Twitter as a tool for citizen engagement: An empirical study of the Andalusian municipalities

This paper provides a general overview of the way local governments use Twitter as a communication tool to engage with their citizens. More concretely, it tries to identify factors associated with both the channel activity and citizen engagement, to understand the relationship between media type and citizen engagement and to analyse whether different content generated different levels of engagement. A sample of the 29 most populated Andalusian local governments is examined. The results show that the majority of Andalusian local governments have an official corporate Twitter account with certain level of activity. There is no, however, a significant relationship between the population of a municipality and its citizen's engagement, and there is a significant negative relationship between audience and engagement and between activity and engagement. The findings of the study also show the particular media and content types generate higher engagement than others. This paper contributes to the literature on social media and has practical implications for local governments.     

Understanding User-Librarian Interaction Types in Academic Library Microblogging: A Comparison Study in Twitter and Weibo

This research examined the ways in which academic librarians and users interact when using social media tools such as Twitter and Weibo as well as end-users' and librarians' perceptions of the types of interaction through social media. The study conducted an analysis of 1600 microblog posts sampled from twenty university library Weibo (Chinese Twitter) sites and twenty library Twitter sites in English-speaking countries. The results were compared using Chi-Square analysis. Results indicated that at present academic librarians in English-speaking countries use post information relevant to the library (news and events) and respond to information/research inquiries. And academic librarians in China are likely to use Weibo to communicate with users and to disseminate library news. Given the lack of previous research on how social media such as micro-blogging in general facilitates communication between librarians and library users in academic libraries between in English-speaking countries and China, this study provides valuable information concerning librarians' and end-users' interactions of information/knowledge sharing activities, which will enable libraries to be better positioned to promote user engagement through SNS usage.     

Social media communication strategies of government agencies: Twitter use in Korea and the USA

This study examines Twitter use by the central government in Korea and the federal government in the USA by employing the webometric technique to extract their Twitter activity (basic Twitter statistics such as the numbers of followers, followings, and Tweets) and the social network analysis technique to map the relationship between their Twitter accounts and the direction of outlinks in their Tweets. The results of the initial analysis indicate some differences in Twitter strategies between the two governments. For example, Korean ministries were well connected through a dense network, engaged in collective cooperation, and retweeted common content to reinforce their collective agendas regardless of their main administrative functions, whereas US government departments were less collective and more individualistic and retweeted those messages that specifically fit the purpose of each department. In addition, the results for outlinks indicate that US government departments preferred private sources of information, whereas Korean ministries, government sources.     

Analyzing the use of Facebook among university libraries in Hong Kong

In recent years, many academic libraries have started adopting social media by, for example, establishing their own Facebook pages. Our research investigates the current Facebook usage among seven university libraries in Hong Kong. Using a mixed-method research approach, we examined the characteristics of academic libraries Facebook usage and its effectiveness to engage with their patrons, based on online observations and Web content analysis from the publicly available data of the Facebook pages.Our results indicated that most libraries in Hong Kong adopted Facebook as a marketing tool, yet the user engagement level in these pages is low. In addition, we also discovered that communication-related posts and video-type posts can attract the most attention of patrons. Based on these outcomes, we provided some recommendations on the application of Facebook for academic libraries.     

The impact of polices on government social media usage: Issues, challenges, and recommendations

Government agencies are increasingly using social media to connect with those they serve. These connections have the potential to extend government services, solicit new ideas, and improve decision-making and problem-solving. However, interacting via social media introduces new challenges related to privacy, security, data management, accessibility, social inclusion, governance, and other information policy issues. The rapid adoption of social media by the population and government agencies has outpaced the regulatory framework related to information, although the guiding principles behind many regulations are still relevant. This paper examines the existing regulatory framework and the ways in which it applies to social media use by the U.S. federal government, highlighting opportunities and challenges agencies face in implementing them, as well as possible approaches for addressing these challenges.     

Social media in Egyptian government websites: Presence,usage, and effectiveness

This paper examines the presence, usage, and effectiveness of Egyptian government social media websites. The adoption of social media technology provides an illustration of the application of New Public Service (NPS) theory to public administration. The first phase of this study examined the presence of social media applications on these government websites. The second phase analyzed the use of Facebook by governmental entities in Egypt. The use of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were the top social media applications in Egyptian government websites, which is consistent with other government surveys of social media found in developed countries. In terms of effectiveness of these social media websites, they were used mainly to post information, with very little two-way interaction between citizens and government. The analysis in this paper shows that social media in Egypt is not much in line with the NPS theory.     

A critical examination of social media adoption in government: Introducing omnipresence

As government agencies at every level are adopting social media tools, scholarship is emerging that indicates dialogic potentials meant to increase citizen engagement might not be met. With that premise, we take a critical examination of the way social media can increase capacity for engagement rather encourage collaboration, depending upon the way the tools are constructed. To do so, we expand Lippmann's notion of the phantom public to introduce the theoretical constructs of Omnipresent Citizens and Omnipresent Administrators. These people are everywhere but nowhere and embody characteristics of accessibility, desire to participate, and the possibility of remaining anonymous. Each has implications for citizen participation.     

Tsunami early warnings via Twitter in government: Net-savvy citizens' co-production of time-critical public information services

Governments aim to mitigate natural hazards' impacts through a disaster early warning system. Drawing on citizen co-production theory and resilient information infrastructures framework, we empirically examined government use of Twitter Tsunami Early Warning Civic Network and citizens' roles in co-providing timely and actionable information. The Indonesian government issued its tsunami early warning Tweet, which was “re-tweeted” without delay by its followers to their own followers to warn tsunami hazards during the 2012 earthquake. Within 15 min it reached over 4 million Twitter users. Based on our case study and social network analysis of Twitter information flows and exchanges within the network, we found that the speed and enormous reach of the government's Twitter tsunami early warnings would be significantly less without citizens' direct participation in re-tweeting, hence influencing greater control of the network. We present evidence for net-savvy citizens' co-production effects on increased government efficiency in providing time-critical public information services.     

Understanding risks,benefits, and strategic alternatives of social media applications in the public sector

Social media such as blogs, microblogs or electronic social networks can transform the ways in which we relate to other people and organizations. Government organizations are experimenting with social media to communicate with their constituents, and many analysts see in these media a powerful set of tools to reinvent government–citizen relationships. In this paper, we present the perceptions of risks, benefits and strategic guidelines about social media applications gathered from 250 public servants from Central Mexico, most of them working in information technology, as web masters or responding to Freedom of Information Act requests. The conclusions of the analysis are 1) that governments' participation in social media may result in improved communication and citizen participation, more transparency, and transfer of best practices among government agencies; 2) that a good implementation strategy is necessary to realize these benefits and to avoid risks; and 3) that the implementation of social media highlights the importance of updating laws and regulations, and of promoting changes in government culture and organizational practices.     

Building context-based knowledge of government social media communication through an ethnographic study of the US Coast Guard

Governments are increasing digital communication with citizens, yet little is known about how the public sector influences communicators’ daily social media activities. This ethnographic study uses interviews, documents, and participant observation to offer a rare emic view of the US Coast Guard (USCG) social media program. Breaking up the monolithic public sector communication context, influences on social media communication were nested within five contexts: organization, military, parent agency, federal government, and the US public sector. By observing how the contexts and related attributes influence personnel and the program, the study provides insights related to social media communication processes rather than merely content products. Findings extend theoretical and practical applications by identifying enablers and challenges to government social media communication within an applied context. USCG's culture and history of transparency and engagement drive the strategy, while resource constraints and a devaluing of social media within the decentralized organization constrain program effectiveness and real-time engagement.     

Social media in Chinese government: Drivers,challenges and capabilities

By the end of 2012, Chinese microblogging accounts had reached 309 million. Among them, over 176,000 accounts were opened and managed by Chinese government agencies, as new channels to disclose government information provide public services and interact with citizens. This study investigates the external drivers and challenges that Chinese government agencies are faced with and the internal capabilities of Chinese government agencies in using social media. The study further discusses the relationship and dynamics between the external environment and internal capabilities of Chinese government agencies in using social media. Based on the findings, the paper provides some recommendations to government agencies in China and other countries faced with similar challenges.     

Social media campaigns,electoral momentum,and vote shares: evidence from the 2016 Hong Kong Legislative Council election

By studying candidates’ Facebook fan pages and rolling poll data during the Hong Kong Legislative Council election in 2016, this article aims at examining the relationships between candidates’ campaign performance on social media, electoral momentum, and vote shares. We contend that, under specific contextual conditions, social media campaigns could affect candidates’ momentum during the election period, which can in turn affect vote shares. We also examine how the relationships between social media performance and electoral momentum vary according to the candidates’ background characteristics, including age, political affiliation, incumbency status, and scale of the campaign of the political group to which the candidates belong. The results show that candidates’ social media performance can indeed predict vote shares indirectly via the mediation of electoral momentum. The predictive power of social media performance is stronger for pro-democracy candidates, incumbents, and candidates belonging to political groups with larger election campaigns.     

Research characteristics on health law in China: Social network analysis

To determine the nature and extent of the emerging field of “health law” scholarship in China, we retrieved 2956 publications about various aspects of health law published up through 2014 in 268 journals from the “Chinese Social Science Citation Index” and from the list of Chinese “Core Journals” maintained by the Peking University Library. By bibliometric analysis, we observed some interesting results which were different from our expectations. The collaboration network among Chinese health law (CHL) authors was relatively small, loose, unstable and early in its development. Kan Tian and Lixin Yang were leading authors, Renmin University of China was the primary institution, and Beijing was the predominant region studying Chinese health law (CHL). Kan Tian ranked 1st in the collaboration network and Lixin Yang published the most number of articles on CHL. Comprehensive universities made up the majority of institutions studying CHL, while medical colleges did not focus on health law research, possibly due to medical schools focusing mainly on clinical education and not attaching as much importance to social and humanistic aspects of medicine. Food safety, health administration, and the general principles of civil law were the main areas of focus in CHL research, which is basically in line with what we expected.     

Landscaping digital social innovation in the EU: Structuring the evidence and nurturing the science and policy debate towards a renewed agenda for social change

This paper discusses the results of analysis of mapping ICT-enabled social innovation initiatives promoting social investment across the European Union. The key goal of the research is to provide a deeper understanding of how EU Member States can make better use of ICT-enabled social innovation to implement the actions suggested in the EU Social Investment Package (SIP). The findings of the analysis shed light on the main characteristics and patterns of the initiatives assessed according to an original conceptual framework, and taking into account the characteristics of different welfare systems and service models. Building on the analysis, the paper draws conclusions in terms of the contribution made by ICT-enabled social innovation to the implementation of social investment policies. It also provides recommendations for future research, and outlines implications and possible directions for policy. The conclusions are set to help policymakers and practitioners to use ICT-enabled social innovation to modernise EU welfare systems, providing better and more efficient social services and increasing the wellbeing of citizens. At the same time, the documented research design, its proposed terminology, theoretical framework and empirical findings contribute to the growing scientific interest and debate about ICT-enabled innovation in the field of social services and social policy redesign within the scope of the emerging discussion on the renewed agenda for Social Innovation being shaped as part of the debate on the future of Europe.     

The Effect of Personal and Academic Variables on Student Adoption of Twitter as an Information Source

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the use of Twitter in terms of personal and academic variables of students. These included gender, grade point average (GPA), and year level. Data were collected from undergraduate students at the College of Social Sciences at Kuwait University. A structured questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. The findings show that the majority of respondents use social media, 42.8% use Twitter “sometimes,” and 44.4% use it “always.” There is no significant difference between males and females, except for social influence (SI). There is a statistically significant difference in the use of Twitter as an information source among students for different academic year levels, with the highest mean for senior students. However, no significant differences were found by students' GPA scores. Further investigation focusing on variables such as students' level of confidence and skills of using Twitter, such as the effect of course content, etc., would provide more insight into the use of social media platforms in higher education.     

Social media use in local government: Linkage of technology,task, and organizational context

Social media technologies have begun to enter the governmental workplace as tools to accomplish improved public service and engagement. Widespread recognition of the potential of social media technology for achieving public outcomes does not match our understanding about how and why specific tools are being used for specific purposes. This paper makes use of newly collected national survey data from local government managers in five different agencies to address the questions: which social media tools are being used, for which tasks or purposes; and what organizational characteristics influence the coupling of task and technology. Findings reveal patterns of social media tool application for particular purposes, although organizations do not all use social media tools in the same way. Moreover, regression analysis shows that different organizational factors – work characteristics, innovativeness, technology and management capacity and stakeholder influence – predict each of the four technology–task couplings — social media for dissemination, social media for feedback on service quality, social media for participation, and social media for internal work collaboration. This study demonstrates that social media tools are not a monolithic group and calls for greater research attention to the complex interactions among social media technology, task and organizational context.     

档案馆的社交媒体信息存档实践进展与策略展望

针对档案馆社交媒体信息存档行动的调查与分析,旨在明确实践进展与特征,深化档案馆视角下有关社交媒体信息存档的理论认知与实践策略。通过对指导式接收、主动式捕获与协作式共建三大类实践的整合,社交媒体信息存档的对象、主体、方法和成果的多维特征得以解析。由此,从以下方面提出发展策略:基于档案馆条件明确存档对象、面向多元主体协同升级档案馆功能、立足制度与技术的存档方法建构、以行动为导向推动存档成果。     

Opinion mining in social media: Modeling,simulating, and forecasting political opinions in the web

Affordable and ubiquitous online communications (social media) provide the means for flows of ideas and opinions and play an increasing role for the transformation and cohesion of society – yet little is understood about how online opinions emerge, diffuse, and gain momentum. To address this problem, an opinion formation framework based on content analysis of social media and sociophysical system modeling is proposed. Based on prior research and own projects, three building blocks of online opinion tracking and simulation are described: (1) automated topic, emotion and opinion detection in real-time, (2) information flow modeling and agent-based simulation, and (3) modeling of opinion networks, including special social and psychological circumstances, such as the influence of emotions, media and leaders, changing social networks etc. Finally, three application scenarios are presented to illustrate the framework and motivate further research.     

Testing a cultural orientation model of electronic word-of-mouth communication: a comparative study of U.S. and Korean social media users

Expanding electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) literature and cross-cultural literature, this study proposes a horizontal–vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism (HVIC)-eWOM model in a cross-cultural context. We employed HVIC at the individual level to explain the variance of eWOM communications on social media. We collected data from American and Korean social media users to examine how the hypothesized model fits the samples from each country. The analysis of the HVIC-eWOM model within and between the two countries revealed that there are some similarities and differences in influential cultural dimensions on eWOM communications in the two countries. The results suggest that vertical aspects of individualism and collectivism are significant drivers of opinion-leadership and opinion-seeking tendencies for both countries.