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.

Craig A. Hill, PhD, is Senior Vice President for the Survey, Computing, and Statistical Sciences at RTI International. He has more than thirty years of experience in survey research, having directed survey research projects for a wide variety of federal, academic, and commercial clients.

Elizabeth Dean, MA, is a Survey Methodologist at RTI International. She specializes in the development and testing of innovative applications of survey methodology, such as designing surveys for various social media platforms, investigating the use of virtual worlds to increase survey privacy, and adapting cognitive pretesting methods for use with emerging technologies.

Joe Murphy, MA, is a Survey Methodologist at RTI International. His research focus includes the implementation of new data collection processes and analytic techniques to maximize data quality, increase response, and reduce costs, as well as the role of new technologies and social media in the collection and analysis of social data.