How Social Media Culture Can Be Changed to Curb Loss of Information - Research Proposal Example

How Social Media Culture can be Changed to Curb Loss of Information Name Course Instructor’s Name Institution Date Contents Abstract 3 Introduction 4 Literature review 8 Research methods 9 Ethical Considerations 11 Budget 12 Conclusion 13 References 14 Abstract Social media are the networks, applications and virtue communities through which people create and exchange data, information and ideas. Social media not only produces millions of feeds from the users but also encounters a very high rate of losing information. There are tools to monitor social media which have to be developed to counter lack of durability of information and data in the social media. Such an appeal is rather challenging given that the users of social media have had in-built social vanity and authority. Many popular social media tools such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram have been encountering a challenge whereby information from these sites has been disappearing rather quickly compared to the way this information had been produced. Irrespective of whether the loss of data is user-generated or by export of information, this phenomenon is becoming so prominent that the situation is alarming. This research proposal will critically analyze and discuss the issue of data loss by proposing a research project which can be conducted to correct the problem. The proposal will show the processes to be used to correct the media-sphere by virtue of technological and cultural change. The paper will be base on several aspects of social media such as the type of information, motives and the capability of social media to preserve information. Introduction Research problem The following study poses a question as to how change in social media culture can be changed positively to curb loss of information. According to Lee et al (2003), the secret behind the preservation of information in social media lies in the cultural practices of the users. Arguably, evaluation of nature of social media will help preserve information on social media. Since social media is considered somewhat new, there isn’t a large amount of applicable research out there, this presents a big challenge that calls for additional interest from researchers because it plays a progressively more significant role in the life of the users. The lifestyles of many people have changed significantly due to the rise in popularity of social media. Therefore, it is important for researchers to evaluate and assess the threat of information loss which may end up destroying the many positive effects of social media Research questions This research proposal aims at seeking answers to the following questions which provide an excellent criterion for establishing how change in social media culture can help curb information loss on social media: 1. How often do users remove information from social media themselves? 2. What kind of information on social media sites do users consider very necessary and work extra hard to preserve it? 3. What are the general culture/practices of social media users that help curb loss of social media information? 4. What are the aims of users being on social media? What do they value or consider important regarding social media? 5. Which methods do users consider important in preventing loss of information such as bookmarking and documentation? Do users prefer their effectiveness when it comes to improving the preservation of information? Research hypothesis The null hypothesis of the study will be: Change in the social media culture will help prevent loss of information. Rationale of the study The fact that social media information has been disappearing pretty often is a great challenge. The proposal will focus on how social media users on avoid loss of not only important but also valuable information which may be beneficial to them. The study will ensure there is mass reduction of loss of data in social media if the recommendation and findings of the study conducted from this proposal are applied. The proposal also aims to provide a firm foundation for researchers intending to solve the critical issue of data loss. Given that there is inadequate research on the subject of information loss on social media out there, the study could make available several approaches regarding this issue. The study can also assist users comprehend about loss of information on social media in order to make a well-organized move, if necessary, as a response to the developing popularity of social media and the remarkable transformation of people's lifestyles arise resulted from it. The significance of the study is to contribute to the knowledge that social media users have in order to change their behavior and attitude for the preservation of information. The main purpose of this study is to enable improve e-commerce and other online activities as Shin (2010) postulates. The proposal aims to show how the study will help solve the niche of information loss on social media. The rationale of this study is to scrutinize the mannerism and culture of social media users regarding the matter of information conservation and preservation on social media. To fulfill this purpose; respondents will be encouraged to take part in a focus group and be requested to give their insights and attitudes regarding the problem of information loss on social media. Also, to make that the full purpose of the study is achieved, pertinent sessions shall be tape recorded after the authorization of respondents and organization itself and the tape will be wiped out immediately the written summary of the respondents’ views is completed. Theoretical perspectives The study will be based on the communication bias theory. The theory states that bias in the media can be grouped into two: Bias based on space and bias based on time. Most of important information lost is due to bias by users which may be as a result of users being tired of the time period that information has existed on social media or on the "important" space the information has been occupying. However, some of these social media users do not consider that the information they consider useless to them may be useful to other users who share the same virtual community. Numerous previous literatures outline how such bias affects the durability of information on social media. How stable and consistent a culture of users is affects how long the information they value or not value will be preserved on websites and networks. Examples of space based media include facebook, radio and newspapers. However, the contemporary media such as social media tend to lay their bias on time rather than space. Such nature of bias have proved to be very complex for scholars and the topic but knowledge on the topic is very important for the preservation of data on social media. Key words Social media, information, culture, loss, curb Literature review Numerous researchers have been interested in the culture and media-space within the social media and how it can be changed to reduce loss of information. Many reasons, for example personal deletion have been accounted as being major causes of information loss. Nevertheless, only a few researchers have paid attention on how social media culture and space influence the preservation of data on social media. In keeping with Turkle (2010), loss of majority of data can only be attributed to legal issues, patents and privacy. On the other hand, Gilbert & Karahalios (2009) describe the low rates of data preservation in social media towards time periods. This was focused on study several previous time periods between when data was uploaded to social media and when it was deleted or lost. Debatably, some researchers also based their argument about social media information loss on lack of necessary data preservation methods and poor disaster management in such sites. However, after conducting such studies and emphasizing on the importance of this information as references, these researchers did not clearly identify how practices within social media can help preserve the information (Girard & Girard, 2011). According to Shin (2010), attitudes and values of social media users work to a great extent to ensure information is not easily lost from social media. Such findings are generalized and merely focus to a specific field of research. The studies conducted by these preceding researchers were not only not based on firm foundations but they also only provided a general scope of information loss. Most of the previous articles did not have conclusive and detailed information that consider the present reality and trending behaviors in the social media. Several such studies include: Foregger, 2008, Madhava, 2011 and Piotrowski, 2012. In reference to this previous research, there exists a gap in the media related field of study which needs to be specifically and comprehensively studied to ensure there will be a fully equipped social media archive. Further assessment and evaluation is required to improve the efficiency and applicability of past research. Detailed research on qualities of social media users and how they utilize/perceive their "virtual communities" is necessary to ensure that once and for all loss on information is prevented. In keeping with Agichtein et al (2008), it is necessary to study the users of social media so as to understand their culture and practices first, as this paper will presently do, to ensure they allow for a potential social media archiving system. The information on social media is disappearing rather quickly, compared to when it was produced. The information seen on social media’s virtual communities today might “be lost” and later turn out to be untraceable due to the flow of a hefty amount of information. Research methods In keeping with Bryman (2012), there are various methods through which data can be collected in this type of a research study. The research will involve several focus internet users. It will involve use of survey stud which will occur after obtaining clearance from the Deakin University Reviews Board. This will help allow study on students under their consent. The research study will embrace a case study research design. It will involve an in-depth study of the particular information loss research problem rather than an all-encompassing arithmetical survey. This research design is habitually used to narrow down a very wide-ranging field of study into one or a small number of easily researchable examples (Poynter, 2010, p 12)). The case study research design will be useful in the study for testing whether a particular theory and replica actually relates to observable facts in the real world. Participants The participants of the study will be students from Deakin University who are users of social media. They will be selected after a stratified random sapling from those who will respond from an advertisement within the university. The sampling method used will ensure that users from almost all the social media networks and websites are represented. After being selected they will be divided into six groups of ten each through a computer generated goal of randomization. There will be voluntary participation whereby the participation of the respondents involved in this study will be completely voluntary. There will be no penalty for any social media users within the university who are not willing to participate in the research. Free refreshments will be offered to the respondents during their participation in the focus group. In addition, the key points of the study will be mailed to the interested respondents e.g. through their emails. Participation in the study will be encouraged by being rewarded with compensation after participating in the focus groups. Data collection The respondents will be asked to answer questions through several methods such as questionnaires and oral interviews. They will answer about their social media practices and how they help curb loss of information from social media. The most relevant sessions of the focus groups will be tape recorded upon their permission and the recordings will be deleted the moment the study completed and a written summary of the interviews has been written. Data analysis Data analysis will then be conducted through statistical analysis which will be carried out in two various ways. Descriptive statistics will be used to identify and correct any data entry errors, to characterize the participants of the study and to show the distribution of variables used through normal distribution tables. The researchers will also use analytical statistics which will test the hypothesis and identify the relationship and relations between variables. Ethical Considerations According to Bryman (2012), ethics in media research represents the general rules guiding conduct in the process of carrying out such research. Ethical considerations are to be integrated in the entire research period since the research intends to make use of students as the primary subjects for the provision of information and experimentation. This study will ensure that several ethical principles are maintained: 1. All the respondents (University’s interne users) are respected and the confidentiality of their views is maintained. 2. The selection and grouping of samples will be free and fair. 3. Approval of the relevant authorities for the go ahead for the research such as The Deakin University boards. Additionally, other ethical considerations which will be maintained during the study is the scientific validity of the study, what the potential harms and benefits brought about by the study are and whether the respondents have been requested for their informed consent. The researchers will also ensure there is no disclosure of information from the respondents since the disclosure of the study findings to the research participants and the other members of the university have ethical consequences as Poynter (2010) corroborates. Confidentiality of the participants’ identity will be upheld to the degree that is provided by law. The names of the respondents will not be shown in the report from the study. Rights and freedoms of the participants will be considered e.g. they will be allowed to use an alias if they prefer. Budget The costs of the research will be calculated using the itemization of costs. This will include the wages to the personnel involved in the research, indirect costs, supplies, travel fees and consultancy charges. The approximation f these costs will be done by considering a prior successful media research study. This will help develop a competent and capable research team and process. Conclusion The assignment is a research proposal on how to conduct a research that aims at providing information on the best social media culture and practices that users can adopt in order to prevent loss of information. Due to the fact that there are few articles published from this type of study, this study will be greatly beneficial in ensuring data loss on social media is prevented by change of users’ social media culture/practices. The proposed study will define the social media practices that are favored by users and those that help curb social media information loss. The proposal above will ensure researchers have a firm foundation/basis of conducting research on the research problem where there is frequent loss of important information on social media. Even though, the research may encounter several limitations and challenges, this study will help reduce loss of necessary information on social media. References Agichtein, E., Castillo, C., Donato, D., Gionis, A., & Mishne, G. (2008). Finding High-Quality Content in Social Media. In Proceedings Of The 2008 International Conference On Web Search And Data Mining (Pp. 183-194). Acm. Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods. Oxford University Press. Gilbert, E., & Karahalios, K. (2009, April). Predicting Tie Strength with Social Media. In Proceedings Of The Sigchi Conference On Human Factors In Computing Systems (Pp. 211-220). Acm. Girard, J. P., & Girard, J. L. (2011). Social Knowledge Using Social Media To Know What You Know. Hershey, Pa, Information Science Reference. Http://Site.Ebrary.Com/Id/10448593. Lee, J. S., Cho, H., Gay, G., Davidson, B., & Ingraffea, A. R. (2003). Technology Acceptance and Social Networking in Distance Learning. Educational Technology & Society, 6(2), 50-61. Poynter, R. (2010). The Handbook of Online and Social Media Research Tools and Techniques for Market Researchers. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K., Wiley. Shin, D. H. (2010). The Effects Of Trust, Security And Privacy In Social Networking: A Security-Based Approach To Understand The Pattern Of Adoption. Interacting With Computers, 22(5), 428-438. Turkle, S. (2010). Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology And Less From Each Other. New York, Basic Books Read More