Social Media, Sociality, and Survey Research

Provides the knowledge and tools needed for the future of survey research

The survey research discipline faces unprecedented challenges, such as falling response rates, inadequate sampling frames, and antiquated approaches and tools. Addressing this changing landscape, Social Media, Sociality, and Survey Research introduces readers to a multitude of new techniques in data collection in one of the fastest developing areas of survey research.

The book is organized around the central idea of a "sociality hierarchy" in social media interactions, comprised of three levels: broadcast, conversational, and community based. Social Media, Sociality, and Survey Research offers balanced coverage of the theory and practice of traditional survey research, while providing a conceptual framework for the opportunities social media platforms allow. Demonstrating varying perspectives and approaches to working with social media, the book features:
* New ways to approach data collection using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter
* Alternate methods for reaching out to interview subjects
* Design features that encourage participation with engaging, interactive surveys

Social Media, Sociality, and Survey Research is an important resource for survey researchers, market researchers, and practitioners who collect and analyze data in order to identify trends and draw reliable conclusions in the areas of business, sociology, psychology, and population studies. The book is also a useful text for upper-undergraduate and graduate-level courses on survey methodology and market research.

Conducting a survey is, at its core, a social interaction between a researcher and a respondent. The current pace of technological change is impacting the way people communicate with each other and the way data is collected; the result being that a researcher can be represented solely by a computer screen. Social Media, Sociality, and Survey Research addresses this reality and equips readers with the knowledge and techniques to enter this new era of data collection. The authors organize the book around the idea of the sociality hierarchy,  that is, there are three levels of person-to-person interactions utilizing computing devices:  broadcast social media (individual-to-many), conversational social media (individual to individual), and community-based social media (many-to-many, ie: friends, groups, circles).  The book begins with a discussion that defines what platforms and technologies encompass social media, identifying the populations that use it the most. Next, the current state of survey research is explored and prevailing threats are outlined such as  falling response rates; inadequacies of sample frame/coverage; and other threats to data quality.  Subsequent chapters underscore the relationship that is developing between social media and the field of survey research, discussing how social media platforms can become a key tool for the survey researcher. The concept of sociality hierarchy is introduced, discussing how data can be collected in these various scenarios and how survey researchers can use the data generated by social media at each level of the hierarchy. The book concludes with a gimpse into the future, addressing the evolving nature of data collection methods given newly-developing communication norms. The book features papers presented at a workshop on the topic at RTI International, one of the world's leading research institutes. As a result, varying perspectives and approaches to working with social media in the survey research landscape are presented. Numerous examples showcase this approach and, perhaps more importantly, how survey researchers should think about applying these in the future as a complement to traditional survey research. 

Provides the knowledge and tools needed for the future of survey research The survey research discipline faces unprecedented challenges, such as falling response rates, inadequate sampling frames, and antiquated approaches and tools. Addressing this changing landscape, Social Media, Sociality, and Survey Research introduces readers to a multitude of new techniques in data collection in one of the fastest developing areas of survey research. The book is organized around the central idea of a "sociality hierarchy" in social media interactions, comprised of three levels: broadcast, conversational, and community based. Social Media, Sociality, and Survey Research offers balanced coverage of the theory and practice of traditional survey research, while providing a conceptual framework for the opportunities social media platforms allow. Demonstrating varying perspectives and approaches to working with social media, the book features: New ways to approach data collection using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter Alternate methods for reaching out to interview subjects Design features that encourage participation with engaging, interactive surveys Social Media, Sociality, and Survey Research is an important resource for survey researchers, market researchers, and practitioners who collect and analyze data in order to identify trends and draw reliable conclusions in the areas of business, sociology, psychology, and population studies. The book is also a useful text for upper-undergraduate and graduate-level courses on survey methodology and market research.