Considerations for using social media data in learning design and technology research

Social media platforms have firmly established themselves as phenomena of interest for Learning Design and Technology (LDT) researchers, and the data accessible from these platforms provide new methodological possibilities. Given the number, diversity, and constant evolution of both social media platforms and research tools, it would be inappropriate to suggest that there is a single correct way to carry out LDT research with social media data. In contrast, this chapter introduces six broad, interconnected steps to social media research: Conducting Ethical Research; Framing the Research; Organizing the Research Process; Collecting Data; Analyzing Data; and Writing, Sharing, and Publicizing Research. Each step is associated with several considerations, careful attention to which will guide researchers toward a particular correct way to accomplish their specific research objectives.

Greenhalgh, S. P., Koehler, M. J., Rosenberg, J. M., & Staudt Willet, K. B. (2021). Considerations for using social media data in learning design and technology research. In E. J. Romero-Hall (Ed.), Research methods in learning design and technology. (pp. 64-77). Routledge.