of the primary reasons for massive civil uprising in Egypt led by independent, unaffiliated members of society. In many cases it appears that civil society was behind the Egyptian Revolution, although is this the case? Did the Revolution happen in spite of civil society? Just as the state can be a roadblock to development and democratization, civil society may also be detrimental to society’s growth. In this thesis, the development and civil society community is analyzed to discover the functions of CSOs as well as their own opinions on civil society in the hope of gaining a more precise and practical understanding of civil society’s role throughout Egypt. This thesis considers the major forces of civil society, both externally and internally, to include: local NGOs, international NGOs, USAID, development contractors, transnational organizations, and youth members of the resistance movement known throughout this research as “activists.” Development agencies and foreign governments fund civil society in order to promote democratization and empower actors outside of the state. However there is a lack of understanding of what civil society is in the developing context rather than how it is understood in Western academia and policy. In the developing context civil society is often not simply a grassroots sector, as is often suggested, and rather an intricate network of transnational organizations funded by foreign governments or WB and IMF, while local organizations or NGOs are highly regulated by national government. Essentially these formal civil society organizations are unable to challenge state dominance due to the fact that they either work closely with them or are working or the goals of Western global structures. What the investigative research found is that there is a dynamic, grassroots, and voluntary group of unaffiliated members of society although they’re not considered to be civil society by national or foreign governments, and therefore do not receive funding or assistance like formal civil society. This research and thesis is vital to the understanding of what civil society is in Egypt and the re-conceptualization of civil society in the developing world