research questions involving social media

Home » 300+ Social Media Research Topics

300+ Social Media Research Topics

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, and it has transformed the way we communicate, share information, and interact with each other. As social media platforms continue to evolve and gain popularity, they have also become a rich source of data for researchers. Social media research is a rapidly growing field that encompasses a wide range of topics , from understanding the psychological and social effects of social media to analyzing patterns of user behavior and identifying trends in online conversations. In this era of data-driven decision-making, social media research is more important than ever, as it provides insights into how we use and are influenced by social media. In this post, we will explore some of the most fascinating and relevant social media research topics that are shaping our understanding of this powerful medium.

Social Media Research Topics

Social Media Research Topics are as follows:

The effects of social media on mental health
The role of social media in political polarization
The impact of social media on relationships
The use of social media by businesses for marketing
The effects of social media on body image and self-esteem
The influence of social media on consumer behavior
The use of social media for education
The effects of social media on language use and grammar
The impact of social media on news consumption
The role of social media in activism and social change
The use of social media for job seeking and career development
The effects of social media on sleep patterns
The influence of social media on adolescent behavior
The impact of social media on the spread of misinformation
The use of social media for personal branding
The effects of social media on political participation
The influence of social media on fashion trends
The impact of social media on sports fandom
The use of social media for mental health support
The effects of social media on creativity
The role of social media in cultural exchange
The impact of social media on language learning
The use of social media for crisis communication
The effects of social media on privacy and security
The influence of social media on diet and exercise behavior
The impact of social media on travel behavior
The use of social media for citizen journalism
The effects of social media on political accountability
The role of social media in peer pressure
The impact of social media on romantic relationships
The use of social media for community building
The effects of social media on gender identity
The influence of social media on music consumption
The impact of social media on academic performance
The use of social media for social support
The effects of social media on social skills
The role of social media in disaster response
The impact of social media on nostalgia and memory
The use of social media for charity and philanthropy
The effects of social media on political polarization in developing countries
The influence of social media on literary consumption
The impact of social media on family relationships
The use of social media for citizen science
The effects of social media on cultural identity
The role of social media in promoting healthy behaviors
The impact of social media on language diversity
The use of social media for environmental activism
The effects of social media on attention span
The influence of social media on art consumption
The impact of social media on cultural values and norms.
The impact of social media on mental health
The impact of social media on mental health.
The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem.
The use of social media for political activism and social justice movements.
The role of social media in promoting cultural diversity and inclusivity.
The impact of social media on romantic relationships and dating.
The use of social media for customer service and support.
The impact of social media on mental health and well-being among young adults.
The impact of social media on political polarization and partisanship.
The use of social media for health communication and behavior change.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards vaccination.
The impact of social media on political participation and civic engagement.
The impact of social media on political polarization and echo chambers.
The use of social media for political campaigning and the manipulation of public opinion.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards vaccination and public health.
The impact of social media on news consumption and trust in journalism.
The use of social media for promoting sustainable fashion practices and ethical consumption.
The role of social media in influencing beauty standards and body image.
The impact of social media on the music industry and the role of social media influencers.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among healthcare professionals.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards gun violence and gun control policies.
The impact of social media on social activism and advocacy.
The use of social media for promoting cross-cultural communication and intercultural understanding.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards climate change and environmental policies.
The impact of social media on public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and access to financial services for low-income individuals.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards immigration policies and refugee crises.
The impact of social media on political activism and social movements.
The use of social media for promoting digital literacy and technology education in developing countries.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards gender and sexual orientation.
The impact of social media on consumer behavior in the food and beverage industry.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among first responders.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards racial justice and police brutality.
The impact of social media on privacy concerns and data security.
The use of social media for promoting interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards income inequality and economic justice.
The impact of social media on the film and television industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among military personnel.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards privacy and data security.
The impact of social media on the hospitality industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting intergenerational communication and understanding.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards animal welfare and animal rights.
The impact of social media on the gaming industry and gamer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting digital literacy and technology skills among seniors.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards renewable energy and sustainability.
The impact of social media on the advertising industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among children and adolescents.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards online privacy and security.
The impact of social media on the beauty industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting cultural preservation and heritage tourism.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards criminal justice reform.
The impact of social media on the automotive industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among marginalized communities.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards sustainable development goals.
The impact of social media on the fashion industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting intercultural communication in the workplace.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards mental health policies.
The impact of social media on the travel industry and sustainable tourism practices.
The use of social media for health information seeking and patient empowerment.
The role of social media in promoting environmental activism and sustainable practices.
The impact of social media on consumer behavior and brand loyalty.
The use of social media for promoting education and lifelong learning.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards mental health issues.
The impact of social media on the fashion industry and fast fashion practices.
The use of social media for promoting social entrepreneurship and social innovation.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gun control.
The impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of adolescents.
The use of social media for promoting intercultural exchange and understanding.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards climate change.
The impact of social media on political advertising and campaign strategies.
The use of social media for promoting healthy relationships and communication skills.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards police brutality and racial justice.
The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and personal finance management.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights.
The impact of social media on the music industry and fan engagement.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among marginalized populations.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards immigration and border policies.
The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of journalists.
The use of social media for promoting community building and social cohesion.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards healthcare policies.
The impact of social media on the food industry and consumer behavior.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gender equality.
The impact of social media on the sports industry and athlete-fan interactions.
The use of social media for promoting financial inclusion and access to banking services.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards animal welfare.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among college students.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards privacy and data security.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards income inequality and poverty.
The use of social media for promoting digital literacy and technology skills.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards renewable energy.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among elderly populations.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards online privacy and security.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards criminal justice reform.
The impact of social media on online activism and social movements.
The use of social media for business-to-business communication and networking.
The role of social media in promoting civic education and engagement.
The impact of social media on the fashion industry and sustainable fashion practices.
The use of social media for promoting cultural diversity and inclusion.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards police reform.
The impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of frontline healthcare workers.
The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and investment education.
The role of social media in promoting environmental sustainability and conservation.
The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem among adolescent girls.
The use of social media for promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards immigration policies and refugees.
The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of healthcare professionals.
The use of social media for promoting community resilience and disaster preparedness.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards the Black Lives Matter movement.
The impact of social media on the music industry and artist-fan interactions.
The use of social media for promoting healthy eating habits and nutrition education.
The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among college students.
The impact of social media on the entertainment industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting workplace diversity and inclusion.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards climate change policies.
The impact of social media on the travel industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among military veterans.
The role of social media in promoting intergenerational dialogue and understanding.
The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of educators.
The use of social media for promoting animal welfare and advocacy.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards reproductive rights.
The impact of social media on the sports industry and fan behavior.
The use of social media for promoting financial inclusion and literacy among underprivileged populations.
The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among LGBTQ+ populations.
The impact of social media on the food and beverage industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gun ownership.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among caregivers.
The role of social media in promoting sustainable tourism practices.
The impact of social media on the gaming industry and gamer culture.
The use of social media for promoting cultural heritage tourism and preservation.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards public transportation policies.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among homeless populations.
The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among immigrants and refugees.
The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and entrepreneurship among youth.
The use of social media for political mobilization and participation in authoritarian regimes.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards immigration policies.
The impact of social media on the professional development of teachers and educators.
The use of social media for emergency communication during public health crises.
The role of social media in promoting LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy.
The impact of social media on body positivity and self-acceptance among women.
The use of social media for public diplomacy and international relations.
The impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of marginalized communities.
The use of social media for crisis management and disaster response in the corporate sector.
The role of social media in promoting environmental activism and conservation.
The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of entrepreneurs.
The use of social media for medical education and healthcare communication.
The role of social media in promoting cultural exchange and understanding.
The impact of social media on social capital and civic engagement among young adults.
The use of social media for disaster preparedness and community resilience.
The role of social media in promoting religious pluralism and tolerance.
The use of social media for promoting healthy lifestyles and wellness.
The use of social media for fundraising and philanthropy in the non-profit sector.
The role of social media in promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.
The impact of social media on the travel and tourism industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for customer engagement and brand loyalty in the retail sector.
The impact of social media on the political attitudes and behaviors of young adults.
The use of social media for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The use of social media for promoting animal welfare and adoption.
The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among the elderly.
The impact of social media on the art industry and artist-fan interactions.
The use of social media for promoting healthy food choices and nutrition.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards income inequality.
The use of social media for promoting political satire and humor.
The role of social media in promoting disability rights and advocacy.
The use of social media for promoting voter registration and participation.
The role of social media in promoting entrepreneurship and small business development.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among incarcerated populations.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gun violence prevention.
The use of social media for promoting cultural heritage and preservation.
The impact of social media on mental health and well-being.
The relationship between social media use and academic performance.
The use of social media for emergency communication during natural disasters.
The impact of social media on traditional news media and journalism.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and discourse.
The use of social media for online learning and education.
The impact of social media on the fashion and beauty industry.
The use of social media for brand awareness and marketing.
The impact of social media on privacy and security.
The use of social media for job searching and recruitment.
The impact of social media on political polarization and extremism.
The use of social media for online harassment and cyberbullying.
The role of social media in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability.
The impact of social media on youth culture and identity formation.
The use of social media for travel and tourism marketing.
The impact of social media on consumer behavior and decision-making.
The role of social media in shaping beauty standards and body positivity.
The use of social media for crisis communication and disaster response.
The impact of social media on the music industry.
The use of social media for fundraising and philanthropy.
The role of social media in promoting healthy lifestyles and wellness.
The impact of social media on sports fandom and fan behavior.
The use of social media for political lobbying and advocacy.
The impact of social media on the entertainment industry.
The use of social media for healthcare communication and patient engagement.
The role of social media in promoting gender equality and feminism.
The impact of social media on the restaurant and food industry.
The use of social media for volunteerism and community service.
The role of social media in promoting religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue.
The impact of social media on the art industry.
The use of social media for political satire and humor.
The role of social media in promoting disability awareness and advocacy.
The impact of social media on the real estate industry.
The use of social media for legal advocacy and justice reform.
The role of social media in promoting intercultural communication and understanding.
The impact of social media on the automotive industry.
The use of social media for pet adoption and animal welfare advocacy.
The role of social media in promoting mental health and wellness for marginalized communities.
The impact of social media on the retail industry.
The use of social media for promoting civic engagement and voter participation.
The impact of social media on the film and television industry.
The use of social media for fashion and style inspiration.
The role of social media in promoting activism for human rights and social issues.
The effectiveness of social media for political campaigns.
The role of social media in promoting fake news and misinformation.
The impact of social media on self-esteem and body image.
The impact of social media on romantic relationships.
The use of social media for online activism and social justice movements.
The impact of social media on traditional news media.
The impact of social media on interpersonal communication skills.
The impact of social media on the fashion industry.
The use of social media for social support and mental health awareness.
The use of social media for political lobbying and activism.
The impact of social media on travel and tourism behavior.
The use of social media for customer feedback and market research.
The impact of social media on the restaurant industry.
The role of social media in political activism
The effect of social media on interpersonal communication
The relationship between social media use and body image concerns
The impact of social media on self-esteem
The role of social media in shaping cultural norms and values
The use of social media by celebrities and its impact on their image
The role of social media in building and maintaining personal relationships
The use of social media for job searching and recruitment
The impact of social media on children and adolescents
The use of social media by political candidates during election campaigns
The role of social media in education
The impact of social media on political polarization
The use of social media for news consumption
The effect of social media on sleep habits
The use of social media by non-profit organizations for fundraising
The role of social media in shaping public opinion
The influence of social media on language and communication patterns
The use of social media in crisis communication and emergency management
The role of social media in promoting environmental awareness
The influence of social media on music preferences
The impact of social media on body positivity movements
The role of social media in shaping beauty standards
The influence of social media on sports fandom
The use of social media for health promotion and education
The impact of social media on political participation
The role of social media in shaping parenting practices
The influence of social media on food preferences and eating habits
The use of social media for peer support and mental health advocacy
The role of social media in shaping religious beliefs and practices
The influence of social media on humor and comedy
The use of social media for online activism and social justice advocacy
The impact of social media on public health awareness campaigns
The role of social media in promoting cultural diversity and inclusion
The influence of social media on travel behavior and decision-making
The use of social media for international diplomacy and relations
The impact of social media on job satisfaction and employee engagement
The role of social media in shaping romantic preferences and dating behavior
The influence of social media on language learning and language use
The use of social media for political satire and humor
The impact of social media on social capital and community building
The role of social media in shaping gender identity and expression
The influence of social media on fashion and beauty advertising.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

500+ Statistics Research Topics

500+ Criminal Justice Research Topics

500+ History Research Paper Topics

500+ Quantitative Research Titles and Topics

500+ Physics Research Topics

500+ Cyber Security Research Topics

Board Members
Management Team
Become a Contributor
Volunteer Opportunities
Code of Ethical Practices

KNOWLEDGE NETWORK

Search Engines List
Suggested Reading Library
Web Directories
Research Papers
Industry News

Become a Member
Associate Membership
Certified Membership
Membership Application
Corporate Application

CIRS Certification Program
CIRS Certification Objectives
CIRS Certification Benefits
CIRS Certification Exam
Maintain Your Certification

Upcoming Events
Live Classes
Classes Schedule
Webinars Schedules

Latest Articles
Internet Research
Search Techniques
Research Methods
Business Research
Search Engines
Research & Tools
Investigative Research
Internet Search
Work from Home
Internet Ethics
Internet Privacy

MRA Guide to the Top 16 Social Media Research Questions

MRA and IMRO published this simple guide to Social Media Research (SMR) in 2010 in order to help researchers identify and find answers to the most important questions to SMR techniques.

Introduction Social networks engulf everyday life. They represent a place to share news, ideas, and information of all kinds. The connections made among people in these networks, and the resulting information shared, can have a profound effect on the thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs of individuals. Moreover, even the flow of information itself can be a powerful predictor of key business and program outcomes.

Recognizing the power of social networks, opinion researchers have increasingly begun to take advantage of social media to answer critical business questions. In doing so, the research profession has invented new tools and methods to supplement an already impressive array of techniques. The Marketing Research Association (MRA) has developed this guide in order to describe the current landscape of social media research as well as to facilitate and advance further development of the technique. Ultimately, it is the goal of the Association and its members to foster universally accepted and practiced standards and best practices for these and other research methods.

What is Social Media?

There are many definitions of social media but, at its core, social media uses Internet-based technologies that facilitate the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Social media refers to Web sites that permit people to interact with the site and with each other using simple interfaces. At the time of publication, Facebook, qq.com, Twitter and YouTube are among the most popular social media sites.

Social media refers to the information that people share on those sites, including status updates, image and video comments, responses to blogs and forums, and any other individual contributions to the online space. This information reflects naturally occurring conversations among people who may or may not personally know each other.

What is Social Media Research?

Though evolving rapidly, social media research (SMR) is the application of marketing and opinion research methods to social media data for the purposes of conducting research (e.g., usage and attitude studies, social media research tracking studies, custom research, etc.). Similar to other types of marketing research usage and attitude studies, tracking studies, research goals and objectives are developed, methodologies are prepared, and social media data are analyzed quantitatively and/or qualitatively depending on the goals of the project.

SMR is distinct from other forms of marketing research in that it uses social media as its data source as opposed to surveys, focus groups and other data collection modes and techniques. SMR can be a complementary or stand-alone analytical tool for researchers, providing them with a unique opportunity to listen and measure the opinions of potentionally vast numbers of people who communicate online, some of whom may not normally or easily be accessible through non-observational forms of research.

About the Authors MRA is grateful to the following for their contributions to this Guide to the Top 16 Social Media Research Questions: Jim Longo, PRC, Itracks, Committee Chair; Janet Savoie, PRC, Online Survey Solution; Annie Pettit, Conversition Strategies; Ray Poynter, The Future Place; Ellie Schwartz; Ed Sugar, PRC, OLC Global; Tamara Barber, Forrester Research; Tamara Kenworthy, PRC, On Point Strategies; Steven Runfeldt, Schwartz Consulting; Benjamin Smithee, Spych Market Analytics; Aaron Hill, PRC, Sawtooth Software; Susan Saurage-Altenloh, PRC; Steffen Hück, HVYE; and Patrick Glaser, MRA.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH

#1. what are the advantages and disadvantages of smr.

From a capacity standpoint, SMR provides the ability to collect and analyze information from the past as well as in real-time, as it is generated. Moreover, the richness of data available on social media networks is conducive to both qualitative designs (e.g., digital ethnographies) as well as quantitative designs, including numerical aggregation of large quantities of data.

In terms of methodological considerations, SMR utilizes an observational form of data collection. Information is collected from Web sites as posted by individuals who may not be specifically aware of the research role. As such, social media communications are thought to be free of, or less subject to, response biases that occurs in interviewer-administered, and even self-administered, forms of opinion surveys and focus groups. However, social media is inherently a public form of communication, with varying degrees of privacy which may affect some social media users’ willingness to reveal information, particularly sensitive or potentially embarrassing personal details.

From an ethical standpoint, SMR has the additional advantage of eliminating the burden that would otherwise be placed on a research participant. Social media users do not participate in “active” data collection (e.g., survey, focus group). They generate data simply by engaging in their natural online communications. However, SMR presents unique ethical considerations of which researchers must be aware (see “Ethical and Legal Issues”).

SMR offers researchers a host of benefits, a few of which include:

Ease of adjusting research criteria throughout the study
Potential cost savings and reduced logistical burden
Ease of application across locations
Access to hard-to-reach research participants
Benchmarking (e.g., reported vs. observed opinions)

Likewise, researchers should be aware of various challenges associated with SMR. For example, researchers who are new to SMR methods will need to familiarize themselves with both the characteristics of social media users as well as specific SM sites in order to properly draw conclusions about research findings. Additional considerations include the need to learn and become proficient with:

SM tools and techniques including sentiment and content analysis
Indicators of SMR validity and reliability at each stage of the process
Relevant types of biases, particularly those arising from unique SMR tools
The types of brands and categories that are more likely to be successful carrying out SMR, e.g., due to volume of data or consumer importance

#2. What data sources are typically used in SMR?

Millions of Web sites (small and large) currently facilitate the practice of social media research. However, online sites, which currently facilitate social media communications come and go, and change very rapidly. Researchers involved in SMR need to stay abreast of changes in social media communication patterns and trends, including the rise of mobile access, and popular SM vehicles. Current examples of SM Web sites that generate data suitable for SMR include:

Social Networking Sites:Social News: e.g., Digg, Reddit, Mashable, Technorati Facebook: Search, Community Pages, Fan Pages, Groups, Chat, Facebook-based Apps

Twitter: Location-based Application, Real-time Search, Advanced Search (search.twitter.com)

LinkedIn: Search, Groups, Q&A

Photo/Video Sharing: e.g., YouTube, Flickr
Online Communities: Industry, Topic-related, Branded or Unbranded
Blogs: e.g., Blogger, Posterous, Wordpress
Forums: Industry or Topic-related
Questions and Answers: e.g., Yahoo Answers, Linkedin Answers, Yedda
Commenting: e.g., Disqus, Backtype
Traditional News: e.g., CNN, BusinessWeek

#3. How does SMR interact with other forms of traditional and non-traditional research, including online, offline, in-person, and qualitative and quantitative?

SMR can effectively stand on its own, but may also be integrated with traditional research methods to create a holistic research solution. In fact, SMR may sometimes springboard or support other forms of traditional research. Examples of SMR integration with other research methods include:

Observing the flow of conversation in real time, thus prompting the most effective methodology for further research
Accessing user supplied media such as photos and video
Measuring trending topics for further “traditional” research
Assisting in the preparation of discussion guides or surveys
Identifying key influencers in an industry or on a topic
Reaching a segment of the population that may not otherwise be reachable
Comparing community-based insights to natural observational social media insights
Establishing trust between researcher and participant, potentially for further recruitment into another form of research
Exploring, and discovering “unknowns” via observations

#4. How reliable are SMR results?

Validity refers to the degree to which results reflect truth or reality while reliability reflects the degree to which results can be replicated if someone else were to conduct a similar study. Because research suppliers have different methods, standards of quality, and processing rules, research consumers must conduct their own validity and reliability analysis of any potential supplier to ensure the quality of work is sufficient. As with all types of marketing research, the validity and reliability of social media research varies greatly:

What is the validity and reliability of the sentiment and/or content analysis processes? If manual coders are used, reliability might be lower. If automated coders are used, validity might be lower.

Given that sentiment differs by Web site (e.g., Twitter is more negative while blogs are more positive), what is the range of social media venues that are measured and what percentage of the Internet population do they represent? Do any of the sites overwhelm the data collection strategy in a proportion that does not reflect the Internet space? Does the vendor know how and why to sample and weight data?
To what extent is the intended target group reflected by the social media venues being used?
Is the intention to measure and generalize to the general Internet population or to a particular segment of the Internet?
How is geographic and demographic information being measured in order to assess the validity of generalizing outside of the sample?
What timeframe is appropriate for the research objectives? Though small samples may be acceptable for long-term research, shorter time frames must use larger sample sizes.

#5. Within businesses and organizations, how will SMR activities be tracked and aggregated, and whose responsibility is it to handle each of those functions?

Social media research may be executed in multiple ways. For example, numerous departments within a single company may be involved in SMR, including internal research departments, and cross-functional teams from marketing, customer relationship management, public relations, public affairs, and other departments. SMR may also be outsourced to vendors who may or may not specialize in research. Regardless, the skill set of the user must be appropriate for the function.

#6. What additional knowledge, skills, and abilities will a corporate researcher need to learn in order to improve their level of competency with SMR?

SMR may involve several different methods and analytical approaches. As such, corporate researchers may find it most advantageous to learn a wide breadth of relevant techniques while continually honing their skills and knowledge in the areas that are most relevant to their organization. Commonly used techniques include both sentiment analysis and content analysis. Additionally, researchers will need to learn about, and become comfortable with, important explanatory variables beyond traditional “respondent” demographics, such as how different types of Web sites (e.g., blogs, forums, media, etc.) generate and facilitate different types of data (e.g., whether data is more positive versus negative, descriptive versus condensed, etc.).

#7. Are the participants aware that their usergenerated content is under observation?

Research contributors have demonstrated the occasional tendency to provide sub-optimal information when they are aware that others are studying or observing them. Oftentimes, this is attributable to concerns over the privacy of sensitive information or feelings of being compelled to give a socially-desirable response to a question. In SMR, though it commonly is understood that conversations are generally public and open to viewing by almost anyone, the individual under observation may or may not be aware of the presence of a researcher.

At the same time, participation in the social media space offers varying degrees of privacy. Users may participate for personal and/or professional reasons and they may or not seek relationships with other users. Researchers should be aware of the potential and likelihood for “social observational bias” and the effect it will have on the type, candor and direction of the user’s comments.

Ethical and Legal Issues

#8. how are sources cited in research reports and on research web portals are the citations different based on the source, e.g., twitter, blogger, forums.

As in traditional forms of research, it is important to protect the privacy of contributors. As such, without prior express consent, data transmitted from vendor to client should not include direct references or citations to individuals that would reveal their identity.

However, sources may be recorded for validation purposes as well as for potential data quality checks. Any data or reporting intended for transfer to an outside entity should be purged of personally identifiable information (PII) prior to changing-hands. This includes IP addresses, usernames, user id numbers, user photos, e-mail addresses, and other types of commonly available online data.

Where detailed information must be shared for the purposes of data quality or validation, the data should include source citations using the current link of the information (e.g., http:// twitter.com/xxxx/xxxx/). Notably, links should be expected to expire or become “broken” overtime. Researchers should plan to record any pertinent administrative or relevant source data (e.g., date/time, source identifier, query details, etc.) to be used in validation at the time of data collection.

#9. What are the controversies and legal issues regarding the rights of the people whose data is being used?

Social media is a relatively new form of communication and individuals from every stakeholder group, including the public, researchers and governments, are participating in an on-going conversation about the nature of its privacy and ethics. For this reason, it’s critical for researchers to understand that they have a responsibility to respect social media user’s privacy and that the definition and expectations for social media user’s privacy can and will change over time. Some brief areas of consideration are described below.

Privacy: Individuals and their social media privacy expectations should be respected. If an individual has posted information on a public Web site under a public “privacy” setting, they may be considered to have a very low or no expectation of privacy for the information they reveal. Even so, researchers who collect and analyze this information should take care to protect it from becoming identifiable to an individual.

Conversations should not be copied verbatim into reports as those direct quotes can be searched and identities discovered. A small number of relevant conversations can be summarized, without losing their flavor, in reports. Moreover, full quotations can be used with permission.

Interacting with individuals: Clients must never use information collected during or for social media research for the purpose of direct marketing or otherwise influencing the opinions and behaviors of the data subject. Marketing may only occur in places like branded and client communities where contributors would naturally expect those types of conversations to take place.

Combining data from multiple sources where privacy policies differ: In general, the policy provisions that tend to favor the rights and needs of the contributors should be given weight. Best practices call for researchers to respect the coded crawling terms of every Web site they visit. Where Web sites are coded to indicate that crawling is not permitted, those Web sites should not be crawled even if it is technically possible. Researchers must not join Web sites under the pretense of being a member so that they then have access to crawl a Web site that prohibits such crawling otherwise – this condition holds for both automated and manual crawling. Where researchers do join groups, they must immediately make it explicit that they are there for the purposes of marketing research. Notably, issues concerning access to data sources are paramount to the conduct of social media research and can be expected to be a major focus of the opinion research industry moving forward, both in terms of how to ethically gain access to the widest net of sources as well as appropriate ways to handle and adjust for cases where this is not possible.

SM Research Processes & Providers

#10. what is the level of expertise and industry qualifications of social media researchers and/or smr companies.

Anyone selecting a social media research vendor must be aware that the technique is relatively new. They must be careful to select a research partner with the appropriate level of expertise and skill in the practice of SMR. Some relevant questions to ask include:

Is the company primarily an IT or social media company that expanded into research, or a research company that expanded into social media? While IT and social media companies may have expertise in social media, crawling and data collection techniques, research companies have expertise in data analysis techniques.
Does the company focus on research exclusively or do they maintain other functions as well? For example, companies that conduct SMR may specialize in buzz monitoring, customer relationship management, public relations, research, or some other social media function.
Does the company specialize in qualitative methods, quantitative methods, or a combination of both?
Is the provider aware of traditional research practices such as sampling and weighting and, if so, how and when do they apply those practices?
For the practice of ethics and standards of quality, does the provider classify themselves as a researcher or as some other profession?

#11. What are the standard data and/or research outputs?

Since SMR is relatively new, industry standards for outputs have not yet been developed. It is important to understand the vendor’s policies and capacities for standard and custom reporting. Relevant questions include:

Does the company offer a full-service model of data collection, analysis and presentation or do they offer a self-service tool such as a portal?
In cases where the vendor offers full-service reporting and presentation, what substantive outputs may be expected? What technical explanation and reporting may be expected (e.g., a technical appendix)?
Are the SMR analyses incorporated with traditional types of marketing research and does the company have expertise doing so?
Does the provider offer standardized or customized tools?
How often are outputs updated and/or delivered?

#12. What is the process for gathering data?

Like other forms of opinion research, a wide variety of approaches exist for the implementation of SMR. It is important to understand the company policies undertaken. Relevant questions include:

Does the company gather its own data or is a data collection vendor used?
How many Web sites are crawled and how are those Web sites selected?
Does the company seek out permission-based relationships with the sites they crawl?
Does the company honor the electronic privacy notifications of individual Web sites?

#13. What data quality processes are implemented in each stage of the SMR?

What quality and validation protocols have been adopted and implemented to safeguard the quality of the research at each stage of the process? Are there validation processes in place for initial data collection, scoring and coding, etc.? Does the organization collect and retain information at the initial stages for validation purposes while removing/anonymizing data for reporting purposes?

#14. Does the company provide sentiment scoring?

Sentiment scoring is a process of assigning a positive or negative emotion to a conversation. Some vendors may provide strictly positive or negative emotions, while others may assign a continuum ranging from positive to neutral, to negative. If the vendor provides sentiment scoring, is the process an internal proprietary method, a third party purchased product, or some combination of the two? How is the sentiment scored (e.g., dictionary, bayesian, manually)?

#15. If sentiment scoring is provided, what is the process for validating results?

Simple and commonly-used systems of sentiment validation may prove to be inadequate. More rigorous approaches should be used, specifically blinded methods. For example:

For automated systems, researchers should receive a list of uncoded conversations and then code them manually. The manual codes should then be matched back and compared to the automated codes to derive a percentage match (i.e., validation coefficient).

For manual systems, two unique raters should independently code conversations. A validation coefficient may be derived from a comparison of the two outputs.

The above processes are two relatively simple examples of validation systems. More complicated calculations are available, but their use should be weighed according to the capacity of stakeholders to understand the meaning and method of the technique.

Language constantly changes and evolves due to new and lapsed slang, terminology, and speech patterns. As such, simple systems of sentiment validation may prove to be inadequate. When conducting SMR, rigorous and constantly monitored approaches to sentiment analysis are most appropriate.

#16. What, if any, methods are used for determining the geography associated with the data?

Demographic and geographic information can often be an important and meaningful element for research and validation purposes. When considering SMR, what geographic information is available and how precise is the information (e.g., city or town, region, country, unknown)? What types of demographic data are available (e.g., age, gender, income, education)?

Researchers must take care to specify the methodology and sample size associated with the information. Inferred methods (based on Web site sources or language) may be associated with large sample sizes but have low validity. On the other hand, precise information is currently only available for an extremely tiny percentage of conversations and therefore often has insufficient generalizability.

The “Top 16 Questions” presented in this guide represent the core matters of importance to the research field with respect to social media research. They include issues of reliability, execution, interaction with other kinds of research, ethics and legal compliance, data quality, process, and outputs.

Importantly, the 16 questions in this document do not stand as the only ones the opinion research profession needs to address, nor do they take the place of standards of practice. Instead, they provide a starting point for experts and professionals to debate and discuss development toward this goal. As in any profession, a reasonable consensus should be reached in order to validly define and represent an industry standard of best practice. It is the goal of the Marketing Research Association that this document be widely distributed and contribute as such.

Latest from Anthony Frank

The Deep Web: The forbidden fruit of the cyber world
90% of Gmail Users Not Properly Protecting Accounts
Using the internet makes people more likely to vote Labour, research shows

Live Classes Schedule

OCT 15 CIRS Certification Internet Research Training Program Live Classes Online

World's leading professional association of Internet Research Specialists - We deliver Knowledge, Education, Training, and Certification in the field of Professional Online Research. The AOFIRS is considered a major contributor in improving Web Search Skills and recognizes Online Research work as a full-time occupation for those that use the Internet as their primary source of information.

Get Exclusive Research Tips in Your Inbox

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Advertising Opportunities
Knowledge Network

Advance Your Online Research Skills with Updated Ver 6.0.1! CIRS™ TRAINING PROGRAM - Starting from 15th October.

234 Social Media Research Topics & Ideas

Icon Calendar 18 May 2024
Icon Page 2646 words
Icon Clock 12 min read

Social media research encompasses a broad range of different topics that delve into the ever-evolving digital landscape. People investigate the impact of social platforms on society, exploring subjects, such as online identity formation, self-presentation, the psychology of virtual interactions, and others. Additionally, studies examine the influence of social media on politics, activism, and public opinion, uncovering patterns of information dissemination and polarization. Privacy concerns, cyberbullying, and online safety are also explored in-depth, seeking strategies to mitigate the associated risks. In this article, people can find many social media research topics, ideas, and examples.

Hot Social Media Research Topics

Impacts of Social Media and Internet Algorithms on User Experience
The Rise of TikTok: A Socio-Cultural Analysis
Dealing With Cyberbullying: Strategies and Solutions
Understanding the Phenomenon of Social Media ‘Cancel Culture’
NFTs and Social Media: The Future of Digital Art?
Ethical Concerns in the Era of Influencer Marketing
Social Media’s Role in Accelerating E-Commerce Growth
Impacts of Internet and Social Media on Journalism and News Reporting
Understanding the Psychology of Viral Challenges on Social Platforms
Cryptocurrency and Social Media: The Intersection
Mitigating Misinformation and ‘Fake News’ on Social Media
Augmented Reality (AR) in Social Media: A Game Changer?
Evaluating the Impact of Social Media on Political Campaigns
Social Media’s Influence on Fashion and Beauty Trends
Privacy, Safety, and Security Concerns in the Age of Social Networking
Roles of Free Access and Social Media in Promoting Sustainable Practices
Implications of Social Media Addiction on Mental Health
Examining Social Media’s Role in Crisis Communication
The Power of User-Generated Content in Branding
Influence of Social Media on Food Culture and Dining Trends

Easy Social Media Research Topics

Impacts of Online Videos and Social Media on Mental Health
Influencer Marketing: Efficacy and Ethical Concerns
Evolution of Privacy Policies Across Social Platforms
Understanding Virality: What Makes Content Shareable?
Cyberbullying: Prevalence and Prevention Strategies
Social Media and Political Polarization: An In-Depth Study
Role of Social Media in Modern Business Strategies
Effect of Social Media on Interpersonal Relationships
Social Platforms as Tools for Social Change
Navigating Online Hate Speech: A Legal Perspective
Emerging Trends in Social Media Advertising
Online Identity Construction and Self-Presentation
The Psychology of Social Media Addiction
Social Media’s Role in Crisis Management and Communication
Sentiment Analysis in Social Media and Its Implications
Social Media Algorithms: Bias and Implications
The Phenomenon of Cancel Culture on Social Platforms
Cybersecurity Threats in the Era of Social Media
Analyzing Adverse Impacts of Social Media on Consumer Behavior

Interesting Social Media Research Topics

Evaluating the Effects of Social Media on Language and Communication
Roles of Social Media in Fostering Political Engagement
Misinformation and Propaganda Spread Through Social Platforms
Analyzing the Shift From Traditional Media to Social Media
Dark Patterns in Social Media: Hidden Manipulative Tactics
Social Media and Digital Activism: Revolutionizing Advocacy
Augmented Reality (AR) and Its Impact on Social Networking
Exploring Cybersecurity Issues in Social Media Platforms
Roles and Effects of Social Media and News in Mental Health Promotion
Strategies for Effective Social Media Crisis Management
The Power of Live Streaming for Brands and Influencers
Using Social Media to Enhance Classroom Learning
Analyzing the Influence of Memes on Internet Culture
Impacts of Social Media Algorithms on User Behavior
Assessing the Correlation Between Social Media and Loneliness
Geotagging and Its Implications for Personal Privacy
Social Media and E-commerce: A Cross-Industry Study
The Ethics of Digital Advertising on Social Platforms
Understanding the Psychology of Social Media Trolls
The Cultural Shift Caused by Social Media Localization

Social Media Research Paper Topics for High School

The Phenomenon of Cyberbullying: Prevention and Strategies
How Does Social Media Influence Teen Body Image?
Evaluating the Educational Potential of Social Media Platforms
Impacts of Social Media on Adolescents’ Self-Esteem
Roles of Free Connection and Social Media in Modern Political Activism
Exploring the Concept of ‘Digital Citizenship’ Among Teenagers
The Ethics of Social Media Privacy: User Rights and Responsibilities
Social Media Addiction: Understanding Its Causes and Effects
Influence of Social Media on Modern Communication Styles
Analyzing Positive Roles of Social Media in Promoting Reading Culture
Social Media and Mental Health: Correlation or Causation?
The Role of Social Media in Global Environmental Awareness
Examining Social Media’s Impact on Real-Life Social Skills
Social Media Platforms: Tools for Personal Branding or Narcissism?
Influence of Social Media Trends on Youth Fashion Choices
Impacts of Social Media on Teenagers’ Sleep Patterns
Online Safety: The Role of Parents and Schools in Social Media Usage
How Does Social Media Influence Teenagers’ Views on Relationships?
Social Media and Empathy: Does Online Interaction Decrease Compassion?

Social Media Research Paper Topics for College Students

Evaluating the Impact of Social Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem
The Influence of Social Media on Voting Patterns Among Young Adults
Social Media as a Valid Tool for Social Change: A Case Study Approach
Unveiling the Psychology of Social Media Addiction
Social Media’s Role in Modern Journalism: Opportunities and Challenges
Privacy Implications of Data Collection on Social Media Platforms
Cyberbullying in the Age of Social Media: Scope and Solutions
The Ethical Aspects of Social Media Influencer Marketing
Roles and Effects of Social Media in Crisis Communication and Management
Social Media and Its Effects on Interpersonal Communication Skills
Analyzing Social Media Strategies of Successful Businesses
Impacts of Internet Use and Social Media on Mental Health Among College Students
The Roles That Social Media Has in Modern Political Campaigns
Understanding the Social Media Algorithm: Bias and Implications
Social Media and Consumer Behavior: The Power of Influencer Marketing
Fake News, Authors, and Disinformation Spread Through Social Media Platforms
Exploring Direct Links Between Social Media Use and Academic Performance
Social Media’s Role in Promoting Sustainable Lifestyle Choices
Regulation of Hate Speech and Offensive Content on Social Media
The Power and Peril of Virality in the Age of Social Media

Social Media Research Paper Topics for University

The Effect That Social Media Has on Global Politics
The Ethics of Data Mining in Social Media
Roles of Social Media in Business Marketing Strategies
Social Media, Internet Use, and Their Impacts on Mental Health: A Systematic Review
Algorithmic Bias in Social Media Platforms: Causes and Consequences
The Influence of Colors and Social Media on Consumer Behavior
Exploring Possible Relationships Between Social Media Use and Academic Performance
Privacy, Morality, and Security Concerns in the Age of Social Media
Social Media as a Platform for Digital Activism
Impacts of Social Media on Interpersonal Communication and Relationships
Cyberbullying on Social Media: Scope, Impact, and Preventive Measures
The Role of Social Media in Spreading Health-Related Misinformation
Analyzing the Effect of Social Media on Journalism Practices
Understanding the Influence of Social Media on Body Image Perceptions
Social Media’s Role in Crisis Management: Case Studies
The Power and Effectiveness of Influencer Marketing on Social Media
Fake News and Disinformation in the Social Media Age
Regulatory Approaches to Hate Speech on Social Media Platforms
The Economic Implications of Social Media: From Startups to Giants

Social Media Research Paper Topics for Masters

Advanced Algorithms and Their Role in Shaping Social Media Interactions
Evaluating the Impact of Social Media on Democratic Processes Globally
The Intersection of Privacy, Data Mining, and Ethics in Social Media
Quantitative Analysis of Social Media’s Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior
Cybersecurity Threats in Social Media: Mitigation and Prevention Strategies
Analyzing the Psychological Implications of Social Media Addiction
Using Social Media Data to Predict Market Trends: An Econometric Approach
Role of Social Media in Crisis Management: A Comparative Study
The Sociolinguistic Impact of Social Media on Communication
Machine Learning and AI in Social Media: An Examination of Emerging Trends
Social Media as a Valid Tool for Public Health: Opportunities and Challenges
Social Media’s Influence on Modern Journalism: A Critical Analysis
Mapping Social Networks: A Graph Theory Approach
Evaluating the Efficacy of Social Media Campaigns in Social Change Movements
Analyzing the Role of Social Media in Corporate Reputation Management
Data Privacy Laws and Social Media: A Comparative Study
The Use of Small and Big Data Analytics in Social Media Marketing
Social Media and Its Role in Strengthening Democracy: A Deep Dive
The Impact of Social Media on Cultural Assimilation and Identity
Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Social Media Content Moderation

Social Media Research Paper Topics for Ph.D.

Analyzing the Impact of Social Media Algorithms on User Behavior and Perceptions
Deciphering the Influence of Social Media on Political Campaign Strategies
Examining the Role of Social Media in Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives
Social Media and Mental Health: A Comprehensive Analysis of Recent Studies
Effects of Social Media and Internet Use on Consumer Buying Behavior: An Econometric Approach
Social Media and Digital Diplomacy: A Critical Analysis
Ethical Implications of Data Mining Techniques in Social Media Platforms
Unpacking the Psychological Mechanisms of Social Media Addiction
Role of Social Media in Contemporary Journalism: Opportunities and Challenges
Social Media and Privacy: A Comparative Study of Data Protection Laws
Machine Learning and AI in Social Media: Identifying Future Trends
Social Media’s Possible Influence on People, Body Image, and Self-Esteem: A Meta-Analysis
Analyzing the Role of Social Media in Crisis Management and Communication
Impacts of Social Media on Different Language and Communication Styles
Cybersecurity in Social Media: An Analysis of Current Threats and Mitigation Strategies
Social Media as a Good Tool for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Effects of Social Media on Children and Their Parents: Social Skills and Interpersonal Relationships
Roles of Social Media in Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Rights
Social Media and its Influence on Cultural Assimilation and Identity Formation

Social Media Research Topics for Argumentative Papers

Impacts of Social Media on Social and Political Discourses: Enhancing or Hindering Democratic Engagement?
Social Media and Mental Health: Exploring the Association Between Excessive Usage and Psychological Well-Being
Fostering Online Activism and Social Movements: The Role of Social Media
Balancing Personal Information Sharing and Data Protection: Social Media and Privacy
Exploring the Effects of Social Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem
Social Media and Political Polarization: Reinforcing Echo Chambers or Encouraging Diverse Perspectives?
Youth Culture and Identity Formation: The Influence of Social Media
Fake News and Misinformation: Combating Inaccurate Information in the Era of Social Media
Social Media and Cyberbullying: Examining the Impact on Mental Health and Well-Being
The Ethics of Social Media Research: Privacy, Informed Consent, and Ethical Considerations
Relationships in the Digital Age: Exploring the Influence of Social Media Use
The Influence of Internet, Technology, and Social Media on Consumer Behavior and Buying Decisions
Analyzing the Role of Online Platforms in Elections: Social Media and Political Campaigns
Social Media in Education: Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Integration in the Classroom
Impacts of Social Media and Interface on News Consumption and Journalism Practices
Body Politics in the Digital Space: Examining Representations of Gender, Race, and Body Image on Social Media
Addressing Ethical and Security Concerns in the Digital Age: Social Media and Cybersecurity
Shaping Consumer Behavior and Brand Perception: The Role of Social Media Influencers
Civic Engagement in the Digital Era: Assessing the Role of Social Media Platforms
The Influence of Social Media Algorithms on Information Consumption and Personalization

Social Media Research Topics for Persuasive Papers

The Power of Social Media in Driving Social and Political Change
Promoting Digital Literacy: Empowering Users to Navigate the Complexities of Social Media
Social Media as a Catalyst for Social Justice Movements: Amplifying Marginalized Voices
Countering Fake News and Misinformation on Social Media: Strategies for Critical Thinking
Harnessing the Influence of Social Media for Environmental Activism and Sustainability
The Dark Side of Social Media: Addressing Online Harassment and Cyberbullying
Influencer Marketing: Ethical Considerations and Consumer Protection in the Digital Age
Leveraging Social Media for Public Health Campaigns: Increasing Awareness and Behavioral Change
Social Media and Mental Health: Promoting Well-Being in a Hyperconnected World
Navigating the Privacy Paradox: Balancing Convenience and Personal Data Protection on Social Media
Roles of Social Media and Internet in Fostering Civic Engagement and Democratic Participation
Promoting Positive Body Image on Social Media: Redefining Beauty Standards and Empowering Individuals
Enhancing Online Safety: Developing Policies and Regulations for Social Media Platforms
Social Media and the Spread of Disinformation: Combating the Infodemic
Roles of Social Media and Technology in Building and Sustaining Relationships: Connecting in a Digital Era
Influencer Culture and Materialism: Examining the Impact on Consumer Behavior
Social Media and Education: Maximizing Learning Opportunities and Bridging the Digital Divide
The Power of Viral Hashtags: Exploring Social Movements and Online Activism
Social Media and Political Polarization: Bridging Divides and Encouraging Constructive Dialogue

Social Media Topics for Pros and Cons Research Papers

Examining the Social Effects of Digital Connectivity: Pros and Cons of Using Social Media
Balancing Privacy Concerns in the Digital Age: Evaluating the Cons and Risks of Social Media Use
Information Sharing in the Digital Era: Uncovering the Advantages of Social Media Platforms
Building Online Communities: Analyzing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Social Media Interaction
Navigating Political Discourse in the Digital Age: The Disadvantages of Social Media Engagement
Mental Health in the Digital Sphere: Understanding the Benefits and Drawbacks of Social Media
Combating Cyberbullying: Addressing the Negative Side of Online Social Interactions
Personal Branding in the Digital Landscape: Empowerment vs. Self-Objectification on Social Media
Establishing Meaningful Connections: Exploring the Pros and Cons of Social Media Relationships
Leveraging the Educational Potential of Digital Platforms: Examining the Benefits of Social Media in Learning
Body Image and Self-Esteem in the Age of Social Media: Weighing the Positives and Negatives
From Digital Activism to Political Change: Assessing the Opportunities and Limitations of Social Media
Unraveling the Influence: Social Media and Consumer Behavior in the Digital Marketplace
Misinformation in the Digital Landscape: The Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Spread of Disinformation
Crisis Communication in the Digital Age: Navigating the Benefits and Challenges of Social Media
Tackling Fake News: Navigating Misinformation in the Era of Social Media
Maximizing Business Opportunities: Evaluating the Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing
The Psychology of Social Media: Analyzing the Upsides and Downsides of Digital Engagement
Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Socialization: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Implications
Online Activism: The Power and Limitations of Social Media Movements

Social Media Topics for Cause and Effect Research Papers

Enhancing Political Activism: Exploring the Relationship Between Social Media and Civic Engagement
The Psychological Effects of Digital Connectivity: Investigating the Relationship Between Mental Health of People and Social Media Use
Political Polarization in the Online Sphere: Understanding the Impact of Digital Networks
Disrupted Sleep Patterns in the Digital Era: Exploring the Role of Online Platforms
Digital Distractions and Academic Performance: Analyzing the Effects of Online Engagement
Navigating Online Relationships: Understanding the Impacts of Digital Interactions
The Digital Marketplace: Exploring Consumer Behavior in the Age of Online Platforms
The Loneliness Epidemic: Investigating the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Social Isolation
Redefining Political Participation: The Influence of Digital Networks on Democracy
Unmasking Digital Identities: The Psychological Effects of Social Media Use
News Consumption in the Digital Era: Exploring the Impacts of Online Platforms
Cyberbullying in the Virtual World: Analyzing the Effects of Online Interactions
The Digital Campaign Trail: Investigating the Influence of Online Platforms on Voter Behavior
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) in the Digital Age: Exploring the Psychological Consequences
Body Dissatisfaction in the Digital Sphere: Understanding the Impacts of Online Presence
Information Overload: Coping With the Digital Deluge in the Information Age
Privacy Concerns in the Online Landscape: Analyzing the Implications of Digital Footprints
Unveiling the Dark Side: Exploring the Relationship Between Online Activities and Substance Abuse
Bridging the Political Divide: The Impact of Digital Networks on Sociopolitical Polarization

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

431 Music Essay Topics & Ideas

Icon Calendar 24 May 2023
Icon Page 4272 words

Essay on My Escape From North Korea

Icon Calendar 25 April 2023
Icon Page 713 words

Solutions Industry Gaming Automotive Sports and events Education Government Travel & Hospitality Financial Services Healthcare Member Experience Technology Use case AskWhy Communities Audience InsightsHub InstantAnswers Digsite LivePolls Journey Mapping GDPR Positive People Science 360 Feedback Surveys Research Edition
Resources Blog eBooks Survey Templates Case Studies Training Webinars Help center

Social Media Research Questions

Learn what are the benefits of social media research questions and how it can make your market research more efficient..

Join over 10 million users

What is social media research?

Social media research is the application of market research methods to collect data for understanding potential customers’ preferences, opinions, and behavior. As in the other market research methods, social media data is analyzed quantitatively and/or qualitatively depending on the goals of the project.

Social media research questions aid in connecting with your target audience and getting their honest opinions on platforms that are are widely used by them. A social media research tool helps you make faster, better-informed decisions about your company's strategies.

Advantages of social media research questions

Social media research questions collect data in real-time. Moreover, the richness of data sourced from social media networks is appropriate for both qualitative designs as well as quantitative market research.
The responses to social media research questionnaire are generally less subject to biases that occur in opinion surveys and focus groups.
Given the wide reach of social media, it is quite easy to reach audiences across geographical boundaries.
Participants may be reluctant to answer an online survey sent through email or over the call. However, on social media sites, people share their thoughts easily.
It is not possible to have contact details of all your potential customers. But if you run ads on social media sites or offer a reward to answer research questions, you can reach many people in relatively lesser time.
You can reach a segment of the population that may not be otherwise reachable

Usage of social media research analysis

Social media research questionnaire can be used to analyze data independently based on likes, shares, and comments. However, they can be integrated with other applications as well such as CRM to:

Perform trend analysis
Demand forecasting
Analyze user-supplied media such as memes to understand the pulse of the audience
Generate comparision reports and collaborate with the team on them

How to distribute social media research questions using survey software?

Log in QuestionPro Surveys
Go to Distribute >> Share. Copy survey URL
Select the platform on which you want to share social media research questions.
Enter the message and paste the survey URL.

Sample questions
Sample reports
Survey logic
Integrations
Professional services
Survey Software
Customer Experience
Communities
Polls Explore the QuestionPro Poll Software - The World's leading Online Poll Maker & Creator. Create online polls, distribute them using email and multiple other options and start analyzing poll results.
Research Edition
InsightsHub
Survey Templates
Case Studies
AI in Market Research
Quiz Templates
Qualtrics Alternative Explore the list of features that QuestionPro has compared to Qualtrics and learn how you can get more, for less.
SurveyMonkey Alternative
VisionCritical Alternative
Medallia Alternative
Likert Scale Complete Likert Scale Questions, Examples and Surveys for 5, 7 and 9 point scales. Learn everything about Likert Scale with corresponding example for each question and survey demonstrations.
Conjoint Analysis
Net Promoter Score (NPS) Learn everything about Net Promoter Score (NPS) and the Net Promoter Question. Get a clear view on the universal Net Promoter Score Formula, how to undertake Net Promoter Score Calculation followed by a simple Net Promoter Score Example.
Offline Surveys
Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Employee Survey Software Employee survey software & tool to create, send and analyze employee surveys. Get real-time analysis for employee satisfaction, engagement, work culture and map your employee experience from onboarding to exit!
Market Research Survey Software Real-time, automated and advanced market research survey software & tool to create surveys, collect data and analyze results for actionable market insights.
GDPR & EU Compliance
Employee Experience
Customer Journey
Executive Team
In the news
Testimonials
Advisory Board

QuestionPro in your language

Encuestas Online
Pesquisa Online
Umfrage Software
برامج للمسح

Awards & certificates

The experience journal.

Find innovative ideas about Experience Management from the experts

© 2021 QuestionPro Survey Software | +1 (800) 531 0228
Privacy Statement
Terms of Use
Cookie Settings

illustration of hands browsing a dashboard of data representing social media research

Social Media Research: A Comprehensive Guide

Guv Callahan

May 20, 2024

8 min. read

Social media research helps you unlock the potential of social content for business. We’re living in a world where tweets hold power and likes shape perceptions. When you know what to publish and who you’re posting it for, you can construct a stronger strategy that helps you meet key goals.

Data isn’t just about numbers; it’s about uncovering narratives and following the breadcrumbs of likes, shares, and comments to gain deeper understandings. There’s a method to the madness of selfies and status updates. The right approach to social media research helps you learn more about the collective consciousness of society — and use it to your advantage.

Let’s explore the language of social media likes and shares and dig beneath the surface of our digital interactions.

What is Social Media Research?

Tools and techniques for social media research, understanding the difference: social media research vs. traditional research, harnessing the power of social media research for your business, ethics and privacy in social media research, success stories: real world examples of social media research.

experts conducting social media research

Social media research is the process of using social media data to learn about trending topics, audiences, and content performance. Reviewing social data gives you quantitative insights (e.g., engagement rates , best posting times ), but it can also lead to qualitative learnings like human behaviors, preferences, and opinions.

When conducting social media research, companies can look for patterns and sentiments to drive their social media marketing strategy. They can decide what content to create, which channels to post on, how to reach their audience, when to post content, and a myriad of other decisions that will lead to faster results.

putting a magnifying glass on data collected during research

There’s no single best way to do social media research. You can manually review engagement on your posts or look at your competitors’ content. Or you can use third-party social listening tools to aggregate social data for you.

Social media research can be formal (like a traditional research project) or informal. You might have a certain goal in mind, or you might not know what you’re looking for and just want to see what pops up.

Let’s review some options.

Social media analytics

No matter what channels you choose, you can gain a wealth of insights from built-in social analytics. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter give you instant intel about your content performance and audiences.

Even better, you don’t always need to know what you’re looking for. You can start combing through your analytics, then jot down questions or ideas you want to explore further.

Tip: Learn more in our blog The Complete Guide to Social Media Analytics .

Google Alerts

Google Alerts is a free and underrated tool that gives you unique angles and insights on a given topic. You can set up a Google Alert related to a keyword or topic of your choice, then receive a daily digest of articles published on that topic.

From there, you can learn more about what other brands and businesses are publishing. Repurpose your findings into your social media content to get ahead of trends and topics. You can lead conversations instead of joining them after they blow up on social.

Social listening tools

Social listening tools like Meltwater let you be the fly on the wall in the social world. You can “listen” to what your audience is saying and truly be everywhere all at once.

These tools monitor billions of publicly available data points across multiple social channels, like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They help brands track mentions of their products or brand names in real time so you can become part of important conversations.

You can also track topics related to your niche or learn more about what your audience is talking about beyond your brand. This gives you direct insight into their lifestyles so you can meet them where they are authentically.

Want to learn more about how Meltwater could help your social media research? Fill out the form below and an expert will be in touch!

Media intelligence tools

Taking social listening a step further, you can add media intelligence tools to the mix to learn what’s being talked about beyond social media. Meltwater’s media intelligence suite lets you monitor TV and radio channels, blogs, print media, and other new sources around the world.

This gives you more comprehensive insights into hot topics and trends that you can repurpose for social media. News-worthy events make their way to social media, giving you an easy “in” to your audience’s attention.

Aside from the social-specific aspect, social media research holds a few advantages over traditional research.

For starters, social research gives you real-time data that’s constantly changing. You can also get the most specific insights according to your audience and social channels, not just general info. This means you can shorten the research curve and get faster insights about topics that matter to you.

By comparison, traditional research is often a more structured approach with specific goals in mind. It typically requires lots of sources and manual effort. It takes time to find and vet sources, cross-reference data, and ensure a high level of accuracy.

Combining both types of research can give you the most comprehensive view of your audience.

Now that you know what social media research is, let’s explore some ways you can apply it to your business.

Identify your target audience

Analyzing social media data can help you pinpoint who your target audience is (because it’s not always who you think). You might have your audience defined on the surface with basics like age, gender, and geographic location, but social research can dig several layers deeper to uncover new audience segments you haven’t considered.

Audiences evolve all the time. Their preferences, needs, and interests change. This means that who you want to reach today might not be the same person you want to connect with in the future. Constantly finding new things about your audience will help you continue generating content that captures their interests.

Improve brand reputation

Monitoring online conversations and feedback gives companies a direct path to reputation management . You can more easily spot when trouble might be brewing so you can act fast and defend against hits to your brand image.

Proactively engaging with customers on social platforms shows that the company values their opinions and is committed to providing excellent customer service. This not only builds trust and loyalty but also strengthens the brand's reputation as a customer-centric organization.

Optimize social media marketing campaigns

When you know more about your audience and past content performance, you’re in a better position to create better posts that resonate. Learn what type of content your audience prefers based on engagement metrics. Tailor your content and messaging to reflect their interests and needs.

You’ll also have insights about what’s hot in the social media world. You can use these trends as the foundation for your own content, taking the guesswork out of what you should talk about.

Tip: Learn more about tailoring your content and messaging in our Personalization at Scale Guide !

image of a social media specialist checking her smartphone at her desk

Collecting social media research from outside data sources brings ethics and privacy into question. Marketers should be proactive in asking where their data is coming from and how it was obtained.

Ideally, you’ll choose tools that are in compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Know how they obtain data and whether they safeguard individual users’ information. Getting ahead of your competitors shouldn't be at the expense of your customers’ privacy or potential legal challenges.

Companies around the world use social media research to drive engagement, create better content, and grow their brand presence.

Take Shiseido , for instance. This Meltwater customer uses our Explore solution to learn what makes their brand special across 120 markets. The company uses social listening to monitor competitors, unify social mentions in a single dashboard, and understand the brand’s presence on a global stage.

Another Meltwater customer, Fifty Acres , uses the platform to learn about relevant narratives happening on social media. Learning what others are talking about allows them to shape their own stories, pitch new ideas for business growth, and connect with people in the right places at the right times.

W Hotels in Singapore is another great example of social media research at work. The company uses Meltwater to learn more about what customers like when traveling, allowing them to create custom experiences in their hotels.

Last but not least, Mailchimp uses Meltwater to inform its content strategy. The company looks for trends and themes on social media that resonate with creators, allowing them to easily scale their content by making their audience go bananas over every post.

Learn more when you request a demo by filling out the form below.

An overhead image of people crossing the street in a crosswalk, used for Meltwater's Personalization at Scale Guide.

Personalization at Scale: Removing Guesswork from Consumer Research

An illustration of a magnifying glass over a collection of internet browser windows representing secondary research companies.

Top Secondary Market Research Companies | Desk Research Companies

Customer Segmentation Models: Types, Benefits & Uses

3D illustration of blue headphones for social listening.

The Ultimate Social Listening Guide - Never Miss a Social Mention

Insight-Driven Marketing, Your New Strategic Advantage

DOI: 10.4135/9781473983847.N2
Corpus ID: 158679664

What is Social Media and What Questions Can Social Media Research Help Us Answer

Lori McCay-Peet , Anabel Quan-Haase
Published 2016

Figures and Tables from this paper

123 Citations

An agenda for comparative social media studies: the value of understanding practices from cross-national, cross-media, and cross-platform perspectives, review of the methodological landscape of literacy and social media research, the collective storytelling organisational framework for social media use, applying theoretical perspectives to social media influencers, mapping #metoo: a synthesis review of digital feminist research across social media platforms, mobilizing social media data: reflections of a researcher mediating between data and organization, linguistic studies on social media: a bibliometric analysis, the use of social media as a legitimation tool for sustainability reporting, editorial of the special issue on following user pathways: key contributions and future directions in cross-platform social media research, the quasars method for conducting useful literature surveys in social media research: a step-by-step approach, 54 references, the evolution of social media from 1969 to 2013: a change in competition and a trend toward complementary, niche sites, connected scholars: examining the role of social media in research practices of faculty using the utaut model, networks of digital humanities scholars: the informational and social uses and gratifications of twitter, social media and the transformation of activist communication: exploring the social media ecology of the 2010 toronto g20 protests, communities of communication: making sense of the “social” in social media, users of the world, unite the challenges and opportunities of social media, social media use in the research workflow, social media update 2016.

Highly Influential

Social Media as tool for Conducting Academic Research

Uses and gratifications of social media: a comparison of facebook and instant messaging, related papers.

Showing 1 through 3 of 0 Related Papers

Search Close search
Find a journal
Search calls for papers
Journal Suggester
Open access publishing

Does social media contribute to research impact? An Altmetric study of highly-cited marketing research

Cite this article
https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2024.2393339

Introduction

Methodology, discussion and conclusion.

Acknowledgements

Disclosure statement

Full Article
Figures & data
Reprints & Permissions
View PDF PDF View EPUB EPUB

The thorough dissection of prominent scholarly contributions can shed light on the evolution of research trajectories. Using marketing research as a case, this study aims to probe into the recognition and resonance that research enjoys across social media landscapes, employing the power of Altmetric. We employed an analytical approach involving descriptive statistics coupled with the Spearman correlation test, scrutinizing Altmetric data for the most heavily cited works in the marketing discipline ( n : 137). Our examination illuminates that the United States and the United Kingdom are the dominant contributors to the majority of tweets and readership relating to these works. Noteworthily, marketing research featured in top-tier publications registered the highest Altmetric scores from both Twitter and Mendeley. An intriguing pattern surfaced in our exploration, highlighting a positive relationship between Altmetric scores drawn from social media platforms and citation counts on the Web of Science (WoS), as well as between Mendeley readership and WoS citations. These Altmetric insights underscore the pivotal role social media plays in propelling citation rates of research, implying that researchers can significantly amplify the visibility and citation impact of their work by strategically employing social media platforms and tapping into Altmetric indicators’ potential.

social media

Evolution of scholarly metrics

In the era of information evolution and revolution, we are immersed in an ever-expanding landscape of information (Lim, Citation 2024 ), a phenomenon that has only intensified with advancements in digital technology and data analytics (Basu et al., Citation 2023 ). This contemporary epoch is sculpted by the advancement and proliferation of the Internet and its related technologies (Olawale et al., Citation 2024 ). The world wide web has manifested itself as a particularly potent force within this vortex, reshaping the contours of scholarly publication (Rao et al., Citation 2024 ). Pioneering this transformation is Altmetric, an innovative approach to appraising the reach and repercussions of academic research (Nabavi, Citation 2024 ; Piwowar, Citation 2013 ), which seeks to gauge the imprint left by scholarly works within the expansive social web (Rao et al., Citation 2024 ; Thelwall, Citation 2016 ).

The term ‘Altmetric’ was conceived by Jason Priem in 2010, positing the idea as a comprehensive set of metrics appraising scholarly contributions (Priem, Citation 2010 ; Priem & Hemminger, Citation 2010 ; Priem et al., Citation 2010 ; Roemer & Borchardt, Citation 2015 ). Altmetric acts as a revolutionary counterpoint to traditional metrics by expanding the scope of research quality assessment beyond mere citations, encapsulating other impact indicators such as downloads, views, news media mentions, Facebook shares, Twitter tweets, and more, thus assigning a score to each piece of scholarly work. This simplified process enables answers to complex questions such as, ‘What is the scientific and social impact of my research publications?’ – a question that has been a constant companion to scientists since the dawn of modern science around 400 years ago (Dwivedi et al., Citation 2024 ; Wouters & Costas, Citation 2012 ).

Recognized as a barometer of publication effectiveness and utility, the Altmetric score, in concert with citation counts, serves as a key yardstick for evaluating research outputs (Nabavi, Citation 2024 ; Thelwall et al., Citation 2013 ). Researchers, by harnessing the power of social media to disseminate their publications, can exponentially magnify their work’s visibility (Rao et al., Citation 2024 ), subsequently amplifying citations and their h -index – the traditional gauges of research impact (Donthu et al., Citation 2023 ; Saeed-Ul Hassan & Ahmed Gillani, Citation 2016 ). This suggests the imperative for research institutions to prioritize a diverse array of impact indicators, encompassing both Altmetric and citation indicators.

Role of social media in scientific communication

Social media emerges as a powerful conduit for the exchange of information, experiences, and scientific triumphs, reinforcing scientific communication, and enabling the global dissemination of research endeavors (Kadriu, Citation 2013 ; Lim & Rasul, Citation 2022 ; Rao et al., Citation 2024 ; Van Noorden, Citation 2014 ). As researchers and the scientific community increasingly embrace these platforms to foster engagement with specific research facets, social media becomes an accelerator for enhancing visibility and citation impact (Ale Ebrahim, Citation 2012 ; Lim & Kumar, Citation 2024 ), thus potentially bolstering the international recognition of research units (Wiechetek & Pastuszak, Citation 2022 ).

The theoretical backdrop of this study builds on the relevance of social media in today’s digitized world, focusing on how networks generated by these platforms influence various outcomes. Emerging literature highlights several critical aspects of social media’s impact. For instance, social media influencers’ credibility significantly affects consumer behavior and purchase intentions through attitudes toward advertisements (Ata et al., Citation 2022 ). Additionally, social media analytics have been instrumental in exploring challenges in supply chain management during crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic (Cano-Marin et al., Citation 2023 ). The integration of fintech advancements leveraging social media for sustainable entrepreneurship is another area of significant development (Gupta et al., Citation 2024 ). Furthermore, the success of social media brand communities is often measured by media capability and organizational support (Chang et al., Citation 2020 ), while identifying helpful quality-related reviews from social media is crucial for enhancing consumer experiences (Liu et al., Citation 2019 ). The influence of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on consumer purchase intentions is also noteworthy (Nyagadza et al., Citation 2023 ). Theoretical explorations also include the retrospective view and thematic analysis of value co-creation through bibliometric analysis (Hassan Shah et al., Citation 2022 ), and the advances in social media research, which cover past, present, and future developments in the field (Kapoor et al., Citation 2018 ). These diverse studies collectively underscore the multifaceted influence of social media on various domains, providing a robust foundation for understanding its role in shaping modern marketing strategies and consumer behavior.

Building on this backdrop, it is clear that social media’s transformative impact extends across various scientific domains, and a noteworthy lynchpin that binds the diversity together is marketing (Lim & Rasul, Citation 2022 ). As marketing interweaves closely with people’s daily lives, it is significantly impacted by technological advancements and social media (Lund, Citation 2019 ). Recognized as invaluable tools for customer engagement (Lim, Rasul, et al., Citation 2022 ) and success in the digital marketplace (Ebrahim, Citation 2020 ), many businesses and marketers consider these platforms integral to their marketing strategies (Appel et al., Citation 2020 ; Lim, Kumar, Pandey, Rasul, et al., Citation 2022 ; Schulze et al., Citation 2014 ). They leverage social media to fortify customer relationships, elevate product awareness, attract and retain customers, and mine insights on product or brand interest (Malhotra & Bhattacharyya, Citation 2022 ). Some also utilize these platforms to adeptly address customer grievances (Golmohammadi et al., Citation 2021 ), hence realizing social media’s potential in rapidly disseminating information, fostering interaction, and reaching target audiences. Therefore, like their counterparts in other fields, marketing experts strive to comprehend the impact of their endeavors on their target communities (Donthu, Kumar, Pandey, et al., Citation 2021 ). With Altmetric studies increasingly being leveraged to appraise the social media impact of publications, researchers are finding new ways to evaluate and enhance their work’s visibility and influence since Jason Priem introduced Altmetric indicators in 2010.

Importance of studying Altmetric

A perusal of the scholarly landscape reveals a diverse array of studies that have effectively harnessed Altmetric methodologies across a multitude of scientific disciplines. Key examples include work conducted by Baek et al. ( Citation 2020 ), Gholampour et al. ( Citation 2022 ), Khademizadeh et al. ( Citation 2024 ), Kocyigit and Akyol ( Citation 2021 ), Moon et al. ( Citation 2020 ), Shamsi et al. ( Citation 2022 ), Tang et al. ( Citation 2020 ), and Verma and Madhusudhan ( Citation 2019 ). An exploration of Mendeley usage has been taken up by Aduku et al. ( Citation 2017 ), Mohammadi and Thelwall ( Citation 2014 ), Thelwall and Wilson ( Citation 2016 ), and Zahedi et al. ( Citation 2014 , Citation 2017 ). Other research endeavors have focused on the interplay between tweets, Twitter, and other social media platforms, as evident in the studies by de Winter ( Citation 2015 ), Hassan et al. ( Citation 2021 ), Haustein et al. ( Citation 2014a , Citation 2014b ), Ke et al. ( Citation 2017 ), Said et al. ( Citation 2019 ), Tahamtan et al. ( Citation 2021 ), and Yu et al. ( Citation 2021 ). Additionally, the relationship between Altmetric scores and citations has been analyzed in works by Barakat et al. ( Citation 2018 ), Chang et al. ( Citation 2019 ), Costas et al. ( Citation 2014 ), Huang et al. ( Citation 2018 ), Mullins et al. ( Citation 2020 ), and Nocera et al. ( Citation 2019 ). Yet, despite a notable upsurge in outputs in marketing research (Chandra et al., Citation 2022 ; Donthu, Kumar, et al., Citation 2022 ; Donthu, Lim, et al., Citation 2022 ), none of the identified studies have yet applied the Altmetric approach specifically within this domain.

The necessity to study Altmetric, particularly from the perspective of highly-cited papers, stems from the need to understand the broader impact of research beyond traditional citation metrics (Mukherjee et al., Citation 2022 ). Highly-cited papers serve as a suitable case for this exploration because they represent the pinnacle of academic influence and offer insights into the dissemination patterns (Lim, Kumar, & Donthu, Citation 2024 ). In the context of marketing, which is closely linked with societal trends and consumer behavior (Lim, Kumar, Pandey, Verma, et al., Citation 2023 ), it is crucial to comprehend how research permeates through social media channels to influence public and academic discourse. This study is important as it addresses gaps in the current literature by focusing on the interplay between Altmetric scores and traditional citations, offering a comprehensive understanding of research impact in the digital age (Hammarfelt, Citation 2014 ; Rao et al., Citation 2024 ). The relevance is underscored by the increasing reliance on social media for information dissemination (Lim, Citation 2024 ), making it urgent to evaluate how these platforms can be leveraged to maximize research visibility and impact (Rao et al., Citation 2024 ). This study adds value by providing empirical evidence on the effectiveness of social media strategies in enhancing academic influence, thus guiding researchers, institutions, and policymakers in optimizing their communication and dissemination practices.

RQ1. What characteristics do highly-cited marketing papers exhibit in terms of Altmetric score, document type, journal rank, and their Altmetric score distribution over the years?

RQ2. What is the scientific impact of tweets and readership engagement with highly-cited marketing papers on Twitter and Mendeley, considering factors such as country and professional status?

RQ3. How do highly-cited marketing papers fare concerning their presence in publishing journals and across different social media platforms?

RQ4. Is there a significant correlation between the number of citations received by highly-cited marketing papers, their media presence, and their Altmetric score?

Expected contributions and implications

The contributions and implications of the present study are multifaceted. Noteworthily, this study holds the potential to persuade institutions and policymakers to embrace Altmetric indicators, specifically for publications with high Altmetric scores, as an additional evaluation tool alongside traditional citation-based indicators (Lim, Kumar, & Donthu, Citation 2024 ). Furthermore, since social media platforms host a broad spectrum of non-academic individuals, sharing scientific publications on these platforms can extend the research benefits to the general public (Rao et al., Citation 2024 ). Researchers can also utilize Altmetric indices as a strategic augment to increase their citations, thereby amplifying their h -index and overall efficacy. More importantly, by integrating Altmetric data with traditional metrics, institutions can develop a more comprehensive evaluation framework that reflects the true reach and impact of research (Mukherjee et al., Citation 2022 ). This approach can inform funding decisions, enhance public engagement with scientific findings, and support the strategic dissemination of research to maximize its societal and academic influence.

Figure 1. The PRISMA procedure to locate highly-cited marketing papers for the Altmetric study.

Data collection

The first stage is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, encompassing four steps: identification , screening , eligibility , and inclusion (Moher et al., Citation 2009 ; Page et al., Citation 2021 ) – as recommended by recent scholars (Lim, Kumar, et al., Citation 2024 ; Kraus et al., Citation 2022 ). The identification entailed data collection through the Clarivate’s Web of Science (WoS) database. The choice of this database stemmed from its proven reliability and its rigorous journal selection criteria (Gholampour et al., Citation 2022 ; Donthu, Kumar, Mukherjee, et al., Citation 2021 ; Paul et al., Citation 2021 ). We harnessed the data from three major indices within the Web of Science database – namely, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), and Arts and Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI). The search strategy, detailed in the Appendix, was implemented in the subject field (TS phrase) within the advanced search section of the database. The search parameters were confined to the timeframe from 2012 to 2022 – a decade-long time period consistent with recent review-based studies (Deda & Disnawati, Citation 2024 ; Mahmoud et al., Citation 2024 ) at the time in which this study was conducted (i.e. up to the latest full year when this study was conducted in 2023) (Lim, Ciasullo, et al., Citation 2024 ). Only highly-cited papers are considered, in which Clarivate ( Citation 2024 ) defines as papers that perform in the top 1% based on the number of citations received when compared to other papers published in the same field in the same year. Through this screening approach, we identified and obtained 158 highly-cited papers (out of 10,713 papers – the remaining 10,555 papers were non-highly cited) within the specified time frame ( Figure 1 ). The gathered data were subsequently extracted in plain text and CSV formats.

The second stage is a continuation of the PRISMA protocol that incorporated data from Altmetric.com to scrutinize the eligibility of identified papers. Altmetric.com is instrumental in tracking the online buzz around scholarly publications and other texts from a broad spectrum of sources, encompassing blogs, Facebook pages, Google+, leading news media, and Twitter, among others. Every scholarly publication is accorded an Almetric score, representing its degree of impact across social media platforms (Adie & Roe, Citation 2013 ; Bornmann, Citation 2014 ). The choice of Altmetric.com for this study was motivated by its unrivaled monitoring capabilities of social media platforms in contrast to other Altmetric service providers. The Altmetric score bestowed upon each scholarly work signifies the magnitude and the consequential impact of its online footprint (Robinson-García et al., Citation 2014 ; Costas et al., Citation 2014 ).

It is noteworthy that only highly-cited papers that are related to marketing and equipped with digital object identifiers (DOIs), PubMed record IDs (PMIDs), archive identifiers, or other standardized markers could be evaluated using Altmetric bookmarklet tools – resulting in the exclusion of 21 (non-marketing) papers. Out of the remaining 137 highly-cited papers in marketing that were retained for inclusion , all were digitized objects. An assessment of these papers using the Almetric bookmarklet tools disclosed that merely 104 papers were referenced on social media, thereby earning Almetric scores. Past investigations by Bornmann ( Citation 2014 ), Costas et al. ( Citation 2014 ), and Robinson-García et al. ( Citation 2014 ) have also utilized data sourced from Altmetric.com in scientometrics. Descriptive statistical analysis was executed via Excel software, while correlation analysis was facilitated through SPSS software.

Data analysis

Stage three.

In the third and final stage, the collected data were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses using Excel and SPSS software. Excel software was deployed to scrutinize the distribution of papers bearing Almetric scores by year, the readers and tweeters, their professional standing on Mendeley and Twitter, the most frequently featured journals with Almetric papers, the representation of marketing papers on social media, and the construction of tables. Moreover, Spearman’s correlation test, combined with the capabilities of SPSS software, was employed to ascertain the statistical significance of the relationship between citation metrics and social media presence of papers, and the correlation between citation data and Almetric scores.

Publication trends of highly-cited marketing papers with social media engagement

Table 1. highly-cited marketing papers on social media., characteristics of highly-cited marketing papers and their social media engagement, table 2. highly-cited marketing papers with the highest altemetric scores and their characteristics., table 3. 11 highly-cited marketing papers with the highest altmetric score and their social media performance., demographic and geographical distribution of highly-cited marketing papers’ social media engagement.

Figure 2. Geographical map of readers (A) and tweeters (B) of highly-cited marketing papers with Altmetric scores on Mendeley and Twitter.

Table 4. Reads and tweets of highly-cited marketing papers with Almetric scores on Mendeley and Twitter.

Table 5. professional status and discipline of reads and tweets of highly-cited marketing papers with altmetric scores on mendeley and twitter., social media engagement of journals publishing highly-cited marketing papers, table 6. journals that publish highly-cited marketing papers with an altmetric score..

Figure 3. Social media outlets and Almetric scores for highly-cited marketing papers.

Table 7. Journal ranking and authorship composition of highly-cited marketing papers with Altmetric scores.

Correlation analysis between altmetric scores, wos citations, and social media engagement, table 8. spearman’s correlation of altmetric score and social media mentions., table 9. spearman’s correlation of wos citations and social media mentions., blogs, news outlets, policy sources, and wikipedia.

These platforms are characterized by their broad reach and ability to influence public opinion and policy. They are often used to disseminate information to a general audience and can significantly enhance the visibility of research through mainstream media channels.

Altmetric scores

The findings reveal positive correlations between Altmetric scores and mentions in blogs ( r = 0.976, p < .01), news outlets ( r = 0.952, p < .01), policy sources ( r = 0.634, p < .01), and Wikipedia ( r = 0.323, p < .01). These platforms reach a wide, non-academic audience, significantly enhancing the visibility of research and contributing to higher Altmetric scores due to their broad public accessibility and influence.

WoS citations

The correlation between WoS citations and mentions on policy sources ( r = 0.344, p < .01) and Wikipedia ( r = 0.418, p < .05) is significant. However, mentions in blogs and news outlets do not show a statistically significant correlation with WoS citations. This suggests that while these platforms boost immediate visibility and public engagement, they do not directly translate into academic citations, which are more influenced by formal academic referencing and scholarly discourse.

Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, and video uploaders (e.g. YouTube)

These platforms are known for their high user engagement and the ability to share content quickly. They are widely used by both the general public and academics, making them powerful tools for disseminating research to diverse audiences.

Twitter ( r = 0.890, p < .01), Facebook pages ( r = 0.587, p < .01), Reddit users ( r = 0.247, p < .05), and video uploaders ( r = 0.482, p < .01) show varying degrees of positive correlation with Altmetric scores. Twitter stands out for its high correlation, likely due to its extensive use by academics and the general public for sharing and discussing research. Facebook and video uploaders also contribute to Altmetric scores through broader public engagement, while Reddit’s more modest correlation reflects its niche communities where research may be discussed but not as broadly disseminated.

Twitter ( r = 0.205, p < .05) shows a modest but significant correlation with WoS citations, indicating some academic recognition from this platform. However, Facebook ( r = 0.179), Reddit ( r = 0.188), and video uploaders do not show significant correlations with WoS citations, suggesting that while they engage the public, their impact on academic citations is limited.

Wikipedia, video uploaders, and CiteULike

These platforms are primarily academic tools used for reference management and scholarly metrics. They are widely used within the academic community for organizing and citing research.

Mentions in Dimensions ( r = 0.147, p > .05), CiteULike ( r = 0.558, p < .01), and Mendeley ( r = 0.075, p > .05) show varied correlations with Altmetric scores. CiteULike’s moderate correlation indicates its use by academics, while the lack of significant correlation for Dimensions and Mendeley suggests that these platforms contribute more to academic referencing rather than broader public engagement.

A positive correlation is observed between WoS citations and mentions in Dimensions ( r = 0.975, p < .01) and Mendeley ( r = 0.789, p < .01), with CiteULike also showing a significant correlation ( r = 0.306, p < .01). These platforms are highly influential in academic circles, directly contributing to citation counts in scholarly publications. The strong correlation underscores their role in traditional academic dissemination and impact.

Summary of observations

The findings provide a substantial testament to the role of social media visibility in enhancing the Altmetric score of marketing papers and, to some extent, their citation performance in WoS. The positive correlations observed underscore the critical role of diverse social media engagement in boosting both immediate visibility and longer-term academic impact. This suggests that researchers should strategically utilize a wide range of social media platforms to maximize their research’s reach and influence, thereby fostering a more dynamic and interconnected academic ecosystem. More specifically, in terms of Altmetric scores, platforms with broad public access and engagement (e.g. blogs, news outlets, policy sources, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter) show strong positive correlations with Altmetric scores, highlighting their role in enhancing the visibility and public impact of research. Moreover, in terms of WoS citations, platforms primarily used within academic circles (e.g. Dimensions, CiteULike, Mendeley) show strong correlations with WoS citations, indicating their importance in traditional academic referencing and scholarly impact. These findings suggest a strategic approach for researchers to maximize their research impact by engaging with both public-oriented platforms to boost Altmetric scores and academic-focused platforms to enhance citation counts.

In this section, we provide a comprehensive discussion of our study’s findings and their implications. We first present the key takeaways, summarizing the main insights from our analysis. We then dive into the theoretical contributions, highlighting how our research advances the understanding of marketing research dissemination and impact through social media. Following this, we outline the academic implications, discussing the broader significance of our findings for scientific policymakers, educational institutions, and researchers. Finally, we offer practical recommendations for scholars in the marketing field to enhance their research visibility and impact. Each sub-section is designed to address specific aspects of our study, ensuring clarity and focus for our intended beneficiaries (Lim & Bowman, Citation 2023 ) and stakeholders (Mahajan et al., Citation 2023 ).

Key takeaways

In this study, we undertook an exploration of the influence exerted by highly-cited marketing papers on social media through the lens of Altmetric indicators. From the 137 highly-cited marketing papers identified in the WoS, we discovered that 104 papers (or 75.91%) that garnered considerable attention on a multitude of social media platforms, securing Altmetric scores, while the remaining 33 papers (24.09%) did not manifest any Altmetric footprint. This contradicts the findings of Holmberg ( Citation 2015 ), who suggested more limited Altmetric coverage in the marketing field, emphasizing that Altmetric prevalence can vary contingent on the subject area, the social media platforms scrutinized, and the source of Altmetric data. Our study indicates a deep-seated relevance of highly-cited marketing literature within societal dialogues, with over 75% of highly-cited marketing papers generating Altmetric scores on Altmetric.com. Our observations counter the assertions of Robinson-García et al. ( Citation 2014 ), who proposed a more circumscribed impact of these publications.

Temporal analysis of Altmetric scores and citations demonstrates a peak in Altmetric scores in 2016 and 2017, while nearly half (49%) of the high-cited papers with Altmetric scores were disseminated between 2019 and 2022, reflecting an ascendant emphasis on social media in recent years. Conversely, the surge of citations coincided with high-cited papers published in 2011 and 2012, implying that the laborious, time-intensive process of peer review and publication delays citation accumulation relative to Altmetric score accrual. In this regard, gauging the influence of new articles through Altmetric scores could provide a more accurate and timely measure of their impact, a proposition also put forth by Costas et al. ( Citation 2014 ).

On examining the authorship patterns of the high-cited papers boasting the highest Altmetric scores, we discovered a preponderance of multi-authored papers, corroborating the assertion by Wang, Lv, et al. ( Citation 2020 ) that collaborative efforts often culminate in highly-cited papers. Our findings underscore the transformative potential of co-authorship in augmenting both the Altmetric footprint and citation tally of marketing research, emphasizing that the act of co-authorship can be a potent influence.

Our exploration also extended to the visibility and Altmetric resonance of these high-impact papers across various social media platforms, including Mendeley, Dimensions, and Twitter. We observed a heightened preference among researchers for Mendeley and Twitter, aligning with prior research underscoring their critical role in the international dissemination of scientific findings. The combination of user-friendly interfaces, free access, and capacity for multimedia content makes Mendeley and Twitter attractive, highly interactive platforms.

Analyzing the geographic distribution of Tweeters and readers of these highly-cited marketing papers, we established that over 51% of tweets and 22% of readership emanated from the USA and UK, reflecting an observation made by Haseena and Abdul Azeez ( Citation 2021 ). The predominant discipline of Mendeley readers was business, management, and accounting, signaling a concentrated interest in this area. Strikingly, over 71% of tweets originated from members of the general public, underscoring their engagement with scientific findings in marketing, and supporting the conclusions of Haseena and Abdul Azeez ( Citation 2021 ), Haustein et al. ( Citation 2014b ), and Stephen ( Citation 2019 ).

When we scrutinized the professional demographics of readers, we found that over 51% of Mendeley readers were master’s and Ph.D. and doctoral students, attesting to the high engagement of these graduate students with Mendeley. These findings resonate with the research by Haunschild et al. ( Citation 2015 ), Mohammadi et al. ( Citation 2015 ), and Pooladian and Borrego ( Citation 2017 ), and underline the importance of scientific research outputs for this demographic, indicating their propensity to share research findings on social media.

Our study also spotlighted the journals with the most Altmetrically active papers in the field of marketing – Journal of Interactive Marketing , Journal of Business Research , and Journal of Marketing . The Journal of Interactive Marketing emerged as the front-runner, hosting the most highly-cited papers with Altmetric scores, along with a sizable share of tweets and readership. Given their elevated journal quartiles or ranks and impact factors, it is logical that these high-profile journals would attract significant attention and scrutiny, thereby driving their respective Altmetric scores. This phenomenon is supported by Erdt et al. ( Citation 2016 ) and Holmberg ( Citation 2015 ), who found a statistically significant association between a journal’s prestige and the social media visibility of its publications.

Our correlation analysis unveiled a robust, positive relationship between the number of social media mentions and WoS citations, underscoring that an increase in social media mentions is often mirrored by an uptick in WoS citations. A similar positive correlation was discerned between the number of reads on Mendeley and WoS citations, indicating that heightened readership can catalyze citation accrual. These conclusions align with research by Bar-Ilan ( Citation 2012 ), Bar-Ilan et al. ( Citation 2012 ), Mohammadi and Thelwall ( Citation 2014 ), and Priem et al. ( Citation 2012 ), who also reported a positive correlation between reads and citations.

Theoretical contributions

Our study provides several key theoretical contributions to the understanding of marketing research’s dissemination and impact through social media engagement. Examining highly-cited marketing papers with Altmetric indicators, we offer finer-grained insights into how digital metrics complement traditional citation measures and contribute to the broader theoretical landscape.

On characteristics of highly-cited marketing papers (RQ1)

Our findings reveal that highly-cited marketing papers typically achieve higher Altmetric scores when published in top-tier journals (Q1) and are often the result of collaborative efforts. This supports existing theories on the correlation between journal prestige, collaborative authorship, and research impact (Donthu, Kumar, Pandey, et al., Citation 2021 ; Lund, Citation 2021 ). The combination of high-quality publication outlets and co-authorship significantly enhances a paper’s visibility and engagement, suggesting that strategic publication practices and collaborative networks are crucial for maximizing research dissemination and impact.

On scientific impact of tweets and readership engagement (RQ2)

The substantial role of social media platforms, particularly Mendeley and Twitter, in disseminating marketing research is evident from our study. The engagement predominantly driven by users from the USA and the UK, with master’s and Ph.D. students forming a significant portion of the readership, underscores the importance of targeting specific demographics and geographies. These findings highlight the potential of social media as a powerful tool for researchers to reach a broader and more diverse audience (Rao et al., Citation 2024 ), thereby amplifying the academic and societal impact of their work.

On presence in publishing journals and social media platforms (RQ3)

Our analysis indicates that journals such as the Journal of Interactive Marketing , Journal of Business Research , and Journal of Marketing are pivotal in hosting high-impact papers. These journals’ strong presence across social media platforms suggests that strategic publication choices can significantly enhance a paper’s visibility and Altmetric performance. This highlights the value of aligning publication strategies with journals that not only have high impact factors but also actively engage with social media platforms to promote their articles.

On correlation between citations, media presence, and Altmetric score (RQ4)

The robust correlations between Altmetric scores, social media mentions, and traditional citations affirm that social media visibility is a crucial predictor of academic impact. This finding aligns with the broader theoretical understanding that digital engagement metrics can complement traditional citation metrics to provide a holistic view of a paper’s influence (Donthu, Kumar, Mukherjee, et al., Citation 2021 ; Rao et al., Citation 2024 ). The positive correlation between social media engagement and citation counts underscores the reciprocal relationship between online visibility and academic recognition, suggesting that researchers should leverage social media platforms to enhance their research's reach and impact.

To this end, our study contributes to the theoretical understanding of how digital and social media engagement metrics interact with traditional academic measures to influence the dissemination and impact of marketing research. Highlighting the importance of journal prestige, collaborative authorship, targeted social media strategies, and the complementary nature of Altmetric and citation metrics, we provide a comprehensive framework for researchers and institutions aiming to maximize the visibility and impact of their scholarly work, thereby enhancing recent work on scholarly communication and impact such as Rao et al. ( Citation 2024 ).

Academic implications

Our study’s findings deliver key insights with considerable implications for scientific policymakers, educational institutions, and researchers in the field of marketing.

Broadening evaluation metrics

The synergistic use of Altmetric indicators alongside traditional citation-based metrics is essential for accurately assessing the impact of scholarly publications in the digital age. Altmetric data offer a broader perspective on the societal relevance and engagement of marketing research. Institutions and policymakers can better evaluate the true influence and reach of research outputs by incorporating these metrics, leading to more informed decisions regarding funding, promotions, and policy formulations.

Enhancing public engagement

The substantial public engagement observed on platforms such as Twitter underscores the importance of social media in disseminating highly-cited marketing papers. Researchers should proactively utilize these networks to share their findings, thereby making their work accessible to a wider non-academic audience. This broader dissemination fosters greater public involvement with scientific research and enhances the societal impact of marketing studies. Institutions should recognize the value of Altmetric scores in capturing this engagement and use these insights to support research initiatives that have wide-reaching implications.

Leveraging researcher preferences

Our findings highlight a strong preference for Mendeley and Twitter among researchers, particularly among master’s and Ph.D. students. Institutions and educators should leverage Mendeley’s user-friendly interface and extensive accessibility to promote greater engagement with research outputs. Additionally, the multimedia capabilities and broad adoption of Twitter make it an effective platform for researchers to communicate their work to both academic and non-academic audiences. Encouraging the use of these platforms can enhance the visibility and impact of research, particularly among emerging scholars.

Targeting high-impact journals

The Journal of Interactive Marketing , Journal of Business Research , and Journal of Marketing are identified as leading outlets for high-impact marketing papers. These journals not only have high impact factors but also actively engage with social media platforms, amplifying the visibility of their publications. Researchers should aim to publish in these influential journals to maximize their work’s reach and impact. Institutions can support this strategy by recognizing and rewarding publications in these high-profile outlets.

Maximizing online engagement

The positive correlations between social media mentions and traditional citations highlight the reciprocal relationship between online engagement and academic recognition. Researchers should capitalize on the potential of social media platforms to increase the visibility and citations of their work. Hence, by fostering active readership and engagement on platforms like Mendeley, researchers can significantly enhance their citation counts and, consequently, their academic impact. Institutions should consider incorporating social media metrics into their evaluation frameworks to capture the full spectrum of a researcher's influence.

Practical recommendations

Informed by our study’s findings, we propose the following strategies for scholars in the marketing field aiming to augment the Altmetric footprint of their publications.

Foster collaborative research

Given that multi-authored papers tend to secure higher Altmetric scores than papers authored individually, we advocate for the promotion of collaborative research efforts among marketing researchers. Cultivate an environment conducive to collaboration, including international cooperation, to amplify research outputs’ impact and visibility.

Amplify through sharing

Marketing journals and researchers should proactively advocate for the sharing of research papers on scientific and social media platforms. Harnessing these platforms’ potential can notably elevate Altmetric scores, citation counts, and impact factors. Encourage authors to disseminate their published works via their personal and institutional social media accounts, ensuring broader distribution and engagement with their research. Marketing researchers could also prioritize publishing in marketing journals that champion their published works through their own social media channels, thus expanding their research’s reach and impact.

Leverage social media as a supplementary tool

Marketing researchers and publishers should acknowledge social media’s potential as a practical, ancillary tool to boost their research output’s accessibility and reach. Actively harnessing social media platforms, marketing researchers can facilitate swifter, broader access to their work, fostering dialogue with diverse audiences, spanning academics, industry professionals, policymakers, and the general public.

Stay abreast of trends

In the swiftly evolving terrain of scholarly communication and digital media, it is paramount for marketing researchers and publishers to remain informed about emerging trends and best practices. Regularly monitoring and assessing the impact of Altmetric indicators, social media engagement, and online visibility, they can leverage technological advancements and adjust strategies accordingly to maximize digital platforms’ benefits in the marketing research ecosystem.

Collaborate with communication experts

For optimal use of social media and digital platforms, marketing researchers and publishers might consider allying with communication experts, social media managers, and digital marketing professionals. These specialists can guide the development of effective communication strategies, optimize social media presence, and analyze the impact of research dissemination efforts. Tapping into their expertise, marketing researchers and publishers can enhance their online visibility, engagement, and impact, thereby driving the marketing discipline forward and reaching a broader audience with their research findings.

Limitations and future research directions

While our study contributes significantly to the understanding of Altmetric scores and their relationship with social media mentions and citation performance in the marketing discipline, certain limitations offer a fertile ground for future inquiry. These limitations should be seen not as deficiencies, but as gateways leading to broader, more granular exploration of this multifaceted domain.

Firstly, this study is confined to highly-cited marketing papers, which may not provide a complete picture of the field’s research engagement and influence. Subsequent studies might strive to envelop a wider spectrum of scholarly works, spanning those with both high and low citation counts. In doing so, researchers can assemble a more encompassing understanding of the interplay between Altmetric scores and the citation impact of diverse research outputs in marketing.

Additionally, the impact of the journal impact factor on Altmetric scores merits further investigation. While high-impact journals often correlate with higher visibility and engagement, understanding the peculiarities of this relationship, particularly across different fields and access types (open access versus subscription access), could offer valuable insights. Future research could explore how the accessibility of a journal influences its Altmetric performance, potentially revealing whether open access publications garner higher Altmetric scores due to their broader availability and ease of dissemination.

Besides that, to foster a richer Altmetric analysis, future studies could pivot towards incorporating an array of influential marketing journals, particularly those boasting high impact factors. This would facilitate a more representative sample, offering granular insights into the ecosystem of highly impactful scholarly publications.

In addition, the correlation analysis between Altmetric scores, WoS citations, and social media engagement offered only a high-level aggregate overview, limited by the small number of cases available. Specifically, only 104 out of 137 highly-cited marketing papers were referenced on social media and, therefore, earned Altmetric scores. Citation patterns fluctuate over time – particularly with older and very recent papers often showing fewer citations (Donthu, Kumar, Pandey, et al., Citation 2021 ; Maflahi & Thelwall, Citation 2016 , Citation 2018 ; Wang, Glänzel, et al., Citation 2020 ). Future research should consider longitudinal and time series analyses that track changes in these metrics over specific intervals, potentially including a broader set of papers rather than focusing exclusively on highly-cited ones. This approach would increase the number of cases included, enabling a more comprehensive and dynamic examination of the relationship between these metrics over time.

Furthermore, capitalizing on alternative Altmetric tools such as Plum Analytics and Impactstory could yield a more multifaceted perspective on the visibility and impact of research outputs. Leveraging these diverse tools, scholars can further decode the nexus between social media presence, Altmetric scores, and citation counts.

Moreover, in light of our findings, we encourage marketing scholars and students to harness the power of social media to magnify their research visibility and citation performance. Knowledge acquisition and active engagement in social media platforms can be fostered through workshops, educational programs, and exploratory learning. Concurrently, entities accountable for science, technology, and innovation policies should fold social media strategies into their research communication protocols to foster broader engagement and societal impact of research outputs.

Finally, an exciting avenue for future exploration lies in alternative data extraction methodologies. Such methods could unveil details about the geographical and professional distribution of readers and tweeters on platforms like Mendeley and Twitter, thereby providing a better understanding of the global and professional impact of marketing research.

Acknowledgement

The authors sincerely appreciates the constructive feedback on the initial version of this manuscript from Professor Saeed Ul Hassan, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, England, UK, and Professor Aliakbar Jafari, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. The authors also thank the editors and reviewers for the effort and time that were invested into reviewing this manuscript and providing valuable suggestions for improvement.

Data availability statement

Altmetric data as per reported in the study.

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

1 This finding should be interpreted cautiously. Given the limited number of cases in non-Q1 journals and single authorships herein this study, a more comprehensive dataset and a regression analysis are necessary to rigorously test the significance of these relationships and validate whether high-impact journals and collaborative authorship indeed lead to increased visibility and impact.

Adie, E., & Roe, W. (2013). Altmetric: Enriching scholarly content with article-level discussion and metrics. Learned Publishing , 26 ( 1 ), 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1087/20130103 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Aduku, K. J., Thelwall, M., & Kousha, K. (2017). Do Mendeley reader counts reflect the scholarly impact of conference papers? An investigation of computer science and engineering. Scientometrics , 112 ( 1 ), 573–581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-017-2367-1 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Ale Ebrahim, N. (2012). Publication marketing tools “enhancing research visibility and improving citations”. Research Tools in Education Series , 1 (2), 1–86. Google Scholar
Appel, G., Grewal, L., Hadi, R., & Stephen, A. T. (2020). The future of social media in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , 48 ( 1 ), 79–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00695-1 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Ata, S., Arslan, H. M., Baydaş, A., & Pazvant, E. (2022). The effect of social media influencers’ credibility on consumer’s purchase intentions through attitude toward advertisement. ESIC Market , 53 ( 1 ), e280–e280. https://doi.org/10.7200/esicm.53.280 Google Scholar
Baek, S., Yoon, D. Y., Lim, K. J., Hong, J. H., Moon, J. Y., Seo, Y. L., & Yun, E. J. (2020). Top-cited articles versus top Altmetric articles in nuclear medicine: A comparative bibliometric analysis. Acta Radiologica , 61 ( 10 ), 1343–1349. https://doi.org/10.1177/0284185120902391 PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Bar-Ilan, J. (2012). JASIST@mendeley. In ACM Web Science Conference Workshop on Altmetrics. http://altmetrics.org/altmetrics12/bar-ilan/ Google Scholar
Bar-Ilan, J., Haustein, S., Peters, I., Priem, J., Shema, H., & Terliesner, J. (2012). Beyond citations: Scholars’ visibility on the social web. arXiv preprint arXiv:1205.5611. Google Scholar
Barakat, A. F., Nimri, N., Shokr, M., Mahtta, D., Mansoor, H., Mojadidi, M. K., Mahmoud, A. N., Senussi, M., Masri, A., & Elgendy, I. Y. (2018). Correlation of Altmetric attention score with article citations in cardiovascular research. Journal of the American College of Cardiology , 72 ( 8 ), 952–953. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.05.062 PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Basu, R., Lim, W. M., Kumar, A., & Kumar, S. (2023). Marketing analytics: The bridge between customer psychology and marketing decision-making. Psychology & Marketing , 40 ( 12 ), 2588–2611. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21908 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Bornmann, L. (2014). Validity of Altmetrics data for measuring societal impact: A study using data from Altmetric and F1000Prime. Journal of Informetrics , 8 ( 4 ), 935–950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2014.09.007 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Cano-Marin, E., Ribeiro-Soriano, D., Mardani, A., & Gonzalez-Tejero, C. B. (2023). Exploring the challenges of the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain using social media analytics: A global perspective. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship , 2 ( 3 ), 100047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stae.2023.100047 Google Scholar
Chandra, S., Verma, S., Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., & Donthu, N. (2022). Personalization in personalized marketing: Trends and ways forward. Psychology & Marketing , 39 ( 8 ), 1529–1562. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21670 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Chang, J., Desai, N., & Gosain, A. (2019). Correlation between Altmetric score and citations in pediatric surgery core journals. Journal of Surgical Research , 243 , 52–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2019.05.010 PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Chang, C. M., Hsu, M. H., Huang, E., & Yang, Y. H. (2020). Measuring social media brand community success: The roles of media capability and organisational support. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence , 31 ( 13–14 ), 1454–1466. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2018.1485485 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Clarivate. (2024). Essential Science Indicator. https://clarivate.libguides.com/c.php?g=593878& p=4107961 Google Scholar
Costas, R., Zahedi, Z., & Wouters, P. (2014). Do ‘Altmetrics’ correlate with citations? Extensive comparison of Altmetric indicators with citations from a multidisciplinary perspective. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology , 66 ( 10 ), 2003–2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23309 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Deda, Y. N., & Disnawati, H. (2024). A decade of research design studies: A bibliometric analysis (2012–2022). Bulletin of Pedagogical Research , 4 ( 1 ), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.51278/bpr.v4i1.1038 Google Scholar
de Winter, J. C. F. (2015). The relationship between tweets, citations, and article views for PLOS One articles. Scientometrics , 102 ( 2 ), 1773–1779. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-014-1445-x Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research , 133 , 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). Research constituents, intellectual structure, and collaboration patterns in Journal of International Marketing: An analytical retrospective. Journal of International Marketing , 29 ( 2 ), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X211004234 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Sahoo, S., Lim, W. M., & Joshi, Y. (2022). Thirty years of product and brand management research: A retrospective review of the Journal of Product and Brand Management using bibliometric analysis. Journal of Product & Brand Management , 31 ( 8 ), 1141–1167. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-02-2022-3878 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Sureka, R., Lim, W. M., & Pereira, V. (2023). Foundations of knowledge management: Intellectual structure and citation drivers of the Journal of Knowledge Management. Journal of Knowledge Management , 27 (4), 953–974. Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Donthu, N., Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., & Pattnaik, D. (2022). The journal of advertising’s production and dissemination of advertising knowledge: A 50th anniversary commemorative review. Journal of Advertising , 51 ( 2 ), 153–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2021.2006100 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Dwivedi, Y. K., Jeyaraj, A., Hughes, L., Davies, G. H., Ahuja, M., Albashrawi, M. A., Al-Busaidi, A. S., Al-Sharhan, S., Al-Sulaiti, K. I., Altinay, L., Amalaya, S., Archak, S., Ballestar, M. T., Bhagwat, S. A., Bharadwaj, A., Bhushan, A., Bose, I., Budhwar, P., Bunker, D., … Walton, P. (2024). “Real impact”: Challenges and opportunities in bridging the gap between research and practice–Making a difference in industry, policy, and society. International Journal of Information Management , 78 , 102750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102750 Google Scholar
Ebrahim, R. S. (2020). The role of trust in understanding the impact of social media marketing on brand equity and brand loyalty. Journal of Relationship Marketing , 19 ( 4 ), 287–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332667.2019.1705742 Google Scholar
Erdt, M., Nagarajan, A., Sin, S. C. J., & Theng, Y. L. (2016). Altmetrics: An analysis of the state-of-the-art in measuring research impact on social media. Scientometrics , 109 ( 2 ), 1117–1166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-016-2077-0 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Gholampour, B., Gholampour, S., & Noruzi, A. (2022). Research trend analysis of information science in France based on total, cited and uncited publications: A scientometric and altmetric analysis. Informology , 1 (1), 7–26. Google Scholar
Golmohammadi, A., Havakhor, T., Gauri, D. K., & Comprix, J. (2021). Complaint publicization in social media. Journal of Marketing , 85 ( 6 ), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429211002183 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Gupta, B. B., Gaurav, A., Arya, V., & Chui, K. T. (2024). Fintech advancements in the digital economy: Leveraging social media and personal computing for sustainable entrepreneurship. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge , 9 ( 1 ), 100471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100471 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Hammarfelt, B. (2014). Using altmetrics for assessing research impact in the humanities. Scientometrics , 101 ( 2 ), 1419–1430. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-014-1261-3 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Haseena, V. K. K. M., & Abdul Azeez, T. A. (2021, February). Impact of scholarly articles on social media: An altmetric mapping of University of Calicut. Kerala-India. Library Philosophy and Practice , 5111. Google Scholar
Hassan, S. U., Saleem, A., Soroya, S. H., Safder, I., Iqbal, S., Jamil, S., Bukhari, F., Aljohani, N. R., & Nawaz, R. (2021). Sentiment analysis of tweets through altmetrics: A machine learning approach. Journal of Information Science , 47 ( 6 ), 712–726. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551520930917 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Hassan Shah, S. H., Noor, S., Bayiz Ahmad, A., Saleem Butt, A., & Lei, S. (2022). Retrospective view and thematic analysis of value co-creation through bibliometric analysis. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence , 33 ( 7–8 ), 752–776. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2021.1890017 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Haunschild, R., Bornmann, L., & Leydesdorff, L. (2015). Networks of reader and country status: An analysis of Mendeley reader statistics. PeerJ Computer Science , 2015 ( 11 ), e32. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj-cs.32 Google Scholar
Haustein, S., Larivière, V., Thelwall, M., Amyot, D., & Peters, I. (2014a). Tweets vs. Mendeley readers: How do these two social media metrics differ? IT – Information Technology , 56 ( 5 ), 207–215. https://doi.org/10.1515/itit-2014-1048 Google Scholar
Haustein, S., Peters, I., Sugimoto, C. R., Thelwall, M., & Larivière, V. (2014b). Tweeting biomedicine: An analysis of tweets and citations in the biomedical literature. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology , 65 ( 4 ), 656–669. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23101 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Holmberg, K. J. (2015). Altmetrics for information professionals past, present and future. Altmetrics for information professionals (1st ed.). Chandos Publishing. Google Scholar
Huang, W., Wang, P., & Wu, Q. (2018). A correlation comparison between altmetric attention scores and citations for six PLOS journals. PLoS One , 13 (4), e0194962. PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Kadriu, A. (2013). Discovering value in academic social networks: A case study in ResearchGate. In Proceedings of the ITI 2013 35th International Conference on Information Technology Interfaces (pp. 57–62). IEEE. Google Scholar
Kapoor, K. K., Tamilmani, K., Rana, N. P., Patil, P., Dwivedi, Y. K., & Nerur, S. (2018). Advances in social media research: Past, present and future. Information Systems Frontiers , 20 ( 3 ), 531–558. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-017-9810-y Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Ke, Q., Ahn, Y.-Y., & Sugimoto, C. R. (2017). A systematic identification and analysis of scientists on Twitter. PLoS One , 12 (4), e0175368. PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Khademizadeh, S., Danesh, F., Esmaeili, S., Lund, B., & Santos-d’Amorim, K. (2024). Evolution of retracted publications in the medical sciences: Citations analysis, bibliometrics, and altmetrics trends. Accountability in Research . https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2023.2223996 Google Scholar
Kocyigit, B. F., & Akyol, A. (2021). Bibliometric and altmetric analyses of publication activity in the field of Behcet’s Disease in 2010–2019. Journal of Korean Medical Science , 36 ( 32 ), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e207 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Kraus, S., Breier, M., Lim, W. M., Dabić, M., Kumar, S., Kanbach, D., Mukherjee, D., Corvello, V., Piñeiro-Chousa, J., Liguori, E., Palacios-Marqués, D., Schiavone, F., Ferraris, A., Fernandes, C., & Ferreira, J. J. (2022). Literature reviews as independent studies: Guidelines for academic practice. Review of Managerial Science , 16 ( 8 ), 2577–2595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-022-00588-8 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Lim, W. M. (2024). Fact or fake? The search for truth in an infodemic of disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation with deepfake and fake news. Journal of Strategic Marketing . https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2023.2253805 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Lim, W. M., & Bowman, C. (2023). How to establish practical contributions and convey practical implications? Guidelines on locating practice gaps and making recommendations for practice. Activities, Adaptation & Aging , 47 ( 3 ), 263–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/01924788.2023.2232220 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Lim, W. M., Ciasullo, M. V., Escobar, O., & Kumar, S. (2024). Healthcare entrepreneurship: Current trends and future directions. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research . https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-02-2023-0197 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Lim, W. M., & Kumar, S. (2024). Guidelines for interpreting the results of bibliometric analysis: A sensemaking approach. Global Business and Organizational Excellence , 43 ( 2 ), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.1002/joe.22229 Google Scholar
Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., & Donthu, N. (2024). How to combine and clean bibliometric data and use bibliometric tools synergistically: Guidelines metaverse research. Journal of Business Research , 182 , 114760. Google Scholar
Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., Pandey, N., Rasul, T., & Gaur, V. (2022). From direct marketing to interactive marketing: A retrospective review of the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing , 17 ( 2 ), 232–256. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-11-2021-0276 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., Pandey, N., Verma, D., & Kumar, D. (2023). Evolution and trends in consumer behaviour: Insights from Journal of Consumer Behaviour. Journal of Consumer Behaviour , 22 ( 1 ), 217–232. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2118 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Lim, W. M., & Rasul, T. (2022). Customer engagement and social media: Revisiting the past to inform the future. Journal of Business Research , 148 , 325–342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.04.068 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Lim, W. M., Rasul, T., Kumar, S., & Ala, M. (2022). Past, present, and future of customer engagement. Journal of Business Research , 140 , 439–458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.11.014 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Liu, Y., Jiang, C., Ding, Y., Wang, Z., Lv, X., & Wang, J. (2019). Identifying helpful quality-related reviews from social media based on attractive quality theory. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence , 30 ( 15–16 ), 1596–1615. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2017.1389265 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Lund, B. (2019). Universities engaging social media users: An investigation of quantitative relationships between universities’ Facebook followers/interactions and university attributes. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education , 29 ( 2 ), 251–267. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2019.1641875 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Lund, B. (2021). Evaluating the use of journal prestige as a metric for academic research faculty. The Library Quarterly , 91 ( 3 ), 322–336. https://doi.org/10.1086/714319 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Maflahi, N., & Thelwall, M. (2016). When are readership counts as useful as citation counts? S copus versus M endeley for LIS journals. Journal of the Association for information Science and Technology , 67 ( 1 ), 191–199. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23369 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Maflahi, N., & Thelwall, M. (2018). How quickly do publications get read? The evolution of Mendeley reader counts for new articles. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology , 69 ( 1 ), 158–167. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23909 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Mahajan, R., Lim, W. M., Sareen, M., Kumar, S., & Panwar, R. (2023). Stakeholder theory. Journal of Business Research , 166 , 114104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114104 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Mahmoud, M. I., Surwanti, A., & Pribadi, F. (2024). Bibliometric analysis of trends and patterns in capital structure research: A decade-long review (2012–2022). Multidisciplinary Reviews , 7 ( 2 ), 2024025–2024025. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2024025 Google Scholar
Malhotra, P., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2022). Leveraging co-followership patterns on social media to identify brand alliance opportunities. Journal of Marketing , 86 (4), 17–36. Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Mohammadi, E., & Thelwall, M. (2014). Mendeley readership altmetrics for the social sciences and humanities: Research evaluation and knowledge flows. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology , 65 ( 8 ), 1627–1638. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23071 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Mohammadi, E., Thelwall, M., Haustein, S., & Larivière, V. (2015). Who reads research articles? An Altmetrics analysis of Mendeley user categories. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology , 66 ( 9 ), 1832–1846. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23286 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & PRISMA Group* (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. Annals of Internal Medicine , 151 ( 4 ), 264–269. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135 PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Moon, J. Y., Yun, E. J., Yoon, D. Y., Seo, Y. L., Cho, Y. K., Lim, K. J., & Hong, J. H. (2020). Analysis of the Altmetric top 100 articles with the highest Altmetric attention scores in medical imaging journals. Japanese Journal of Radiology , 38 ( 7 ), 630–635. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-020-00946-0 PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Mukherjee, D., Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., & Donthu, N. (2022). Guidelines for advancing theory and practice through bibliometric research. Journal of Business Research , 148 , 101–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.04.042 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Mullins, C. H., Boyd, C. J., & Corey, B. L. (2020). Examining the correlation between Altmetric score and citations in the general surgery literature. Journal of Surgical Research , 248 ( April ), 159–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2019.11.008 PubMed Google Scholar
Nabavi, M. (2024). Coverage of the research documents with top altmetric attention scores in online news. Online Information Review . https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-12-2022-0666 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Nath, A., Jana, S., Kerketta, S., & Kerketta, S. (2020). Who reads PLOS research articles? Extensive analysis of the Mendeley readership categories of PLOS journals. Journal of Scientometric Research , 9 ( 3 ), 245–252. https://doi.org/10.5530/jscires.9.3.32 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Nocera, A. P., Boyd, C. J., Boudreau, H., Hakim, O., & Rais-Bahrami, S. (2019). Examining the correlation between Altmetric score and citations in the urology literature. Urology , 134 ( December ), 45–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2019.09.014 PubMed Google Scholar
Nyagadza, B., Mazuruse, G., Simango, K., Chikazhe, L., Tsokota, T., & Macheka, L. (2023). Examining the influence of social media eWOM on consumers’ purchase intentions of commercialised indigenous fruits (IFs) products in FMCGs retailers. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship , 2 ( 3 ), 100040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stae.2023.100040 Google Scholar
Olawale, O., Ajayi, F. A., Udeh, C. A., & Odejide, O. A. (2024). Remote work policies for IT professionals: Review of current practices and future trends. International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research , 6 ( 4 ), 1236–1258. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v6i4.1056 Google Scholar
Page, M., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: AN updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. Systematic Reviews , 10 ( 1 ), 89. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01626-4 PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Paul, J., Lim, W. M., O’Cass, A., Hao, A. W., & Bresciani, S. (2021). Scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR-4-SLR). International Journal of Consumer Studies , 45 ( 4 ), O1–O16. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12695 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Piwowar, H. (2013). Introduction Altmetrics: What, why and where? Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology , 39 ( 4 ), 8–9. https://doi.org/10.1002/bult.2013.1720390404 Google Scholar
Pooladian, A., & Borrego, Á. (2017). Twenty years of readership of library and information science literature under Mendeley’s microscope. Performance Measurement and Metrics , 18 ( 1 ), 67–77. https://doi.org/10.1108/PMM-02-2016-0006 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Priem, J. (2010). I like the term #articlelevelmetrics, but it fails to imply diversity of measures. Lately, I’m liking #altmetrics. Google Scholar
Priem, J., & Hemminger, B. M. (2010). Scientometrics 2.0: New metrics of scholarly impact on the social web. First Monday , 15 ( 7 ). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v15i7.2874 Google Scholar
Priem, J., Piwowar, H. A., & Hemminger, B. M. (2012). Altmetrics in the wild: Using social media to explore scholarly impact. arXiv preprint arXiv:1203.4745. Google Scholar
Priem, J., Taraborelli, D., & Groth, P. (2010). Altmetrics: A manifesto. http://altmetrics.org/manifesto Google Scholar
Rao, P., Kumar, S., Lim, W. M., & Rao, A. A. (2024). The ecosystem of research tools for scholarly communication. Library Hi Tech , 42 ( 4 ), 1132–1151. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-05-2022-0259 Google Scholar
Robinson-García, N., Torres-Salinas, D., Zahedi, Z., & Costas, R. (2014). New data, new possibilities: Exploring the insides of Altmetric.com. Profesional de La Informacion , 23 ( 4 ), 359–366. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2014.jul.03 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Roemer, R. C., & Borchardt, R. (2015). Introduction to altmetrics. Library Technology Reports , 51 (5), 5–10. Google Scholar
Saeed-Ul Hassan, W., & Ahmed Gillani, U. (2016). Altmetrics of ‘Altmetrics’ using Google Scholar, Twitter, Mendeley, Facebook, Google-plus, CiteULike, Blogs and Wiki. arXiv preprint arXiv:1603.07992. Google Scholar
Said, A., Bowman, T. D., Ayaz Abbasi, R., Radi Aljohani, N., Ul Hassan, S., & Nawaz, R. (2019). Mining network-level properties of Twitter Altmetrics data. Scientometrics , 120 ( 1 ), 217–235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-019-03112-0 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Schulze, C., Schöler, L., & Skiera, B. (2014). Not all fun and games: Viral marketing for utilitarian products. Journal of Marketing , 78 ( 1 ), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.11.0528 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Shamsi, A., Lund, B., & SeyyedHosseini, S. (2022). Sharing of retracted COVID-19 articles: An Altmetric study. Journal of the Medical Library Association , 110 ( 1 ), 97. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1269 PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Stephen, G. (2019). Altmetric for the spread of true and false news online - A study of using Altmetric IT tool. Library Philosophy and Practice , 2910. Google Scholar
Sud, P., & Thelwall, M. (2014). Evaluating altmetrics. Scientometrics , 98 ( 2 ), 1131–1143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-013-1117-2 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Tahamtan, I., Potnis, D., Mohammadi, E., Miller, L. E., & Singh, V. (2021). Framing of and attention to COVID-19 on Twitter: Thematic analysis of hashtags. Journal of Medical Internet Research , 23 ( 9 ), e30800. https://doi.org/10.2196/30800 PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Tang, Y., Tseng, H., & Vann, C. (2020). Unwrap citation count, Altmetric attention score and Mendeley readership status of highly cited articles in the top-tier LIS journals. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication , 69 ( 8–9 ), 653–664. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-01-2020-0005 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Thelwall, M. (2016). Data science Altmetrics. Journal of Data and Information Science , 1 ( 2 ), 7–12. https://doi.org/10.20309/jdis.201610 Google Scholar
Thelwall, M., Haustein, S., Larivière, V., & Sugimoto, C. R. (2013). Do Altmetrics work? Twitter and ten other social web services. PLoS One , 8 ( 5 ), e64841. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0064841 PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Thelwall, M., & Wilson, P. (2016). Mendeley readership altmetrics for medical articles: An analysis of 45 fields. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology , 67 ( 8 ), 1962–1972. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23501 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Van Noorden, R. (2014). Online collaboration: Scientists and the social network. Nature News , 512 ( 7513 ), 126–129. https://doi.org/10.1038/512126a PubMed Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Verma, S., & Madhusudhan, M. (2019). An Altmetric comparison of highly cited digital library publications of India and China. Annals of Library and Information Studies , 66 (2), 71–75. Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Wang, Z., Glänzel, W., & Chen, Y. (2020). The impact of preprints in Library and Information Science: An analysis of citations, usage and social attention indicators. Scientometrics , 125 ( 2 ), 1403–1423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03612-4 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Wang, X., Lv, T., & Hamerly, D. (2020). How do Altmetric sources evaluate scientific collaboration? An empirical investigation for Chinese collaboration publications. Library Hi Tech , 38 ( 3 ), 563–576. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-05-2019-0101 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Wiechetek, Ł, & Pastuszak, Z. (2022). Academic social networks metrics: An effective indicator for university performance? Scientometrics , 127 ( 3 ), 1381–1401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-021-04258-6 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Wouters, P., & Costas, R. (2012). Users, narcissism and control – Tracking the impact of scholarly publications in the 21st century . SURF Foundation. Google Scholar
Yu, H., Murat, B., Li, L., & Xiao, T. (2021). How accurate are Twitter and Facebook Altmetrics data? A comparative content analysis. Scientometrics , 126 ( 5 ), 4437–4463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-021-03954-7 Web of Science ® Google Scholar
Zahedi, Z., Costas, R., & Wouters, P. (2014). Broad Altmetric analysis of Mendeley readerships through the academic status of the readers of scientific publication. In Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Science and Technology Indicators (pp. 720–727). Google Scholar
Zahedi, Z., Costas, R., & Wouters, P. (2017). Mendeley readership as a filtering tool to identify highly cited publications. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology , 68 ( 10 ), 2511–2521. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23883 Web of Science ® Google Scholar

Appendix. Search string

TS = (‘Agile Marketing’ OR ‘Ambush Marketing’ OR ‘Viral Marketing’ OR ‘Communal Marketing’ OR ‘Brand Marketing’ OR ‘Buzz Marketing’ OR ‘People Marketing’ OR ‘Persuasive Marketing’ OR ‘Celebrity Marketing’ OR ‘Consumer Marketing’ OR ‘Community Marketing’ OR ‘Computational Marketing’ OR ‘Content Marketing’ OR ‘Defensive Marketing’ OR ‘Event Marketing’ OR ‘Freebie Marketing’ OR ‘Guerrilla Marketing’ OR ‘Neuro Marketing’ OR ‘Word-of-Mouth Marketing’ OR ‘WOM Marketing’ OR ‘Ethical Marketing’ OR ‘Cause Marketing’ OR ‘Word Stream Marketing’ OR ‘Multichannel Marketing’ OR ‘Interactive Marketing’ OR ‘Multichannel Marketing’ OR ‘Attractive Marketing’ OR ‘Show Marketing’ OR ‘Web-Based Marketing’ OR ‘Paper Napkin Marketing’ OR ‘Marketing Leadership’ OR ‘Evangelism Marketing’ OR ‘Database Marketing’ OR ‘Corporate Marketing’ OR ‘University Marketing’ OR ‘Analytical Marketing’ OR ‘Youth Marketing’ OR ‘Voice Marketing’ OR ‘Video Marketing’ OR ‘Vertical Marketing’ OR ‘User-Generated Marketing’ OR ‘Undercover Marketing’ OR ‘Transactional Marketing’ OR ‘Traditional Marketing’ OR ‘Trade Marketing’ OR ‘Time Marketing’ OR ‘Test-Driven Marketing’ OR ‘Tele Marketing’ OR ‘Technical Marketing’ OR ‘Targeted Marketing’ OR ‘Synchrony Marketing’ OR ‘Street Marketing’ OR ‘Stealth Marketing’ OR ‘Sports Marketing’ OR ‘Social Media Marketing’ OR ‘Social Marketing’ OR ‘Shotgun Marketing’ OR ‘Shopper Marketing’ OR ‘Shadow Marketing’ OR ‘Services Marketing’ OR ‘Self-Marketing’ OR ‘Search Marketing’ OR ‘Seasonal Marketing’ OR ‘Scientific Marketing’ OR ‘Scarcity Marketing’ OR ‘Reverse Marketing’ OR ‘Retail Marketing’ OR ‘Reply Marketing’ OR ‘Re Marketing’ OR ‘Relationship Marketing’ OR ‘Referral Marketing’ OR ‘Real-Time Marketing’ OR ‘Push Marketing’ OR ‘Pull Marketing’ OR ‘Proximity Marketing’ OR ‘Promotional Marketing’ OR ‘Product Marketing’ OR ‘PR Marketing’ OR ‘Post-Click Marketing’ OR ‘Point-Of-Sale Marketing’ OR ‘Place Marketing’ OR ‘Philanthropic Marketing’ OR ‘Persuasion Marketing’ OR ‘Personalized Marketing’ OR ‘Person Marketing’ OR ‘Permission Marketing’ OR ‘Performance Marketing’ OR ‘Pay-Per-Click Marketing’ OR ‘Partnership Marketing’ OR ‘Out-of-Home Marketing’ OR ‘Outdoor Marketing’ OR ‘Outbound Marketing’ OR ‘Organisation Marketing’ OR ‘Organization Marketing’ OR ‘Online Marketing’ OR ‘One-To-One Marketing’ OR ‘Offline Marketing’ OR ‘Offensive Marketing’ OR ‘Non-Traditional Marketing’ OR ‘Niche Marketing’ OR ‘Next-Best-Action Marketing’ OR ‘Newsletter Marketing’ OR ‘New Media Marketing’ OR ‘Network Marketing’ OR ‘Native Marketing’ OR ‘Multi-Level Marketing’ OR ‘Multicultural Marketing’ OR ‘Mobile Marketing’ OR ‘Mass Marketing’ OR ‘Loyalty Marketing’ OR ‘Long Tail Marketing’ OR ‘Local Marketing’ OR ‘Left-Brain Marketing’ OR ‘Internet Marketing’ OR ‘International Marketing’ OR ‘Interactive Marketing’ OR ‘Integrated Marketing’ OR ‘In-Store Marketing’ OR ‘In-game Marketing’ OR ‘Informational Marketing’ OR ‘Influencer Marketing’ OR ‘Industrial Marketing’ OR ‘Inbound Marketing’ OR ‘Humanistic Marketing’ OR ‘Horizontal Marketing’ OR ‘Green Marketing’ OR ‘Goods Marketing’ OR ‘Global Marketing’ OR ‘Geographic Marketing’ OR ‘Freebie Marketing’ OR ‘Free Sample Marketing’ OR ‘Flanking Marketing’ OR ‘Field Marketing’ OR ‘Facebook Marketing’ OR ‘Experiential Marketing’ OR ‘Experiential Marketing’ OR ‘Evangelism Marketing’ OR ‘Ethnic Marketing’ OR ‘Entrepreneurial Marketing’ OR ‘Employee Marketing’ OR ‘Email Marketing’ OR ‘Ecommerce Marketing’ OR ‘Drip Marketing’ OR ‘Door-To-Door Marketing’ OR ‘Diversity Marketing’ OR ‘Disruptive Marketing’ OR ‘Direct Mail Marketing’ OR ‘Direct Marketing’ OR ‘Digital Marketing’ OR ‘Differential Marketing’ OR ‘De-Marketing’ OR ‘Data Marketing’ OR ‘Cultural Marketing’ OR ‘Cross Media Marketing’ OR ‘Corporate Marketing’ OR ‘Cooperative Marketing’ OR ‘Conversion Rate Marketing’ OR ‘Conversational Marketing’ OR ‘Contextual Marketing’ OR ‘Cloud Marketing’ OR ‘Closed Loop Marketing’ OR ‘Close Range Marketing’ OR ‘Channel Marketing’ OR ‘Catalogue Marketing’ OR ‘Action Marketing’ OR ‘Call Center Marketing’ OR ‘Business Marketing’ OR ‘Brick And Mortar Marketing’ OR ‘Black Hat Marketing’ OR ‘Above the Line Marketing’ OR ‘Below the Line Marketing’ OR ‘Behavioral Marketing’ OR ‘Augmented Marketing’ OR ‘Article Marketing’ OR ‘Alliance Marketing’ OR ‘Affinity Marketing’ OR ‘Acquisition Marketing’ OR ‘Affiliate Marketing’ OR ‘Account Based Marketing’)

Related research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations. Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.

People also read
Recommended articles

To cite this article:

Download citation, your download is now in progress and you may close this window.

Choose new content alerts to be informed about new research of interest to you
Easy remote access to your institution's subscriptions on any device, from any location
Save your searches and schedule alerts to send you new results
Export your search results into a .csv file to support your research

Login or register to access this feature

Explore your training options in 10 minutes Get Started

Graduate Stories
Partner Spotlights
Bootcamp Prep
Bootcamp Admissions
University Bootcamps
Coding Tools
Software Engineering
Web Development
Data Science
Tech Guides
Tech Resources
Career Advice
Online Learning
Internships
Apprenticeships
Tech Salaries
Associate Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
University Admissions
Best Schools
Certifications
Bootcamp Financing
Higher Ed Financing
Scholarships
Financial Aid
Best Coding Bootcamps
Best Online Bootcamps
Best Web Design Bootcamps
Best Data Science Bootcamps
Best Technology Sales Bootcamps
Best Data Analytics Bootcamps
Best Cybersecurity Bootcamps
Best Digital Marketing Bootcamps
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Browse All Locations
Digital Marketing
Machine Learning
See All Subjects
Bootcamps 101
Full-Stack Development
Career Changes
View all Career Discussions
Mobile App Development
Cybersecurity
Product Management
UX/UI Design
What is a Coding Bootcamp?
Are Coding Bootcamps Worth It?
How to Choose a Coding Bootcamp
Best Online Coding Bootcamps and Courses
Best Free Bootcamps and Coding Training
Coding Bootcamp vs. Community College
Coding Bootcamp vs. Self-Learning
Bootcamps vs. Certifications: Compared
What Is a Coding Bootcamp Job Guarantee?
How to Pay for Coding Bootcamp
Ultimate Guide to Coding Bootcamp Loans
Best Coding Bootcamp Scholarships and Grants
Education Stipends for Coding Bootcamps
Get Your Coding Bootcamp Sponsored by Your Employer
GI Bill and Coding Bootcamps
Tech Intevriews
Our Enterprise Solution
Connect With Us
Publication
Reskill America
Partner With Us

Resource Center
Bachelor’s Degree
Master’s Degree

The Top 10 Most Interesting Social Media Research Topics

Finding social media research topics you’re interested in is tricky. Social media is a fairly new field, and the constant arrival of new technology means that it’s always evolving. So, students have a lot to think about in their search for topics.

In this article, we’re going to walk you through social media research paper topics that are timely and relevant. We’ll also show you examples of social media research topics you can get inspiration from. Lastly, we’re going to lay out some social media research questions you can ponder while formulating your topic.

Find your bootcamp match

What makes a strong social media research topic.

A strong social media research topic requires clarity of focus. This means that your topic must be timely, relevant, and coherent. This allows your research topic to be compelling and easily understandable to others.

Tips for Choosing a Social Media Research Topic

Know the trends. Learning what social media topics are trending allows you to know the relevant issues and emergent themes in the field of social media. This also lets you know what topics are well-researched and which ones are still emerging.
Explore knowledge gaps. Knowing what previous researchers have written prevents you from repeating knowledge that has already been explored and shared. Nobody wants to reinvent the wheel when doing research. Exploring knowledge gaps lets you increase the impact of your work and identify opportunities for further research.
Choose something that you’re interested in. Diving deep into a topic that you’re interested in motivates you to learn more about it. The research process becomes more engaging when you know you care about your topic.
Be specific. Knowing what you want to research and what you don’t want to research are keys to the research process. This entails narrowing down your topic to a specific area, subject, theme, or relationship. You want to know the scope and the limitations of your study.
Check your timeframe. Limiting your topic to a specific timeframe helps in narrowing down what you need to study. For example, you can decide to study a phenomenon that has emerged in just the last three years. By doing this, you’re making sure that your research is both specific and relevant.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

The difference between a research topic and a research question is in the scope. Research topics tend to be broader than research questions. Research topics focus on a specific area of study within a larger field, while a research question further narrows down what you are researching. A good research question allows you to write on your topic with greater precision.

How to Create Strong Social Media Research Questions

The key to creating strong social media research questions is learning enough about your topic to know where the gaps are. This means that you have to conduct a thorough social media literature review, reading previous studies until you have a handle on what’s been said and what questions are still unanswered. Your question will emerge from this preliminary research.

2. The Influence of Social Media on Mental Health

Mental health has been an important topic in social media research these past few years. Social media use and its connection to mental health has even been the subject of systematic reviews. This means that there’s a huge body of previous studies that you can look to when developing your research question.

Exploring both the positive effects and negative impacts of social media sites on mental health helps people and firms establish guidelines that help user communities. This research topic might also cover strategies for helping social media users improve their mental health.

3. The Role of Social Media in Political Campaigning

Social media is a new tool for political campaigning. Exploring what social media strategies have been conducted by politicians running for office helps in determining how social media aids in political campaigning. Studying new strategies like user-generated content for political campaigning allows you to know how voters interact with political candidates.

4. The Role of Social Media in Disinformation

The rise of fake news has coincided with the rise of social networking websites. This topic involves dissecting how social media technologies allow certain types of online content to thrive and make it easier for bad actors to spread disinformation.

5. How Social Media Can Benefit Communities

More and more social issues have been popularized through online content. Diving deep into how social media can facilitate organizational networking lets you compare the traditional and new organizing strategies being created in digital spaces. It also lets you understand how social media activity influences trends in virtual communities.

6. The Effects of Social Media Exposure on Child Development

Children also use social media sites. Some children use social networking sites under the supervision of their parents, and some do not. Social interaction, online or not, affects how children develop. Studying the psychological effects of social media exposure lets you know how social media may improve or derail the growth of children.

7. How Communication Has Evolved Through Social Media

Body language, tone of voice, and other non-verbal cues are absent in online forms of communication. In their place, emojis and other new ways to express thoughts and emotions have appeared. Learning how social media changes the way we talk to one another allows you to develop a theory of communication that takes into account the role of digital communities.

8. Social Media Platforms as Primary News Sources

A lot of people now are getting their daily dose of news and current events through social media. News networks have also established their social media presence on platforms that they can use to deliver news and current events to their audiences. Researching this topic lets you investigate the changes and innovations in information dissemination.

9. How Social Media Paves Way for Non-Traditional Advertising

Regular social media posts, advertisements, and other forms of online content aren’t the only ways businesses market to their audiences. Social media has paved the way for user-generated content and other non-traditional types of online marketing. With this topic, you can learn social media marketing strategies that have been capitalized on the social connection fostered by social networking websites.

10. Impacts of Social Media Presence on Corporate Image

More businesses increasingly build and curate their digital presence through various social networks. Knowing how a business can improve its corporate image through social media influence clarifies the role of technology in modern economics and online marketing.

Social Media Research Questions

How was Facebook used as a political campaigning tool in the 2020 United States presidential election?
What social platforms are the most effective in influencing consumer behavior?
How does user-generated content boost the credibility of a business?
How do different types of online content disseminated through popular networks affect the attention span of people?
What are the most effective forms of online content and social media strategies for increasing sales conversions for small businesses?

Choosing the Right Social Media Research Topic

Choosing the right social media research topic helps you create meaningful contributions to the discipline of social media studies. Knowing the most popular topics in the field can make you an expert on social media. By reading up on previous studies, you will not only be more informed but you will also be in a position to make a positive impact on future studies.

Studying the relationship between social media and different fields produces valuable knowledge. Even if you’re only interested in exploring one social platform or a single social media event or phenomenon, your research can help people better understand how social media engagement changes the face of social relationships in the world at large.

Social Media Research Topics FAQ

Social media is a computer-based technology that allows digital communities to exchange information through user networks. Various social media networks specialize in text, photo, or video transfer. All of these are ways for people on the Internet to share information and ideas with each other.

Social media research is important because it helps you contribute to the growing body of knowledge about digital social settings. In 2021, according to DataReportal, at least 4.88 billion people around the world use the Internet . The more that people connect with each other through the social media domain, the more their quality of life changes, for better or worse.

According to Statista, the most popular social media platforms right now are Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp , each of which has at least two billion users. These social networks allow users to share text, picture, and video content with one another.

People use social media to connect with each other, share information, and entertain themselves. Social media sites can broadly serve all of these purposes or be focused on just one of these functions.

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

What's Next?

Get matched with top bootcamps

Ask a question to our community, take our careers quiz.

43+ Latest Social Media Research Topics for College Students

Post author By Ankit
February 7, 2024

Did you know that over 4.5 billion people actively use social media worldwide? That’s like half of the entire world’s people! With billions logging on daily, social media has changed how we communicate. As college students living in this digital time, we must know how platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram shape society.

Studying social media isn’t just about oversharing selfies – it helps us learn about human behavior, marketing techniques, cyberbullying, privacy issues, and more.

This blog shares the most exciting social media research topics for college students.

Table of Contents

Latest Social Media Research Topics For College Students

Check out the latest social media research topics for college students in tabular form.

Social Impact

1. Mental Health Awareness: Explore how social media can help spread understanding about mental health among teens. Look into campaigns and posts that help reduce stigma and offer support.

2. Activism Movements: See how social media helps people organize for causes they believe in. Look at examples of successful campaigns and the challenges activists face online.

3. Political Opinions: Study how social media affects young people’s political opinions. Look at how people only hear opinions they agree with and how false information spreads.

4. Community Building: Learn how social media helps different groups connect. Look at how these online groups offer support and share ideas.

5. Self-Esteem & Body Image: How social media affects teenagers’ feelings about themselves and their bodies. Explore how seeing idealized images can make people feel bad about themselves.

Also Read: 211+ Sociology Research Topics for College Students [2024]

Technical & Algorithmic Aspects

6. Content Algorithms: Understand how social media decides what to show you. Learn about the things that affect how posts appear in your feed.

7. Data Privacy: Explore how social media keeps your information safe. See how your data is collected, stored, and used for ads.

8. Artificial Intelligence: Learn how computers moderate what’s posted online. Look into how they can find and remove harmful content.

9. Personalized Advertising: See how ads on social media are tailored to you. Learn about how ads are based on what you’re interested in.

10. Misinformation Detection: Understand how social media tries to stop fake news. Learn how sites check if something is true before letting it spread.

Specific Platforms & Communities

11. TikTok Trends: Explore what’s popular on TikTok and how it spreads. Learn about the dances, challenges, jokes that get shared and discover strategies to boost your TikTok views .

12. Instagram Creativity: See how people express themselves on Instagram. Learn about the filters, tags, and stories they use.

13. Twitter Discourse: Learn about the conversations happening on Twitter. See how topics become trending and how people share their thoughts.

14. Reddit Subcultures: Explore the different groups on Reddit. Learn how people share interests and vote on what they like.

15. Facebook Groups: See how people connect on Facebook. Learn how groups help people talk about shared interests and issues.

Privacy & Security

16. Data Protection Laws: Understand laws that protect your personal information online.

17. Online Safety Tips: Learn how to stay safe from scams and cyberbullying on social media.

18. Two-Factor Authentication: Explore adding extra security to your social media accounts.

19. Privacy Settings: Understand how to control who sees your posts and information on social media.

20. Identity Theft Awareness: Learn the risks of sharing too much personal information online.

Education & Learning

21. Online Courses: Explore how social media platforms offer educational content and courses.

22. Study Groups: See how students use social media to collaborate and study together.

23. Learning Communities: Join online communities focused on specific subjects or skills.

24. Educational Resources: Find and share educational resources and materials on social media.

25. Teacher Collaboration: Explore how teachers use social media to connect and share teaching strategies.

Entertainment & Media

26. Fan Communities: Explore online communities dedicated to fandoms and fan culture.

27. Content Creation: Learn how people create and share content on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.

28. Livestreaming: Explore the world of live video streaming on platforms like Instagram Live and Facebook Live.

29. Viral Trends: Explore popular trends and challenges that go viral on social media.

30. Digital Art & Creativity: Discover how artists use social media to showcase their work and connect with fans.

Health & Wellness

31. Fitness Communities: Explore online communities focused on fitness and wellness.

32. Healthy Living Tips: Discover tips and advice for maintaining a healthy lifestyle shared on social media.

33. Mental Health Support: Find resources and communities that support mental health challenges.

34. Nutrition & Diet: Learn about nutrition and diet tips shared by health experts and influencers on social media.

35. Self-Care Practices: Explore self-care routines and practices individuals share on social media platforms.

Travel & Exploration

36. Travel Inspiration: Explore travel photos and stories travelers share on social media.

37. Travel Planning Tips: Discover tips and advice for planning trips shared by travel influencers.

38. Destination Guides: Find and share destination guides and recommendations on social media.

39. Solo Travel Communities: Connect with other solo travelers and share experiences and tips.

40. Adventure Activities: Discover adventure activities and experiences thrill-seekers share on social media.

Fashion & Style

41. Fashion Trends: Explore the latest fashion trends and styles showcased on social media platforms.

42. Style Tips: Discover styling tips and advice fashion influencers and bloggers share.

43. DIY Fashion: Learn how to create your fashion pieces through DIY tutorials shared on social media.

44. Fashion Communities: Connect with other fashion enthusiasts and share outfit ideas and inspirations.

45. Sustainable Fashion: Explore sustainable fashion practices and brands promoted on social media.

Career & Professional Development

46. Job Opportunities: Explore job postings and career opportunities shared on social media platforms like LinkedIn.

47. Networking Tips: Discover tips for networking and building professional connections on social media.

48. Resume Building: Learn how to create an effective resume and showcase your skills on social media profiles.

49. Interview Preparation: Find resources and advice for preparing for job interviews shared by career experts.

50. Freelancing Communities: Connect with other freelancers and share tips and advice for succeeding in the gig economy.

Hence, these are the trending Social Media Research Topics for College Students from which you can pick one.

Also Read: Top 11+ Career Benefits of Studying Abroad

How Do You Choose The Perfect Social Media Research Topics?

Social media is a significant aspect of our daily existence. There are so many exciting research topics for your college paper or project. Picking the right one can be tricky, but here is how to narrow it down.

1. Think About Your Interests

Start by brainstorming what social media platforms and topics interest you. Are you into Instagram trends? Facebook analytics? Snapchat filters? Knowing your interests will help you pick a topic you want to research and learn about.

2. Consider Current Events

Look at what’s happening right now in the social media world. Are people debating about privacy settings? Is a new platform getting popular? Current events and controversies make cool research topics.

3. Look for Gaps in Research

Search online to see what other studies have already been done. Then, you can find gaps where more research is needed. Filling those gaps by studying something new can lead to incredible discoveries.

4. Talk to Your Teacher

Your teacher will know good topics related to what you’re studying in class. See if they have suggestions based on what would work for the assignment. Their guidance can help narrow your choices.

5. Start Broad, Then Narrow Down

Begin with a broad subject like “Social Media and Culture,” then gradually narrow it down as you go. Add details about the specific platform, users, or effects you want to focus on for a defined topic.

6. Consider Your Research Method

Will you do surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments? Some topics work better with certain research methods. Think about how you’ll conduct the study when weighing your options.

7. Pick a Topic That’s Manageable

Make sure you pick a focused enough topic to research and reasonably write about within the time frame. A subject that’s too broad can be hard to tackle.

8. Write Down a List of Ideas

Keep a running list of all your potential topic ideas. Cross off the ones that don’t work. Circle your top choices. Taking notes helps to arrange your ideas.

9. Discuss Ideas with Classmates

Your classmates might have great suggestions you haven’t thought of. Or they can help you decide between topic options. Talking it through can give you a fresh perspective.

10. Don’t Forget About Your Passion!

Most importantly, choose a topic that you genuinely care about and excites you. Your enthusiasm will motivate you through the research process.

Hopefully, these tips will make it easier to pick the perfect social media research topic for your project.

What Makes A Perfect Social Media Research Topic?

Take into account the following factors to make sure your topic is powerful and exciting:

First, your topic should be super easy to understand so people understand what you’re discussing. Choose something that’s not confusing or vague.

Trend Relevancy

Second, it should relate to what’s happening now with social media and not be about old platforms or trends no one cares about anymore. Look at what sites and apps are popular today to pick a topic that matters.

New Insights

Finally, your research should uncover stuff people don’t already know. If there’s already a ton of studies on the same thing, it won’t be that interesting. Look for gaps in our knowledge so your work teaches us something new.

Researching social media is so essential for students today. We practically live our lives on sites like Instagram and TikTok. We could learn much about how social media impacts society, relationships, and mental health.

The possibilities are endless for research topics! Don’t be afraid to dive in and choose something you feel passionate about. Your research can create real change and impact. You have control over what happens next, so make it meaningful.

How does social media influence politics and democracy?

Social media enables the spread of misinformation, impacts voting, and polarizes political discourse.

How does social media affect body image and self-perception?

Social media imagery fosters unrealistic beauty standards, negative social comparisons, and poor body image.

What are the privacy risks of social media data mining?

User data collection raises issues around consent, transparency, profiling, and exploitation.

Tags Social Media Research Topics for College Students
australia (2)
duolingo (13)
Education (284)
General (77)
How To (18)
IELTS (127)
Latest Updates (162)
Malta Visa (6)
Permanent residency (1)
Programming (31)
Scholarship (1)
Sponsored (4)
Study Abroad (187)
Technology (12)
work permit (8)

Social media research: We are publishing more but with weak influence

Roles Methodology

Affiliation Department of Marketing, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Roles Resources, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation Department of Business Administration, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon

Samer Elhajjar,
Laurent Yacoub

Published: February 8, 2024
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241
Peer Review
Reader Comments

The purpose of this paper is to address the chasm between academic research on social media as an expanding academic discipline and at the same time a growing marketing function. A bibliometric analysis indicated the evolution of academic research on social media. The results of a survey of 280 social media practitioners shed the light on the gap between academic social media research and the practice of professionals. A qualitative study also offered novel insights and recommendations for future developments in academic research on social media. The findings of this paper showed that academic research on social media is growing in terms of the number of publications but is struggling in three areas: visibility, relevance, and influence on practitioners. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on social media. The implications of our study are derived from the importance of our findings on the directions to publish more relevant and timely academic research on social media. While extensive studies exist on social media, their influence on practitioners is still limited.

Citation: Elhajjar S, Yacoub L (2024) Social media research: We are publishing more but with weak influence. PLoS ONE 19(2): e0297241. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241

Editor: Alhamzah F. Abbas, UTM Skudai: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, MALAYSIA

Received: July 27, 2023; Accepted: January 1, 2024; Published: February 8, 2024

Copyright: © 2024 Elhajjar, Yacoub. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files. The data underlying the results presented in the study are from Scopus ( http://www.scopus.com/ ).

Funding: The author received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

In the early 1960s, academics began to advocate that marketing should gain rigor by relying on a scientific approach that respects requirements in terms of the state of knowledge, the hypotheses development, the methodology, and the analysis and interpretation of results [ 1 – 5 ]. This traditional conception of rigor has, over the years, fuelled the need to acquire tools to better evaluate, recognise and promote it. Thus, first in the United States, and now in almost all countries, various stakeholders use rankings of scientific journals, mainly Anglo-Saxon, which often consider their impact factors according to the Journal Citation Report (JCR) of the Science Citation Index or the Social Science Citation Index. Quality accreditation bodies for higher education management institutions have also followed suit by offering journal ranking lists.

However, since the early 1980s, the debate between rigor and relevance in the production and dissemination of marketing knowledge has been prominent in the literature. There is a serious concern about how academics are evaluating the impact of their research. As if the focus of marketing researchers is to improve their citation records rather than developing practical implications for practitioners. Shouldn’t marketing scholarship, when applied to practical issues, aim to harmonize rigor and relevance right from the start? How did we arrive at this risk of divorce and the need to reconcile thoroughness and applicability?

In fact, in some fields, such as pharmacy, where breakthroughs in medical procedures and the discovery of new pharmaceuticals result in societal benefits, the influence of research is simple to grasp. This effect is more difficult to detect in social media. In the discipline of marketing, for example, there have been allegations that research has strayed too far from the interests of practitioners. In turn, researchers point out the flaws in present professional methods [ 6 ]. Indeed, some in the marketing research community believe that many practical concerns that worry professional marketers are unworthy of researchers’ attention. This is mainly because of a long-standing misguidance of business schools [ 7 ] since their research is less and less influential [ 8 – 11 ]. Several studies confirm that the impact of academic research on business practices has been disappointing and that innovations have come from the consulting community, the business press, and professional associations [ 12 – 15 ].

This article aimed to identify whether there is a gap between rigor and relevance in academic research on social media. It also proposed ways for marketing researchers to foster relevance. In general, this article responded to two research questions: Is there a chasm between academic social media research and social media practitioners? How to reconcile the rigor and relevance of social media research?

The originality of this research lies in its specific focus on bridging the potential gap between rigor and relevance within the realm of academic research on social media. While social media has become an integral part of contemporary society and communication [ 16 ], there is a growing concern that academic investigations in this domain may sometimes prioritize theoretical rigor at the expense of practical applicability [ 17 ]. By addressing this issue, the research seeks to contribute significantly to the field by shedding light on the balance between rigorous methodologies and the real-world applicability of social media research findings. This unique perspective not only emphasizes the importance of ensuring academic work remains pertinent and useful in a rapidly evolving digital landscape but also offers valuable insights for researchers, educators, and policymakers striving to navigate the intricate intersection of academia and social media’s dynamic environment.

To answer our research questions, the paper was structured as follows. First, we examined the theoretical foundations of academic marketing research. Second, the research design and methodology of our three investigations were then described. Our first study involved a social media research bibliometric analysis with the goal of describing the evolution and development of academic social media research. Our second study gathered feedback and information from social media practitioners. Our third study listed suggestions for academic researchers. The three studies worked in tandem to create a comprehensive picture of academic research on social media. They offered historical context, practical insights, and actionable recommendations, collectively contributing to a holistic understanding of how researchers can bridge the gap between rigor and relevance in the dynamic realm of social media. Lastly, we listed the contributions of our study and their implications for future research.

Literature review

Academic marketing research has two purposes: first, to advance marketing theory, and second, to improve marketing practice [ 18 ]. On the one hand, theory ought to give academics fresh ideas, conceptual frameworks, and resources to aid in their understanding of marketing phenomena. On the other side, research should give marketers direction for making better decisions. As a result, marketing academics should address issues with the development of marketing theory’s rigor and its applicability to marketing practice [ 19 ]. Nevertheless, leading academic voices have expressed worry about the gap between marketing theory and practice. Reibstein et al. [ 20 ], for example, have questioned if marketing academia has lost its way, while Sheth and Sisodia [ 21 ] have urged for a reform. In a similar vein, Hunt [ 22 ] advised revising both marketing’s discipline and practice, while McCole [ 23 ] proposed strategies to refocus marketing theory on changing practice. Rust et al. [ 24 ] argue for reorienting marketing in firms to become more customer-centric, and Kotler [ 25 ] advocates for marketing theory and practice to conform to environmental imperatives. Also, because the business landscape is dynamic, Webster Jr. and Lusch [ 26 ] believe that marketing’s goal, premises, and models should be rethought. Finding answers to these problems keeps marketing from becoming obsolete [ 27 ] and marginalised [ 20 ], both as a discipline and as an organizational function [ 28 ].

According to the literature [ 29 , 30 ], marketing scholars have lost sight of both rigor and relevance. As a result, many scholarly journals have made it normal practice to provide implications and suggestions [ 31 ], their actual influence has been insignificant [ 20 ]. Many marketing academics have failed to address substantive topics [ 18 ], resulting in a loss of relevance [ 30 , 20 ] and a drop in marketing expertise [ 32 ].

The efforts of certain institutions (e.g., Marketing Science Institute), conferences (e.g., Theory + Practice in Marketing–TPM), and leading journals’ special issues on marketing theory and practice to bridge this gap are well recognised, with the goal of fostering dialogue and collaboration between marketing scholars and practitioners. Several solutions for bridging the marketing theory–practice gap have also emerged from existing literature: adopting the perspective of rigor–and–relevance in research [ 27 , 33 ]; focusing on emerging phenomena [ 34 , 35 ]; positioning research implications to the higher business level rather than the narrow level of the marketing department [ 36 ]; running role-relevant research driven by a deep understanding of the core tasks of the marketing department; translating research results into actionable recommendations [ 23 , 37 ].

In sum, marketing research has been criticised for not having an impact on practice since it is primarily focused on writing for other scholars and not for practitioners who might benefit from marketing research to address practical issues. Equivalently, publishing marketing research that is more useful for practitioners implies that there should be a well-functioning nexus between the theory and the marketing tools and techniques that practitioners need to deal with practical issues. In the context of social media, we still don’t know whether academic publications have an impact on practitioners. In other terms, one may ask whether social media practitioners read academic articles or refer to these publications in their practices.

Our paper considered the gaps between the theory and practice of social media and identifies where they exist. Some possible explanations for the gaps can be explored which may be of interest to both academics working in the field.

We conducted a bibliometric study, consisting of the collection, summarizing, assessing, and monitoring of published research, to create an up-to-date overview of the current marketing research on social media and statistically assess the associated literature [ 38 , 39 ]. Scopus, one of the most complete databases of academic articles, served as our data source. It indexes 12,850 periodicals in various categories and contains articles published since 1966. Scopus was chosen over Web of Science for two reasons. First, as researchers faced a trade‐off between data coverage and cleanliness, Scopus has been discovered to have a larger coverage (60% larger) than Web of Science [ 40 ]. Second, bibliometric studies in marketing research often employ only one database to avoid data homogeneity problems that could arise when using numerous databases [ 41 ].

To search the database, we first identified two keywords related to our study: “social media”, and “social media marketing”, we ran a query using a combination of these keywords (adopting the Boolean operator “OR”) in the fields related to “title,” “abstract,” and “keywords.” We considered works published only in business journals until October 2022. Proceedings, book chapters, and books were excluded from further consideration. To filter this data, we relied on a screening process. Documents were excluded based on whether they are not published in English and/or not available for the project team.

We placed the highest priority on maintaining the reliability of our dataset, which we accomplished by adhering to protocol. This protocol was carried out in four distinct phases: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion, as elaborated in Fig 1 . Using Mendeley’s robust features, we structured all identified studies in an organized format consisting of author names, titles, and publication years. Additionally, we conducted a thorough check to detect and remove any duplicate studies, ensuring the dataset’s cleanliness and integrity.

PPT PowerPoint slide
PNG larger image
TIFF original image

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241.g001

After applying our selection criteria rigorously, our initial search of the Scopus database produced a substantial dataset comprising 5345 research works. This dataset encompassed a wide range of information, including author names, article titles, the countries of corresponding authors, publication counts, comprehensive citation statistics (total citations, average article citations, and the number of citing articles, both with and without self-citations), journal sources, keywords, geographical distribution by countries, and author-level metrics. A detailed workflow outlining our selection process is depicted in Fig 1 , providing a comprehensive overview of our systematic approach.

To further enhance the comprehensiveness of our research, we implemented a backward search strategy. In this phase, we scrutinized the reference lists of the retained studies for our final review but did not identify any additional studies relevant to our research objectives.

Once we finalized our ultimate dataset, we examined the complete text of each article. We extracted and organized all pertinent information essential for our review. To streamline this process, we developed a structured data extraction tool specifically designed to record and concisely summarize the crucial details necessary to address our research inquiries. This approach aimed to minimize potential human errors and enhance procedural transparency.

The data coding phase unfolded in two distinct steps. Initially, we subjected the data extraction form to a rigorous pilot evaluation using a select sample of the finalized articles. Two of our co-authors independently conducted data extractions from this sample, allowing for a meticulous cross-check to identify and rectify any technical issues, including completeness and the form’s usability. In the second step of data coding, each article received a unique identifier. One co-author examined the complete text of each article, coding the data into specific categories, such as article title, publication year, geographic market focus, and research theme. To ensure the utmost accuracy and reliability, a second co-author rigorously reviewed the extraction form and conducted a random sample check for cross-validation. Any discrepancies or disagreements that arose during this process were thoroughly discussed and resolved to maintain the integrity of our data coding efforts.

Then, we proceeded to conduct a comprehensive performance analysis. Within this evaluation, we scrutinized various metrics to gauge the scholarly contributions. Among the myriad measures assessed, two stood out as particularly prominent indicators of research impact. The first criterion was the number of publications produced per year or per research constituent, serving as a robust proxy for productivity and output. The second metric revolved around citations, a paramount gauge of the work’s influence and impact within the academic community. As mentioned by Donthu et al. [ 42 ], these dual facets—publication and citation—equally underscore the multifaceted nature of scholarly contributions.

Fig 2 shows the evolution of publications on social media research. Academic research was keeping up with the growth of social media platforms. In fact, since 2010, the number of social media users has significantly increased, the number of social media networks has grown, and the social media platforms evolved from direct electronic information exchange to virtual gathering place.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241.g002

These publications have collectively accumulated a total of 2,351 citations. Further dissecting this data, we found that the average citation per document stands at 0.43. Moreover, the h-index, a key indicator gauging both the productivity and influence of a researcher’s body of work, stands at 16. This signifies that a minimum of 16 citations have been garnered by these publications.

Overall, the studies have been conducted in 52 countries. The greatest share of research has been carried out in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, and China. Business journals publishing on social media were also listed in our findings. They included a range of marketing journals (e.g., Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science; International Journal of Research in Marketing; Journal of Marketing; Marketing Intelligence and Planning; Journal of Interactive Marketing; Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing; Psychology and Marketing), business research journals (Journal of Business Research; EuroMed Journal of Business; Business Horizons; Journal of Business Media studies), and management journals (e.g., European Management Review). In general, the Marketing journals and business research journals dominated this list. The most cited paper was the classical article on the challenges and opportunities of social media published by Kaplan and Haeinlein in Business Horizons, which has received more than 27000 citations. Next, we found three papers with more than 5000 citations and 10 additional ones with over 2000 citations.

In our study, the abstracts were assessed for the keywords "theory" and "model" to identify theories and models that the social media study added to, and to explore the many theoretical lenses used to guide the research. In total, 321 papers had an abstract that included a theory or model. There were 19 different theories initiated from those works. Theory of gratification, the theory of technology acceptance, and the theory of planned behavior are the most used theories in social media research.

Next, we conducted a keyword co‐occurrence analysis aimed at identifying the main keywords i.e., academic research on social media. By investigating the relationships between keywords, keyword co-occurrence analyses helped us to represent and comprehend the literature of a scientific topic. VOSviewer package of Van Eck and Waltman [ 43 ] was used to generate bibliometric analysis which has been widely adopted in the literature [ 44 ]. VOS is superior to multidimensional scaling for constructing bibliometric analyses and maps [ 43 ], so we did not involve multidimensional scaling. The results of our keyword analysis are shown in Fig 3 . The size of the circles in the graphic representation indicates which keywords had the highest levels of co-occurrence throughout the examination of keyword co-occurrence. Social networking platforms, consume behaviour, marketing, sustainability, and economic and social effects are among the most important keywords used by social media researchers.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241.g003

Social media research has identified several prominent topics that have garnered significant attention in recent years. One of these is the impact of social media on mental health [ 45 ]. Researchers have been exploring how various aspects of social media use, such as the quantity and quality of online interactions, content consumption, and platform design, influence individuals’ mental well-being. This includes investigations into the links between social media use and consumer well-being [ 46 ].

Another critical area of focus in social media research is the spread of misinformation and fake news [ 47 ]. The mechanisms behind the dissemination of false information on social media platforms have been extensively examined, along with their effects on public opinion, trust, and political polarization. Researchers have sought to understand how the algorithms, echo chambers, and filter bubbles on these platforms contribute to the propagation of misinformation [ 47 ].

Influencer marketing is another hot topic in social media research [ 48 ]. The effectiveness of influencer partnerships, issues related to authenticity, and the ethical considerations surrounding sponsored content have all come under scrutiny. Researchers are also exploring how influencers shape consumer behavior, affecting choices and preferences [ 49 ].

Political communication on social media has attracted significant attention, particularly regarding its impact on election campaigns, policy-making, and public discourse. Scholars have examined how algorithms, the presence of filter bubbles, and the formation of echo chambers can influence political opinions and contribute to polarization [ 50 ].

Privacy and data security issues are ongoing concerns in the realm of social media research. These studies investigate user privacy, data breaches, and the effects of privacy settings on various social media platforms [ 51 ].

Research into user behavior and engagement on social media platforms is fundamental for understanding trends, virality, and the factors that drive user interactions. Numerous research studies have delved into the impact of social media on consumer behavior, offering valuable insights into this dynamic relationship [ 52 ]. The concept of social proof, where people tend to follow the actions and preferences of others, is well-established in social media research [ 53 ]. The fear of missing out (FOMO) also drives consumer behavior, as limited time offers and exclusive deals on social media can prompt quick purchasing decisions [ 54 ].

Several emerging trends in social media research are shaping the field’s future direction. One of these is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into research methodologies [ 55 ]. AI is being used for sentiment analysis, content recommendation, and identifying trends within large datasets [ 56 ].

Blockchain technology is also gaining traction as a means to enhance trust and transparency in social media interactions. Researchers are exploring its potential in content authentication and combating fake news [ 57 ].

Ethical considerations surrounding AI algorithms on social media platforms are a growing concern. Research in this area focuses on issues of bias, fairness, and the ethical responsibility of tech companies in algorithm design and implementation [ 58 ].

Cross-cultural and global perspectives in social media research are becoming more prevalent, with studies investigating how social media usage varies across cultures and regions and the global impact of social media trends [ 59 – 61 ].

Looking ahead, future research in social media could consider the long-term effects of social media usage on individuals and societies, including potential generational attitudes and behaviors. Advocacy for increased algorithmic transparency on social media platforms and the study of its impact on user experiences and content distribution is another important direction for future research. Research into how humans and AI can collaborate to enhance content moderation, fact-checking, and information verification on social media platforms will become increasingly relevant. Finally, as concerns about environmental sustainability grow, future research could investigate the environmental impact of data centres and the carbon footprint associated with social media platforms.

Building upon the insights garnered from our initial study, our research journey continued with two subsequent investigations. The second study delved into the world of social media practitioners, extracting valuable feedback and information. In parallel, our third study synthesized a comprehensive list of suggestions tailored specifically for academic researchers. These two complementary endeavors, while distinct in focus, formed integral components of our overarching quest to bridge the gap between theory and practice in the realm of social media.

Numerous academics and commentators have recently claimed that marketing scholarship has stopped being sufficiently creative and has grown more disassociated from actual practice. A rush of recent special journal issues, editors’ forums, and studies on the seeming research/practice gap in marketing have been linked to such worries. While some contend that the goal of marketing research should be to enhance rather than merely describe, understand, or criticise marketing activity, a possible divide between practitioners’ and academics’ concerns appears to have formed.

Academic research, characterized by its systematic inquiry, rigor, and peer-reviewed dissemination, represents a cornerstone of knowledge production and dissemination across various fields and disciplines. Yet, the extent to which social media practitioners engage with, trust, and value academic research remains a subject of limited empirical inquiry. This gap in our understanding is particularly pertinent given the increasingly complex and intertwined relationship between social media and academia.

While a growing body of literature has explored the impact of social media on academic research dissemination and public engagement [ 62 , 63 ], relatively few studies have focused on the reverse perspective—how social media practitioners perceive and interact with academic research. In response to this gap, Study 2 aims to delve deeper into this important facet of the digital age information ecosystem.

The sample frame for this study consisted of 280 social media practitioners. Emails were sent to 441 marketers explaining the project and posing their participation. To improve response rates, a cover letter and a survey instruction letter were sent to all potential respondents [ 64 ]. The overall response rate from the participating companies was 63.5 percent. Table 1 displays the characteristics of the participants. To facilitate the process of reaching social media professionals, we collaborated with a local professional marketing body. This collaboration provided us with access to their membership database and allowed us to leverage their network to identify and contact potential participants. Our data collection initiative unfolded over the course of three months, spanning from November 2022 to January 2023.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241.t001

The selection of a sample frame comprising 280 social media practitioners for this study was well-justified on several grounds. Firstly, this choice was rooted in the research’s primary objective, which seeks to gain valuable insights into the perspectives of professionals actively engaged in the field of social media. Moreover, the sample size of 280 was both practical and feasible, considering the available resources and the capacity for efficient data collection and analysis. This size also ensured the statistical significance of the study’s findings, reducing the likelihood that results are simply due to random chance. Ultimately, this choice of sample frame aligned with the study’s research goals, methodological considerations, and ethical principles, strengthening the validity and reliability of the study’s outcomes.

Results showed that only 2% read an academic paper every quarter. Less than 1% of our respondents believed that academic research had an impact on their decisions and activities. Participants of our survey indicated that social media platforms, practical eBooks, specialised websites, and newspapers and magazines are their main sources of knowledge. Fig 4 shows the responses of the participants to the following question: What media or tools do you use to acquire knowledge in social media?

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241.g004

Participants mentioned that they use the previously mentioned tools to mainly gain more information about the latest trends in the fields of social media and technology. Others read market analysis reports and practical reports, while the rest use the templates developed by marketing institutes and digital marketing agencies (See Table 2 ).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241.t002

Respondents shared their perceptions of marketing academics. Academics were regarded as being elitist because they use their own jargon, speak in convoluted scientific terms, strive to publish at all costs, and do little to advance practice. Moreover, most of our participants raised negative criticisms towards the academic research on social media. For them, academic research lacks usefulness, relevance, and visibility (see Table 3 ). Respondents were also asked what the ideal focus of an academic journal should be on. Results show that the most important areas of focus are: (1) practical cases, (2) best practice sharing and (3) dissemination of new ideas. According to the respondents, the least focus should be placed on theoretical models.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241.t003

Building upon the insights gained in our second study, we transition into our third investigation, which, like the second, continues to focus on social media practitioners. This continuity underscores the importance of deepening our understanding of their experiences, challenges, and expertise within the ever-evolving social media landscape. In this manner, our research endeavors maintain a cohesive narrative, as we gather comprehensive feedback from practitioners to inform our ongoing quest for practical solutions and academic contributions.

11 online focus groups were held with 69 social media practitioners between March and June 2023. Focus groups are a popular qualitative research method for producing cutting-edge findings. This approach was designed and justified to ensure the rigor and comprehensiveness of our research. By opting for a series of focus groups, we aimed to capture a diverse range of perspectives within the field of social media, considering its dynamic nature and the variety of roles practitioners may hold. Smaller groups can lead to more in-depth discussions and allow each participant to contribute meaningfully [ 65 ]. Furthermore, conducting these sessions during a specific time frame ensured that our data remained relevant and reflective of contemporary practices. The approach also provided opportunities for data validation and triangulation, enhancing the trustworthiness of our findings. Overall, the methodology aligned with the study’s objectives, maximizes data richness, and accounts for practical constraints, ultimately enhancing the robustness and credibility of our research.

The moderator and participants must be chosen for the online focus group to grow well. For the role of moderator, the focus group was facilitated by one of the researchers with experience in conducting online focus groups, whose main role was to encourage an open and relaxed discussion, keep the discussion relevant and probe into areas that needed clarification. A relaxed atmosphere was created to improve interaction and the free flow of ideas and opinions. ‘Starter’ questions were used at the focus group sessions to seed the discussions about the role of academic research.

We did not predetermine the number of focus groups, but we did adhere to the principles of saturation and ceased gathering data when there was no more material to add. The focus groups lasted between 62 and 91 min, with an average length of 73 min. We purposively selected information-rich participants [ 66 ] by using the authors’ networks and snowball sampling. All the participants had a strong understanding of social media, having more than three years of experience in digital marketing. An emailing list of marketing professionals was already developed by the researchers. Those professionals already participated in a previous survey or engaged in an academic activity (example: guest talk, judging a case competition, industry speech to the students). The sample frame for this study consisted of 69 marketing professionals in Singapore, France, and Lebanon. Emails were sent to 130 marketing professionals explaining the project and posing their participation. All potential respondents received a cover letter and a letter outlining the survey’s requirements to increase response rates. The overall response rate from the participating companies was 53 percent. Industries included high-tech, investment, banking, media, logistics, retailing, and healthcare. 55.07% of the sample salespeople were males with a mean age of 33 years.

Each focus group was transcribed and reviewed by an independent researcher. Using computer-based qualitative analysis software, the authors created the initial codes (QSR NVivo 12 Plus). To work methodically through the complete focus group data set and give each data item its full and equal attention, the authors scheduled frequent follow-up meetings. Then, the authors used a data-driven thematic analysis approach to look for themes that were strongly connected with the data but unrelated to the topics posed during the focus groups. To ensure that the themes formed a logical structure, the authors revised and improved the topics. To make sure that each theme appropriately reflected the meanings visible in the entire data set, the authors specifically went back to the transcripts. The final thematic categories underwent numerous rounds of editing to verify that they accurately translated the empirical data and were free of overlapping meanings. They also established connections between the detected themes and previously published works of literature. The trustworthiness of the authors’ later findings, which were demonstrated and backed by a comprehensive collection of data quotations, required such iterative analysis to be improved. Finally, the authors created a report by summarizing the results and highlighting how the new research has added to the body of knowledge. Reports were sent to all the study participants to obtain their feedback. The feedback validated the findings.

Before conducting a thematic analysis, textual data were analyzed using VOSviewer software. The software can automatically and precisely identify the keywords that frequently exist in a large text. VOSviewer analysis needs data files in.txt or.csv format for analysis. As such, all data files were converted from.docx to.txt format and uploaded to the software. The research generated many keywords, each of which was represented by a circle based on how frequently it appeared in the transcripts. The higher the frequency of occurrence of a theme in the textual data or transcripts, the larger the size of the circle (See Fig 5 ). We identified 10 topical keywords: 1) relevance; 2) automation; 3) artificial intelligence; 4) technology; 5) exposure; 6) partnership; 7) big data; 8) innovation; 9) analytics; and 10) trends. These keywords are intelligible with the importance of publishing relevant and visible academic research to practitioners. This analysis also shows that technology, automation, and artificial intelligence are among the main interests of our participants.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241.g005

In this section, we present the findings of our thematic analysis. To answer our research questions, our findings shed the light on 1) the problems of academic research on social media; and (2) the participants’ recommendations to improve the managerial and practical impact of academic research on social media.

A primary finding of this research was related to the current challenges the academic research on social media. All our participants thought that the lack of visibility of academic articles is the main problem of academic research. All of them mentioned that they are not aware of the academic journals in the field of social media and are not exposed to the academic articles. Participants believed that academic institutions and researchers don’t promote research works to practitioners, as described in the following paragraph:

I think academic research is not visible for professionals like us [ … ] I believe that academics need to invest more time with practitioners and present the results of their research . As things stand like this , we are not even aware of what researchers are doing .

(Participant 13, Digital Marketing Manager, 10 years of experience).

The participants also mentioned that the lack of relevance for research in social media—is overwhelming: the gap between social media research and its practice looks abysmal, even irreconcilable, and practitioners’ interest in the research produced by researchers is very limited. The relevance dimension relates to the originality of the results. However, according to the participants, the nature of originality differs between researchers and social media managers. The originality expected by social media practitioners is established in reference to their daily practice (there is originality when the results question the practices in use) whereas the originality for researchers has as reference the universe of theories (there is originality when the results question existing knowledge). And this has implications for the researcher concerned with relevance. If he or she evolves in the world of theories and is, therefore, able to detect what constitutes original results, as quotes of participant 24 depict:

We are looking for new and original contributions [ … ] We expect to read something that we don’t know and can help us in our job .

(Participant 24, Social Media Coordinator, 5 years of experience).

The participants felt that there is an obvious time gap between researchers and practitioners: Thus, the researcher took liberties with research time which, in the eyes of the marketers, sometimes made the results obsolete. This perspective of a two-speed world (always slow for research, very fast for marketers) brought with it the idea that researchers are disconnected from business constraints and realities, as depicted in the following quote:

We don’t work much with marketing researchers because there is too much of a time gap.

(Participant 43, Marketing Manager, 13 years of experience).

Another problem noticed by our participants concerns editorial style and the dissemination of the writings. On the one hand, practitioners knew that vocabulary is an element of a researcher’s scientific capital. It is a proof of legitimacy and a mark of identity. On the other hand, they also considered the scientific writing style complex and difficult. In fact, according to our participants, the latter do not read academic articles because they are not trained to understand their content, which is often too specific, abstract, written in specialised jargon, and peppered with references and methodological details. Social media practitioners look for easy-to-understand texts that address the real world and offer cutting-edge ideas, digital marketing trends, or advice that help prevent or solve crises, address challenges, or stay competitive in the digital world.

For our participants, the questions addressed in the research work must be in phase with the concerns of social media practitioners and the challenges facing companies. They must therefore deal with current, and even future, topics, as these are the ones that interest practitioners and can help digital marketers make a difference, stand out and progress in their practices. Therefore, many of our participants said that the topics that social media researchers tackle may neither be important nor interesting for them. In this sense, participant 3 expressed the following:

Research is not at all intriguing . It is very difficult for me to understand and covers subjects that I don’t find interesting .

(Participant 3, Social Media Specialist, 5 years of experience)

The participants listed several recommendations to improve the practical impact of academic research on social media. First, there is a need to improve the visibility and exposure of the academic articles to the practitioners. Academics can think about organizing conferences and seminars to present their results to practitioners. Joint seminars involving academics and practitioners might be planned in this order to increase the practical value of academic research. Also, academics, according to our participants, can publish the results of their results in practice websites. Researchers should also be more active on social networks and try to use less scientific and more practical language in their blogs to explain the importance of their results to social media practitioners. Participants think that researchers should share specific recommendations for practitioners through YouTube. For instance, they can practically explain how to increase social media engagement and how to improve the online reputation of a company. Moreover, professional associations and professional institutes can play an important role in transmitting academic research findings to practitioners.

In addition to presenting at practitioner conferences, writing in traditional crossover journals for practitioners as well as in shorter pieces like op-eds and blogs, and attracting the attention of those who publish columns, blogs, and articles about research for practitioners, participants discussed other ways that scholars can share pertinent research insights with practitioners. Second, participants suggested involving practitioners in research, conducting research in partnership with companies. Implementing collaborative research is not easy, however. It assumes that researchers and social media managers can navigate both worlds and comply with the rules of the game specific to each universe. Participants emphasised the importance of developing ecosystems that bring together researchers and companies to pool resources from both sides to tackle shared issues. Offering a place to share problems and solutions is relevant and improves the efficiency of efforts, whether through knowledge sharing, financial support mechanisms (sponsorship), or—the implementation of joint field studies. Social media practitioners should play an important part in the co-production of research and so shape how new social media plans and ideas are developed. Participant 19 said:

I think researchers need to bridge the gap with professionals [ … ] A key element here is : collaboration . The collaboration will help both parties . The researchers will be able to co-create knowledge with the practitioners , and the latter will get new perspectives from the researchers .

(Participant 19, Marketing Executive, 20 years of experience)

Additionally, social media practitioners can collaborate with researchers to co-produce research, as shown by examples where they have served as data sources, recipients, commissioners, endorsers, and co-researchers on collaborative projects. For two crucial reasons, it is uncommon for practitioners to write on discipline-based research. The first is that academic journals have historically been less likely to publish articles on topics that are of interest to both academics and practitioners and on which they may collaborate in research. If any such research is done, it might be published in journals geared toward practitioners, but these publications don’t seem to get the attention or credit required to improve an academic’s reputation or career. Second, because practitioners lack training in the vocabulary, tools, and processes of research analysis, co-production is uncommon. To promote the generation and dissemination of information, business schools might suggest research training for practitioners and can create networks between practitioners and academics.

Third, practitioners recommended research to tackle specific, relevant, and “real-world” topics. Practitioners look for research that can provide new insight and information, which goes beyond intuition. This relevance non-obviousness test determines whether research meets or exceeds a practitioner’s intuition. So, the research topic must evoke a real marketing problem and the focus should be directed toward helping practitioners with new insights or knowledge. Then, researchers should convert this info into practice and communicate the same in jargon-free language. Social media research should concentrate on know-how rather than know-what and need to mainly rely less on theory to the virtual exclusion of practitioner utility. It is also suggested that researchers consider the results of surveys that some academic or professional organizations periodically conduct to identify practitioner needs and challenges.

Making social media research more relevant does not mean neglecting its rigor, but rather reconciling these two qualities. This "research/teaching/transfer" synergy implies changes in thinking, acting, and managing on the part of all stakeholders: faculty, policymakers, and the management of educational institutions. Participants proposed recommendations for promoting relevance at each stage of this process. Thus, according to them, research must: 1) focus on marketing problems that face practitioners and on variables that practitioners can influence; 2) analyze the interactions between, people, organizations, and the industry and their impact on marketing performance indicators deemed important by practitioners; 3) generate results that cannot be deduced intuitively and that are quickly transferred to practitioners.

Furthermore, participants thought that there is a need to investigate the effect of media on consumers, value formation and their interplay with purchase decisions, and optimization of social media marketing tools that marketing practitioners can use in their everyday jobs. Table 4 presents examples of suggested topics by our participants.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241.t004

Fourth, social media research needs to provide recommendations that motivate practitioners to act on the results. Therefore, when possible, researchers should use examples to illustrate how their findings should affect social media practitioners’ actions while also defining the context in which those findings are most likely to be applicable. This entails including—and treating seriously—a part in papers titled "implications for practice" and, ideally, having relevant practitioners review versions of this section. In the eyes of practitioners, it appears necessary for researchers to adopt a forward-looking posture and look to the future rather than simply explaining what has happened or is happening today, as described by participant 58:

I expect recommendations from the part of researchers on how to prepare for the future of digital marketing . (Participant 58, Digital Marketing Manager, 15 years of experience)

Fifth, participants called for new thinking on research analysis methods:

We , the marketing directors , need models to help us make decisions and make judgments , and this is a strong expectation from researchers .

(Participant 40, Social Media Specialist, 7 years of experience)

As far as data mining and retargeting are concerned, social media practitioners are waiting for models to better manage data flows. Quantitative approaches are therefore not excluded, but they must be combined with interpretative approaches, backed by psychology, ethnography, or anthropology, to better understand and anticipate consumers’ choices and decisions.

Sixth, the skills needed to thrive in the field of digital marketing are numerous and diverse because it mixes traditional marketing, web design, SEO, analytics, content management, and much more. Tech-savvy digital marketers are always trying to learn more. For instance, digital marketers need to be familiar with data analytics. To make wise decisions, it is advised to regularly update the database and remove irrelevant information. Additionally, having a basic understanding of HTML and CSS can help digital marketers if they will use WordPress. So, there is an emergence in the required technical knowledge and skills. Our participants advocated for more technical academic research where marketing researchers collaborate with researchers from computer science and data analytics backgrounds. Such research would contribute to the multidisciplinary character and hybrid task structure of the digital marketing profession, which uses technology, analytics, and marketing.

Finally, participants indicated five areas where researchers can help digital marketers to be more knowledgeable and acquainted: 1) the use of big data in the social media field; 2) the AI-powered technology in digital marketing; 3) the characteristics of emerging markets; 4) the features of metaverse marketing; and 5) the use of blockchain technology in digital marketing and social media.

The study has several key implications for future social media investigations. First, a direct correlation exists between academic research and the evolution of social media in terms of users, platforms, and medium. Nevertheless, there is a gap between social media studies and their influence on the marketing function. The problem can be attributed to laxity on the part of digital marketing institutes and centers linking practitioners and researchers [ 67 ]. The onus is on digital marketing institutes to assume the intermediary role between academic researchers and social marketing professionals.

Today, much social media research is invisible to practitioners because the system is primarily self-referential. Authors are forced to decide whether to undertake socially impactful research or write publications that are only academically impactful [ 68 ]. The various participants in the focus groups provide potentially practical solutions to the issue. A close relationship between academic researchers and practitioners increases the chances of implementation. Collaborations help researchers play the role of participant-observer in practitioners’ responsibilities and decision-making. Therefore, social media investigations can consider academic and informal aspects to enhance readability and generate a significant audience.

Another reason that could explain the gap between practitioners and researchers is that the former focus on publishing instead of engaging their target audience. Thus, a disparity exists between the expectations of the marketing professionals trying to transform their work for industry consumption and the researchers’ interests. Additionally, social media marketers work in an exciting field, but academic researchers continue to ignore this vital fact [ 69 ]. Cadotte et al. [ 70 ] support the perspective and contend that practitioners feel that academics consider themselves elitists who speak their jargon and write in complex scientific language. The issue explains why 69% of our respondents stated that they do not find academic articles interesting. Although theoretical models are critical in research studies, authors should focus more on practical cases, best practice sharing, and disseminating new ideas. The fast-paced and dynamic nature of social media marketing [ 71 ] requires companies and marketers to rely on scientific studies to make informed decisions [ 69 ]. However, academic journals are characterised by the slowness of their review process. Managerial fads are often gone by the time the articles that dissect them are published.

Our research also focuses on academic research challenges regarding social media and implementing participants’ recommendations to enhance practicality. The lack of originality in academic papers means that marketing practitioners do not find the articles relevant to their practice. According to Roberts et al. [ 19 ], professionals want researchers to publish studies that value practical relevance, but academics favour journals with a high impact factor. Young and Freytag [ 72 ] indicate that the only approach to bridge the gap between research studies and their influence function is through successful collaborations between academic researchers and professional practitioners.

The findings of this paper show that academic research on social media is growing in terms of the number of publications but is struggling in three areas: visibility, relevance, and influence on practitioners. Our findings outlined some difficulties in bridging academic research and social media usage. We offered some recommendations for improving the interaction between research and practice after focusing on the viewpoints of the practitioners. Thus, we discussed why research relevance is important and how scholars might raise the relevance of their research in an effort to inspire academics to produce research that is more pertinent to social media practitioners.

Our findings should be of interest to marketing researchers and academic institutions. We presented a detailed snapshot of guidelines to publish more impactful research works. Collaboration between scholars and practitioners is an important area where the gap could be closed. Collaboration with professional organisations and businesses should already be under progress. In order to advance toward positive developments in the interaction between the academy and practice, collaboration will result in stronger links between social media research and the instruments used in professional practice. Another position consists in asserting that the lack of relevance of the knowledge produced by social media research is the direct consequence of its mode of production. By raising to the rank of dogma a paradigm inherited from the hard sciences, the scientific community has, so to speak, dried up the marketing discipline. As a result, the findings of the social media research conducted by the researchers have lost interest. To make social media research more relevant, it would be necessary to change the way research is conducted. An initiative such as the creation of the d.school at Stanford University, a program that fundamentally changes the way of thinking about teaching and research based on the design sciences paradigm, is part of this conception, but other approaches such as critical digital marketing studies, critical realism or constructivism are also proposed by the advocates of a paradigmatic renewal. Even if the solutions advocated differ, these approaches have the common characteristic of advocating a greater openness in marketing research by proposing new research methods, new forms of results, and, above all, new criteria for evaluating scientific productions.

Some limitations should be acknowledged. First, books, theses, and conference proceedings were not included in the review because it only looked at and evaluated items that were published in peer-reviewed academic journals. Future research should take this restriction into account and may decide to broaden the area of their investigations. Second, our review comprised journals identified in Scopus; upcoming studies may contemplate examining other databases. Third, the perceptions of social media practitioners may also vary by country, along with the nature of jobs and the competencies they require. To advance this research, it is advised that our data be combined with information from various geographic contexts. Finally, the results of future research can be bed on larger sample size, as the sample in our second study was comprised of only 280 practitioners.

Supporting information

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297241.s001

View Article
Google Scholar
12. Davenport TH, Prusak L, & Wilson HJ. What’s the big idea? Creating and capitalizing on the best management thinking. Harvard Business Press. 2003.
PubMed/NCBI

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

Knowledge Base
Starting the research process
10 Research Question Examples to Guide Your Research Project

10 Research Question Examples to Guide your Research Project

Published on October 30, 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on October 19, 2023.

The research question is one of the most important parts of your research paper , thesis or dissertation . It’s important to spend some time assessing and refining your question before you get started.

The exact form of your question will depend on a few things, such as the length of your project, the type of research you’re conducting, the topic , and the research problem . However, all research questions should be focused, specific, and relevant to a timely social or scholarly issue.

Once you’ve read our guide on how to write a research question , you can use these examples to craft your own.

Research question	Explanation
	The first question is not enough. The second question is more , using .
	Starting with “why” often means that your question is not enough: there are too many possible answers. By targeting just one aspect of the problem, the second question offers a clear path for research.
	The first question is too broad and subjective: there’s no clear criteria for what counts as “better.” The second question is much more . It uses clearly defined terms and narrows its focus to a specific population.
	It is generally not for academic research to answer broad normative questions. The second question is more specific, aiming to gain an understanding of possible solutions in order to make informed recommendations.
	The first question is too simple: it can be answered with a simple yes or no. The second question is , requiring in-depth investigation and the development of an original argument.
	The first question is too broad and not very . The second question identifies an underexplored aspect of the topic that requires investigation of various to answer.
	The first question is not enough: it tries to address two different (the quality of sexual health services and LGBT support services). Even though the two issues are related, it’s not clear how the research will bring them together. The second integrates the two problems into one focused, specific question.
	The first question is too simple, asking for a straightforward fact that can be easily found online. The second is a more question that requires and detailed discussion to answer.
? dealt with the theme of racism through casting, staging, and allusion to contemporary events?	The first question is not — it would be very difficult to contribute anything new. The second question takes a specific angle to make an original argument, and has more relevance to current social concerns and debates.
	The first question asks for a ready-made solution, and is not . The second question is a clearer comparative question, but note that it may not be practically . For a smaller research project or thesis, it could be narrowed down further to focus on the effectiveness of drunk driving laws in just one or two countries.

Note that the design of your research question can depend on what method you are pursuing. Here are a few options for qualitative, quantitative, and statistical research questions.

Type of research	Example question
Qualitative research question
Quantitative research question
Statistical research question

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, October 19). 10 Research Question Examples to Guide your Research Project. Scribbr. Retrieved September 18, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-question-examples/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, writing strong research questions | criteria & examples, how to choose a dissertation topic | 8 steps to follow, evaluating sources | methods & examples, get unlimited documents corrected.

✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

Write my thesis
Thesis writers
Buy thesis papers
Bachelor thesis
Master's thesis
Thesis editing services
Thesis proofreading services
Buy a thesis online
Write my dissertation
Dissertation proposal help
Pay for dissertation
Custom dissertation
Dissertation help online
Buy dissertation online
Cheap dissertation
Dissertation editing services
Write my research paper
Buy research paper online
Pay for research paper
Research paper help
Order research paper
Custom research paper
Cheap research paper
Research papers for sale
Thesis subjects
How It Works

74 Best Social Media Research Paper Topics

Whether in college or high school, you will come across research writing as a student. In most cases, the topic of research is assigned by your teacher/professor. Other times, students have to come up with their topic. Research writing in school is inescapable. It’s a task you are bound to undertake to fulfill your academic requirements. If you are in college, there are several topics for research depending on your discipline. For high school students, the topic is usually given. In this article, we focus on social media and topics about social media.

A social media paper is a research paper about social media that studies social media generally or an aspect of it. To write research papers on social media, you’ll need to conduct thorough research for materials and scholarly materials that’ll assist you. For social media, most of the scholarly works will be media-focused.

Sometimes, Professors or teachers ask students to write an essay or research a topic without narrowing it down. In that case, students will have to develop specific research topics. If you’re writing a paper on social media, we’ve provided you with helpful topics to consider for research.

How to Start a Social Media Research Paper

Social media topics to write about, social media research topics for college students, interesting topics to research for fun, research questions about social media, social media essay topics for high school students, narrow research topic ideas students can consider, research paper on social media marketing, good social topics for research papers, easy social issues to write about, social science research topics for college students, interesting research topics for high school students, comprehensive social networking research papers, final words about social media topics.

Before giving a research writing, Professors and teachers believe students already know how to write one. Not every student knows how to write a research paper in most cases.

Research writing follows a systematic pattern, which applies to research on social media. Below is the pattern of a research paper to use;

Paper title
Introduction
Statement of problem
Research methodology
Research objective
Critical analysis
Results and discussion

Every research follows this basic pattern, and it also applies to your research paper on social media.

Social media has become a powerful tool for engagement of various kinds. Before now, social media was merely apps used for interpersonal affairs. Today, with the modification of digital technology, social media encompasses a lot more. Below are some social media topics to write about.

The impact of social media in promoting interpersonal relationships
A study on how social media is a vital tool for social change
Social media censorship: A new form of restriction on freedom of speech
The constantly growing oversharing nature of social media
Social media is a vital tool for political campaign
The proliferation of social media platforms into a buying space
The juxtaposition of personal engagement and business on social media platforms

There is a wide range of topics to coin from social media for college students because social media is a platform with diverse issues that can form into topics. Here are some research topics about social media to consider.

Breach of Privacy: A study on the ability of the government to monitor personal affairs on social media
A study of the toxicity brewing within social media
The increased cyberbullying perpetrated on social media platforms
The evolution of Twitter into a space for diverse conversations
A study of the emergence and growth of social media over the years
Effects of social media: How social media is breeding laziness amongst children
Social media as a distraction tool for students

If you are searching for interesting topics, there are many interesting research topics on social media. Examples of research paper topics that sound fun to choose from include;

A study on how the emergence of social media and social media advertising has infiltrated its primary purpose
An evaluation of how social media has created employment opportunities for people
Social media influence and its negative impact on society
Advertising on social media: Will influencer businesses take over advertising agencies?
A study on ways to improve advertisement for social media engagement
A look into how social media creates a distorted view of real life
Social media and real-life: Does social media obscure reality?

Research questions are helpful when carrying out research in a particular field. To know more about your thesis on social media, you will need to create research questions on social media to help inform your writing. Some social media research questions to ask are;

Are social media platforms designed to be addictive?
What is a social media Algorithm, and how to navigate it?
To what extent are personal data stored on social app databases protected?
Can social media owners avoid government monitoring?
Should parents allow their children to navigate social media before they are 15?
Have social media jobs come to stay, or are they temporary?
Is social media influencer culture overtaking celebrity culture?
To what extent can social media help to curb racism and homophobia?
Does social media exacerbate or curb discriminatory practices?
Is social media an effective tool for learning?

Everyone has access to social media apps until they’ve reached a certain age. There are several social media essay topics for high school students to write about. Some social media titles for essays include;

How social media affects the academic performance of students
Why the use of social media is prohibited during school hours
Why students are obsessed with Tiktok
Running a profitable social media business while in high school and the challenges
The dangers of overusing editing apps
A critical essay on how editing apps and filters promote an unrealistic idea of beauty
The death of TV: how social media has stolen student’s interest

The challenge students have with their topic ideas for research papers is that they’re broad. A good social media thesis topic should be narrowed down. Narrowing a topic down helps you during research to focus on an issue.

Some narrow social media topics for the research paper include;

A study of how social media is overtaking Television in entertainment
A study of how social media has overtaken traditional journalism
An evaluation of the rise of influencer culture on Instagram
YouTube and how it has created sustainable income for black content creators
A comparative study of social media managers and content creators
A study of the decline of Instagram since the emergence of Tiktok
How Twitter breeds transphobic conversations

There are several areas of social media to focus your research on. If you are looking for some social media marketing topics, below are some social media research paper topics to consider;

Influencer culture and a modified model of mouth-to-mouth marketing
The growth of video marketing on Instagram
Social media managers as an essential part of online marketing
A study on how social media stories are optimized for marketing
An analysis of social media marketing and its impact on customer behavior
An evaluation of target marketing on social media

There are so many topics to choose from in this aspect. Some social issues research paper topics to explore are;

The growth of cyberattacks and cyberstalking in social media
Social media and how it promotes an unrealistic idea of life
Social media and the many impacts it has on users and businesses
Social media detox: Importance of taking scheduled social media breaks
How social media enable conversation on social challenges

Writing a research paper on social issues touches on various areas. Some are challenging, while others are easier to navigate.

Below are some of the easy social issues topics to choose from.

The growing issue of women’s and trans people’s rights
Religious bigotry and how it affects social progress
Sustainable living and why it’s important to the society
The social impact of climate change and global warming

Social science is a broad discipline. If you are looking for social science essay topics, below are some social science topics for research papers to look into;

Consumerism and how it’s perpetrated on social media
How religious beliefs impact social relationships
Inflation and how it affects the economy of a nation
A study of the limited availability of work opportunities for minority groups
A look into the concept of “low wage” jobs

Research writing is not always technical or challenging. Sometimes, it can be fun to write. It all depends on your choice of topic. Below are some topics on social media that are fun to work on;

The importance of social media branding for small businesses
A look into the monetization of Instagram
User engagement and how it can be converted into business leads
The study of emojis and their role in social media engagement
From Instagram to Tiktok: the poaching nature of social media apps

Research writing on social media networking studies social networking and its design and promotion on social media platforms. Some research papers on social media networking are;

The impact of social media networking on business owners
Social media networking and how it impacts influencer culture
Social media and how it’s used to build and develop social relationships
How social media made social networking services easier

Social media research writing is one of the most interesting research to conduct. It cuts across several interesting areas. The writer can handle almost every aspect of the dissertation or thesis statement about social media . But, students who find it challenging should seek professional help. You can reach out to our expert team of writers to help you handle every element of your writing. We have the best on our team who are always ready to give you their best.

Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory [Internet].

Critical questions remain unanswered.

Nearly every teenager in America uses social media, and yet we do not have enough evidence to conclude that it is sufficiently safe for them. Our children have become unknowing participants in a decades-long experiment. It is critical that independent researchers and technology companies work together to rapidly advance our understanding of the impact of social media on children and adolescents. This section describes the known gaps and proposes additional areas for research that warrant urgent consideration.

Known Evidence Gaps

How do in-person vs. digital social interactions differ in terms of the impact on health, and what are the unique contributions of social media behavior to social connectedness, social isolation, and mental health symptoms?

How does social comparison affect one’s sense of life satisfaction and in-person relationships?

How does the use of social media, including specific designs and features, relate to dopamine pathways involved in motivation, reward, and addiction?

What type of content, and at what frequency and intensity, generates the most harm? Through which modes of social media access (e.g., smartphone, computer) and design features? For which users and why?
What are the beneficial effects of social media? For whom are the benefits greatest? In what ways, and under what circumstances?
What individual-, community-, and societal-level factors may protect youth from the negative effects of social media?
What types of strategies and approaches are effective in protecting the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents on social media (e.g., programs, policies, design features, interventions, norms)?
How does social media use interact with a person’s developmental stage for measuring risk of mental health impact?

It is critical that independent researchers and technology companies work together to rapidly advance our understanding of the impact of social media on children and adolescents.

Unless otherwise noted in the text, all material appearing in this work is in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission. Citation of the source is appreciated.

Cite this Page Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory [Internet]. Washington (DC): US Department of Health and Human Services; 2023. Critical Questions Remain Unanswered.
PDF version of this title (1005K)

Other titles in this collection

Publications and Reports of the Surgeon General

Recent Activity

Critical Questions Remain Unanswered - Social Media and Youth Mental Health Critical Questions Remain Unanswered - Social Media and Youth Mental Health

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

Connect with NLM

National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20894

Web Policies FOIA HHS Vulnerability Disclosure

Help Accessibility Careers

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

Publications
Our Methods
Short Reads
Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

Teens and social media: Key findings from Pew Research Center surveys

Laughing twin sisters looking at smartphone in park on summer evening

For the latest survey data on social media and tech use among teens, see “ Teens, Social Media, and Technology 2023 .”

Today’s teens are navigating a digital landscape unlike the one experienced by their predecessors, particularly when it comes to the pervasive presence of social media. In 2022, Pew Research Center fielded an in-depth survey asking American teens – and their parents – about their experiences with and views toward social media . Here are key findings from the survey:

Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand American teens’ experiences with social media and their parents’ perception of these experiences. For this analysis, we surveyed 1,316 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17, along with one parent from each teen’s household. The survey was conducted online by Ipsos from April 14 to May 4, 2022.

This research was reviewed and approved by an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, which is an independent committee of experts that specializes in helping to protect the rights of research participants.

Ipsos invited panelists who were a parent of at least one teen ages 13 to 17 from its KnowledgePanel , a probability-based web panel recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses, to take this survey. For some of these questions, parents were asked to think about one teen in their household. (If they had multiple teenage children ages 13 to 17 in the household, one was randomly chosen.) This teen was then asked to answer questions as well. The parent portion of the survey is weighted to be representative of U.S. parents of teens ages 13 to 17 by age, gender, race, ethnicity, household income and other categories. The teen portion of the survey is weighted to be representative of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who live with parents by age, gender, race, ethnicity, household income and other categories.

Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology .

Majorities of teens report ever using YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. YouTube is the platform most commonly used by teens, with 95% of those ages 13 to 17 saying they have ever used it, according to a Center survey conducted April 14-May 4, 2022, that asked about 10 online platforms. Two-thirds of teens report using TikTok, followed by roughly six-in-ten who say they use Instagram (62%) and Snapchat (59%). Much smaller shares of teens say they have ever used Twitter (23%), Twitch (20%), WhatsApp (17%), Reddit (14%) and Tumblr (5%).

A chart showing that since 2014-15 TikTok has started to rise, Facebook usage has dropped, Instagram and Snapchat have grown.

Facebook use among teens dropped from 71% in 2014-15 to 32% in 2022. Twitter and Tumblr also experienced declines in teen users during that span, but Instagram and Snapchat saw notable increases.

TikTok use is more common among Black teens and among teen girls. For example, roughly eight-in-ten Black teens (81%) say they use TikTok, compared with 71% of Hispanic teens and 62% of White teens. And Hispanic teens (29%) are more likely than Black (19%) or White teens (10%) to report using WhatsApp. (There were not enough Asian teens in the sample to analyze separately.)

Teens’ use of certain social media platforms also varies by gender. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to report using TikTok (73% vs. 60%), Instagram (69% vs. 55%) and Snapchat (64% vs. 54%). Boys are more likely than girls to report using YouTube (97% vs. 92%), Twitch (26% vs. 13%) and Reddit (20% vs. 8%).

A chart showing that teen girls are more likely than boys to use TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. Teen boys are more likely to use Twitch, Reddit and YouTube. Black teens are especially drawn to TikTok compared with other groups.

Majorities of teens use YouTube and TikTok every day, and some report using these sites almost constantly. About three-quarters of teens (77%) say they use YouTube daily, while a smaller majority of teens (58%) say the same about TikTok. About half of teens use Instagram (50%) or Snapchat (51%) at least once a day, while 19% report daily use of Facebook.

A chart that shows roughly one-in-five teens are almost constantly on YouTube, and 2% say the same for Facebook.

Some teens report using these platforms almost constantly. For example, 19% say they use YouTube almost constantly, while 16% and 15% say the same about TikTok and Snapchat, respectively.

More than half of teens say it would be difficult for them to give up social media. About a third of teens (36%) say they spend too much time on social media, while 55% say they spend about the right amount of time there and just 8% say they spend too little time. Girls are more likely than boys to say they spend too much time on social media (41% vs. 31%).

A chart that shows 54% of teens say it would be hard to give up social media.

Teens are relatively divided over whether it would be hard or easy for them to give up social media. Some 54% say it would be very or somewhat hard, while 46% say it would be very or somewhat easy.

Girls are more likely than boys to say it would be difficult for them to give up social media (58% vs. 49%). Older teens are also more likely than younger teens to say this: 58% of those ages 15 to 17 say it would be very or somewhat hard to give up social media, compared with 48% of those ages 13 to 14.

Teens are more likely to say social media has had a negative effect on others than on themselves. Some 32% say social media has had a mostly negative effect on people their age, while 9% say this about social media’s effect on themselves.

A chart showing that more teens say social media has had a negative effect on people their age than on them, personally.

Conversely, teens are more likely to say these platforms have had a mostly positive impact on their own life than on those of their peers. About a third of teens (32%) say social media has had a mostly positive effect on them personally, while roughly a quarter (24%) say it has been positive for other people their age.

Still, the largest shares of teens say social media has had neither a positive nor negative effect on themselves (59%) or on other teens (45%). These patterns are consistent across demographic groups.

Teens are more likely to report positive than negative experiences in their social media use. Majorities of teens report experiencing each of the four positive experiences asked about: feeling more connected to what is going on in their friends’ lives (80%), like they have a place where they can show their creative side (71%), like they have people who can support them through tough times (67%), and that they are more accepted (58%).

A chart that shows teen girls are more likely than teen boys to say social media makes them feel more supported but also overwhelmed by drama and excluded by their friends.

When it comes to negative experiences, 38% of teens say that what they see on social media makes them feel overwhelmed because of all the drama. Roughly three-in-ten say it makes them feel like their friends are leaving them out of things (31%) or feel pressure to post content that will get lots of comments or likes (29%). And 23% say that what they see on social media makes them feel worse about their own life.

There are several gender differences in the experiences teens report having while on social media. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to say that what they see on social media makes them feel a lot like they have a place to express their creativity or like they have people who can support them. However, girls also report encountering some of the pressures at higher rates than boys. Some 45% of girls say they feel overwhelmed because of all the drama on social media, compared with 32% of boys. Girls are also more likely than boys to say social media has made them feel like their friends are leaving them out of things (37% vs. 24%) or feel worse about their own life (28% vs. 18%).

When it comes to abuse on social media platforms, many teens think criminal charges or permanent bans would help a lot. Half of teens think criminal charges or permanent bans for users who bully or harass others on social media would help a lot to reduce harassment and bullying on these platforms.

A chart showing that half of teens think banning users who bully or criminal charges against them would help a lot in reducing the cyberbullying teens may face on social media.

About four-in-ten teens say it would help a lot if social media companies proactively deleted abusive posts or required social media users to use their real names and pictures. Three-in-ten teens say it would help a lot if school districts monitored students’ social media activity for bullying or harassment.

Some teens – especially older girls – avoid posting certain things on social media because of fear of embarrassment or other reasons. Roughly four-in-ten teens say they often or sometimes decide not to post something on social media because they worry people might use it to embarrass them (40%) or because it does not align with how they like to represent themselves on these platforms (38%). A third of teens say they avoid posting certain things out of concern for offending others by what they say, while 27% say they avoid posting things because it could hurt their chances when applying for schools or jobs.

A chart that shows older teen girls are more likely than younger girls or boys to say they don't post things on social media because they're worried it could be used to embarrass them.

These concerns are more prevalent among older teen girls. For example, roughly half of girls ages 15 to 17 say they often or sometimes decide not to post something on social media because they worry people might use it to embarrass them (50%) or because it doesn’t fit with how they’d like to represent themselves on these sites (51%), compared with smaller shares among younger girls and among boys overall.

Many teens do not feel like they are in the driver’s seat when it comes to controlling what information social media companies collect about them. Six-in-ten teens say they think they have little (40%) or no control (20%) over the personal information that social media companies collect about them. Another 26% aren’t sure how much control they have. Just 14% of teens think they have a lot of control.

Two charts that show a majority of teens feel as if they have little to no control over their data being collected by social media companies, but only one-in-five are extremely or very concerned about the amount of information these sites have about them.

Despite many feeling a lack of control, teens are largely unconcerned about companies collecting their information. Only 8% are extremely concerned about the amount of personal information that social media companies might have and 13% are very concerned. Still, 44% of teens say they have little or no concern about how much these companies might know about them.

Only around one-in-five teens think their parents are highly worried about their use of social media. Some 22% of teens think their parents are extremely or very worried about them using social media. But a larger share of teens (41%) think their parents are either not at all (16%) or a little worried (25%) about them using social media. About a quarter of teens (27%) fall more in the middle, saying they think their parents are somewhat worried.

A chart showing that only a minority of teens say their parents are extremely or very worried about their social media use.

Many teens also believe there is a disconnect between parental perceptions of social media and teens’ lived realities. Some 39% of teens say their experiences on social media are better than parents think, and 27% say their experiences are worse. A third of teens say parents’ views are about right.

Nearly half of parents with teens (46%) are highly worried that their child could be exposed to explicit content on social media. Parents of teens are more likely to be extremely or very concerned about this than about social media causing mental health issues like anxiety, depression or lower self-esteem. Some parents also fret about time management problems for their teen stemming from social media use, such as wasting time on these sites (42%) and being distracted from completing homework (38%).

A chart that shows parents are more likely to be concerned about their teens seeing explicit content on social media than these sites leading to anxiety, depression or lower self-esteem.

Note: Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology .

CORRECTION (May 17, 2023): In a previous version of this post, the percentages of teens using Instagram and Snapchat daily were transposed in the text. The original chart was correct. This change does not substantively affect the analysis.

Age & Generations
Age, Generations & Tech
Internet & Technology
Platforms & Services
Social Media
Teens & Tech
Teens & Youth

Emily A. Vogels is a former research associate focusing on internet and technology at Pew Research Center .

Risa Gelles-Watnick is a former research analyst focusing on internet and technology research at Pew Research Center .

5 facts about student loans

U.s. adults under 30 have different foreign policy priorities than older adults, across asia, respect for elders is seen as necessary to be ‘truly’ buddhist, teens and video games today, as biden and trump seek reelection, who are the oldest – and youngest – current world leaders, most popular.

901 E St. NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20004 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries

Research Topics

Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It does not take policy positions. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts , its primary funder.

Don't miss tomorrow's social media industry news

Let Social Media Today's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox.

How to Use Question Research to Boost Your Social Media Engagement

Social media marketers are always looking for ways to diversify their tactics, and engage more and more of their followers more often.

After all, it's getting harder and harder to get your customers' attention on social media, as they're bombarded by clickbaity headlines and highly targeted ads.

So how do you cut through that noise and get your messaging noticed?

Integrating question research into your process may be the tactic that you're looking for - here's an overview of the why and how of utilizing common queries into your approach.

Why question research?

Knowing which questions your target customers are asking is useful for many reasons, including:

It helps you better understand your target audience and their struggles - When you start collecting and curating niche questions, you'll also find yourself relating to the people who are asking them - for some reason, seeing a full-sentence question can often make it easier to picture the actual circumstances behind asking it
It improves brand reputation - Answering popular questions across multiple channels will naturally attract customers who are seeking answers. In addition to this, providing timely answers to customers’ questions will win their hearts, and help turn them into brand advocates
It drives action - Questions have long been known to be effective action-drivers, which is why so many commercials start with a question. When hearing a question, we instinctively look for an answer, and that’s the type of attention a marketing message needs to prompt engagement

Establishing your brand as a key source of knowledge on a topic can be a great way to maximize performance, and question research can play a key role in this effort.

So how do you do it? First, you start with the right tools...

Where to find popular niche questions?

In order to answer key questions, you need research tools which can highlight common queries being posed online.

Buzzsumo Question Analyzer keeps its own index of discussion boards, and it will show you popular discussions around your topic:

Text Optimizer , meanwhile, uses semantic research to extract niche questions, and analyze them based on popularity. You can select any question and get Text Optimizer to extract related concepts for you to add into your editorial calendar:

Answer The Public extracts questions from Google’s Suggest results, and organizes them by question word for a mind-map-like visualization:

How to integrate question research into your social media marketing?

Once you've run your query through the above tools (and also got together with your customer support and sales teams to generate more ideas based on them), the next stage is to integrate these findings into your actual social media marketing process?

Here are a few ideas on how to expand your content efforts based on those results:

1. Ask and Answer Questions in Your Updates and Photo Captions

This is pretty self-explanatory - get your team address the key questions you've identified within their social media updates.

When asking questions on social media, you want your followers to actually take the time to answer you, so stick to questions that are:

Timely - These revolve around a current trend, seasonal event or a hot topic.
Open - These promote open-ended discussion (yes/no is not enough for an answer).
Easy - These questions don’t require too much analysis, and invite impulsive or emotional answers. Don’t make it too hard to come up with an answer. Invite your followers to share their own experience - but it may be worth considering staying away from political or edgy topics. You want a discussion, not a fight.

Here’s an example of a simple question, well asked:

Asking your question in the overlay of your social media image is even a better idea. This will make your social media updates even more engaging and shareable.

Tools like Placeit can help you create your own style, and put together new social media graphics in minutes:

2. Host Live Events (Twitter Chats, AMAs, etc.) Around Those Questions

If you discover interesting questions that you feel your customers may want to discuss, you can host a social media event to address it.

You have a wide array of choices here, including:

[on Twitter] hosting a Twitter chat ,
[on Facebook or Instagram] setting up a live interview (with an influencer)
[on Twitter or inside a Facebook group] scheduling a live “Ask me anything” session.

3. Monitor Questions, and Provide Answers Where You Can

Finally, this one should be handled with a degree of caution in order to ensure that your brand doesn't appear spammy or desparate. As such, I wouldn’t recommend automating this - but it has worked for me very well, especially when I'm looking to get a new site or a new project off the ground.

Twitter enables you to search for and monitor questions: Add a space and a “?” after your keyword query, and you’ll prompt Twitter to show tweeted questions. You can monitor these questions using multiple columns inside Tweetdeck :

If you do decide to chime in with an answer to any of the tweeted questions, stay away from being too promotional. Focus on being helpful:

This approach can go a long way in establishing great niche connections:

On top of everything else, question research will help you and your team better understand and relate to your target audience. This will result in more informed marketing decisions, more effective buyer persona building, and increasingly targeted content.

And by implementing your findings into your marketing process, you may also see immediate results, like more comments and clicks.

Social Media Today news delivered to your inbox

Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts

Select user consent: By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . You can unsubscribe at anytime.

Editors' picks

3 Steps for Establishing a Core Marketing Message

The key to maximizing a social media marketing strategy is to ground the approach in purpose.

The Complete Elon Musk–Twitter Saga

For months, we’ve been tracking Elon Musk’s $44 billion deal with Twitter. Now that the deal is done, we watch as the Musk-Twitter era begins.

Keep up with the story. Subscribe to the Social Media Today free daily newsletter

Company Announcements

Want to share a company announcement with your peers?

Share your announcement ➔

YouTube Expands Access To Pause Screen Ads By Andrew Hutchinson
Reddit Launches Top Ads Library to Assist Marketers By Andrew Hutchinson
YouTube Unveils a Range of New Features at Its ‘Made On’ Event By Andrew Hutchinson
TikTok Adds ‘Delete and Re-Edit’ Option for Uploaded Clips By Andrew Hutchinson

IMAGES

140 Social Media Research Paper Topics For Students
Explore 69 Hot Social Media Research Topics For Every Student
234 Social Media Research Topics & Ideas
232 questions with answers in SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH
142 Engaging Social Media Question Ideas with Tips & Examples
232 questions with answers in SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH

VIDEO

How The FBI Solved The $1.6B INSTAGRAM Scam
Byte of the Day from EC: Facebook data theft
The New Campus Speech Zone: Institutional Responses and Educational Efforts Involving Social Media
Promoting Your Research on Social Media
The Supreme Court Examines Free Speech
Inside the Disturbing Case: Unveiling Online Predators

COMMENTS

300+ Social Media Research Topics
Social Media Research Topics are as follows: The effects of social media on mental health. The role of social media in political polarization. The impact of social media on relationships. The use of social media by businesses for marketing. The effects of social media on body image and self-esteem.
MRA Guide to the Top 16 Social Media Research Questions
The "Top 16 Questions" presented in this guide represent the core matters of importance to the research field with respect to social media research. They include issues of reliability, execution, interaction with other kinds of research, ethics and legal compliance, data quality, process, and outputs. Importantly, the 16 questions in this ...
234 Social Media Research Topics & Ideas
234 Social Media Research Topics & Ideas. Written by. Victor Hughes. 18 May 2024. 2646 words. 12 min read. Social media research encompasses a broad range of different topics that delve into the ever-evolving digital landscape. People investigate the impact of social platforms on society, exploring subjects, such as online identity formation ...
Social Media Research Questions
Usage of social media research analysis. Social media research questionnaire can be used to analyze data independently based on likes, shares, and comments. However, they can be integrated with other applications as well such as CRM to: Perform trend analysis. Demand forecasting. Analyze user-supplied media such as memes to understand the pulse ...
PDF The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Research Methods
What is Social Media and What Questions Can Social Media Research Help Us Answer? Lori McCay-Peet Anabel Quan-Haase . This chapter critically engages with the plurality of meanings given to the term social media, ranging from mainstream blogging platforms to niche communication tools. A brief historical overview is first presented
232 questions with answers in SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH
1 answer. Aug 20, 2019. Social media research is gaining ground , so is the search for theories other than spawned by old media research in terms of media control, technology, audiences and ...
1025 questions with answers in SOCIAL MEDIA
Data Collection and Aggregation: - Collect data from internet sources, such as social media platforms, using web crawlers and APIs. Use Big Data technologies like Hadoop or Spark to aggregate and ...
Qualitative and Mixed Methods Social Media Research:
The line marked Other Social Media represents studies involving other named social media platforms such as MySpace. The line marked Unspecified represents studies that did not specify a platform but emphasized more general social media topics. ... have covered a great deal of ground in the analysis of research trends and outcomes related to ...
Social Media Research: A Comprehensive Guide
Social media research is the process of using social media data to learn about trending topics, audiences, and content performance. Reviewing social data gives you quantitative insights (e.g., engagement rates, best posting times), but it can also lead to qualitative learnings like human behaviors, preferences, and opinions.
What is Social Media and What Questions Can Social Media Research Help
This chapter critically engages with the plurality of meanings given to the term social media, ranging from mainstream blogging platforms to niche communication tools. A brief historical overview is first presented of how the term has evolved, showing that in academia it has only gained widespread popularity since the mid-2000s. The chapter then discusses various categorization frameworks ...
Full article: Does social media contribute to research impact? An
As researchers and the scientific community increasingly embrace these platforms to foster engagement with specific research facets, social media becomes an accelerator for enhancing visibility and citation impact (Ale Ebrahim, Citation 2012; Lim & Kumar, Citation 2024), thus potentially bolstering the international recognition of research ...
Methodologies in Social Media Research: Where We Are and Where We Still
For example, posts from an online health community were used to generate comparative effectiveness research questions about bladder cancer. 1 Another study used Twitter and other social networks to recruit breast cancer survivors to take a survey about lifestyle changes after diagnosis. 2 These examples highlight a few ways that social media ...
Social Media Research Topics
Top 10 Social Media Research Paper Topics. 1. A Comparative Review of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as Primary Marketing Platforms for Small Businesses. A lot of small businesses have flocked to various social media sites to market their products and services.
Using Facebook for Qualitative Research: A Brief Primer
CORE has created a collaborative platform where researchers can exchange expertise and questions pertaining to social media research. Features such as the Resource Library , Q&A Forum , and the CORE Network provide scientists access to IRB-approved research protocols and consent forms and allow researchers to discuss collaboratively ethical ...
Social media use and depression in adolescents: a scoping review
Research question. The review was guided by the question: What is known from the existing literature about the association between depression and suicidality and use of SNS among adolescents? Given that much of the literature used SM and SNS interchangeably, this review used the term 'social media' or 'SM' when it was difficult to discern if the authors were referring exclusively to SNS.
43+ Latest Social Media Research Topics for College Students
3. Political Opinions: Study how social media affects young people's political opinions. Look at how people only hear opinions they agree with and how false information spreads. 4. Community Building: Learn how social media helps different groups connect. Look at how these online groups offer support and share ideas. 5.
Social media research: We are publishing more but with weak ...
The purpose of this paper is to address the chasm between academic research on social media as an expanding academic discipline and at the same time a growing marketing function. A bibliometric analysis indicated the evolution of academic research on social media. The results of a survey of 280 social media practitioners shed the light on the gap between academic social media research and the ...
Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for
Abstract. Social media platforms are popular venues for sharing personal experiences, seeking information, and offering peer-to-peer support among individuals living with mental illness. With significant shortfalls in the availability, quality, and reach of evidence-based mental health services across the United States and globally, social ...
10 Research Question Examples to Guide your Research Project
The first question asks for a ready-made solution, and is not focused or researchable. The second question is a clearer comparative question, but note that it may not be practically feasible. For a smaller research project or thesis, it could be narrowed down further to focus on the effectiveness of drunk driving laws in just one or two countries.
70 Must-Know Social Media Research Paper Topics
Some social issues research paper topics to explore are; The growth of cyberattacks and cyberstalking in social media. Social media and how it promotes an unrealistic idea of life. Social media and the many impacts it has on users and businesses. Social media detox: Importance of taking scheduled social media breaks.
Mining social media data: How are research sponsors and researchers
We are currently undertaking a comprehensive, rigorous, multi-database, systematic review of data mining research in health, which will inevitably yield further studies. Nonetheless our current results provide valuable insights into the ethical maturity of research involving social media mining and echo the gaps seen in the guidelines we reviewed.
Critical Questions Remain Unanswered
Critical Questions Remain Unanswered. Nearly every teenager in America uses social media, and yet we do not have enough evidence to conclude that it is sufficiently safe for them. Our children have become unknowing participants in a decades-long experiment. It is critical that independent researchers and technology companies work together to ...
Teens and social media: Key findings from Pew Research Center surveys
Girls are more likely than boys to say it would be difficult for them to give up social media (58% vs. 49%). Older teens are also more likely than younger teens to say this: 58% of those ages 15 to 17 say it would be very or somewhat hard to give up social media, compared with 48% of those ages 13 to 14. Teens are more likely to say social ...
How to Use Question Research to Boost Your Social Media Engagement
1. Ask and Answer Questions in Your Updates and Photo Captions. This is pretty self-explanatory - get your team address the key questions you've identified within their social media updates. When asking questions on social media, you want your followers to actually take the time to answer you, so stick to questions that are: Timely - These ...

300+ Social Media Research Topics

Social Media Research Topics

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

You may also like

500+ Statistics Research Topics

500+ Criminal Justice Research Topics

500+ History Research Paper Topics

500+ Quantitative Research Titles and Topics

500+ Physics Research Topics

500+ Cyber Security Research Topics

KNOWLEDGE NETWORK

MRA Guide to the Top 16 Social Media Research Questions

What is Social Media?

What is Social Media Research?

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH

#2. What data sources are typically used in SMR?

#3. How does SMR interact with other forms of traditional and non-traditional research, including online, offline, in-person, and qualitative and quantitative?

#4. How reliable are SMR results?

#5. Within businesses and organizations, how will SMR activities be tracked and aggregated, and whose responsibility is it to handle each of those functions?

#6. What additional knowledge, skills, and abilities will a corporate researcher need to learn in order to improve their level of competency with SMR?

#7. Are the participants aware that their usergenerated content is under observation?

Ethical and Legal Issues

#9. What are the controversies and legal issues regarding the rights of the people whose data is being used?

SM Research Processes & Providers

#11. What are the standard data and/or research outputs?

#12. What is the process for gathering data?

#13. What data quality processes are implemented in each stage of the SMR?

#14. Does the company provide sentiment scoring?

#15. If sentiment scoring is provided, what is the process for validating results?

#16. What, if any, methods are used for determining the geography associated with the data?

Latest from Anthony Frank

Live Classes Schedule

Get Exclusive Research Tips in Your Inbox

234 Social Media Research Topics & Ideas

Hot Social Media Research Topics

Easy Social Media Research Topics

Interesting Social Media Research Topics

Social Media Research Paper Topics for High School

Social Media Research Paper Topics for College Students

Social Media Research Paper Topics for University

Social Media Research Paper Topics for Masters

Social Media Research Paper Topics for Ph.D.

Social Media Research Topics for Argumentative Papers

Social Media Research Topics for Persuasive Papers

Social Media Topics for Pros and Cons Research Papers

Social Media Topics for Cause and Effect Research Papers

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

431 Music Essay Topics & Ideas

Essay on My Escape From North Korea

Social Media Research Questions

What is social media research?

Advantages of social media research questions

Usage of social media research analysis

How to distribute social media research questions using survey software?

QuestionPro in your language

Awards & certificates

Social Media Research: A Comprehensive Guide

What is Social Media Research?

Social media analytics

Google Alerts

Social listening tools

Media intelligence tools

Identify your target audience

Improve brand reputation

Optimize social media marketing campaigns

Personalization at Scale: Removing Guesswork from Consumer Research

Top Secondary Market Research Companies | Desk Research Companies

Customer Segmentation Models: Types, Benefits & Uses

The Ultimate Social Listening Guide - Never Miss a Social Mention

Insight-Driven Marketing, Your New Strategic Advantage

What is Social Media and What Questions Can Social Media Research Help Us Answer

Figures and Tables from this paper

123 Citations

Social Media as tool for Conducting Academic Research

Does social media contribute to research impact? An Altmetric study of highly-cited marketing research

Introduction

Disclosure statement

Evolution of scholarly metrics

Role of social media in scientific communication