Snelson, C. L. (2016). Qualitative and mixed methods social media research: A review of the literature. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 15(1), 1609406915624574. doi:10 Social media research is a relatively new concept (2007). Snelson reviews a collection of 229 qualitative studies having first being attributed to this cutting-edge field. The author quotes Kaplan and Haenlein in defining what is social media stating it’s a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Wed 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content. This article is published in a peer-reviewed journal article and refers to social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube which are within the top 10 heavily visited sites. The data from these platforms are being utilized in the field of sociology, social work, education, technology, healthcare, communication (advertising, marketing, public relations), and tourism/ hospitality. Social media research is helpful as a text-based analysis tool. Analyzing the data isn’t easy because of the broadness and the need to narrow down may leave important information out. Snelson reviewed, analyzed, and coded through a qualitative content analysis approach. Social media research in this study was examined by mixed methods. The data was collected from means such as interviews, surveys, and focus groups. YouTube was obtained/analyzed by collecting posts and videos. This new field of research often comes with the difficulty of how to get the data you want or how to get it efficiently. The aim of the study is stated clearly (p.3) and states trends in the investigation through mostly a commentary examination. Millions of people use social media so deciphering through an unlimited source data presents limitations. I agree that social media research provides a lot of new opportunities but it’s full of challenges. Currently in 2023, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter create and modify algorithms that play a huge part behind the scenes, essentially target marketing through news feeds as a consumer by manipulating what appears on people’s feeds. When thinking about human behavior social media research might be a perfect example of finding new influences on behavior and emotion. Being that Facebook invented in 2004, YouTube 2005 and Twitter 2006 it's just the start of the potential value of social media research. Data privacy protection, ethics, and prejudice play parts in the negativity of social media research so that should be regarded. As I grow older, I feel I’m growing out of social media, adopting more of a reclusive nature. Young adults usually are the demographic. Learning about social media research never crossed my mind from a consumers POV but as a researcher the advantages of a huge database of information could lead to understanding human behavior in new ways. The idea that my data could be analyzed, manipulate, or sold to research without my knowledge does seem unsettling so the importance of data privacy should play a part in this context. Another thought is if a virtual survey holds as much weight (validity) as a self-administered one? Human behavior online isn’t always supported by the subject’s behavior offline…the information of people online could be “bots” imitating human behavior skewing data observed for research purposes. communication social media week13 edu800 annotation qualitative mixed methods Web 2.0 Facebook Twitter YouTube
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