Social Media Use During Crisis Events: a Mixed-Method Analysis of Information Sources and Their Trustworthiness
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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 8-2019 Social Media Use During Crisis Events: A Mixed-Method Analysis of Information Sources and Their Trustworthiness Apoorva Chauhan Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Computer Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Chauhan, Apoorva, "Social Media Use During Crisis Events: A Mixed-Method Analysis of Information Sources and Their Trustworthiness" (2019). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 7570. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7570 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i SOCIAL MEDIA USE DURING CRISIS EVENTS: A MIXED-METHOD ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION SOURCES AND THEIR TRUSTWORTHINESS by Apoorva Chauhan A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Computer Science Approved: ______________________________ ________________________________ Amanda L. Hughes, Ph.D. Daniel W. Watson, Ph.D. Major Professor Committee Member ______________________________ ________________________________ Curtis Dyreson, Ph.D. Victor Lee, Ph.D. Committee Member Committee Member ______________________________ ________________________________ Breanne K. Litts, Ph.D. Richard S. Inouye, Ph.D. Committee Member Vice Provost for Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNVERSITY Logan, Utah 2019 ii Copyright © Apoorva Chauhan 2019 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Social Media Use During Crisis Events: A Mixed-Method Analysis of Information Sources and Their Trustworthiness by Apoorva Chauhan, Doctor of Philosophy Utah State University, 2019 Major Professor: Amanda Lee Hughes, Ph.D. Department: Computer Science This dissertation consists of three studies that examine online communications during crisis events. The first study identified and examined the information sources that provided official information online during the 2014 Carlton Complex Wildfire. Specifically, after the wildfire, a set of webpages and social media accounts were discovered that were named after the wildfire—called Crisis Named Resources (or CNRs). CNRs shared the highest percentage of wildfire-relevant information. To better understand the role of CNRs in crisis response, the second study examined CNRs that were named after the 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire. Findings showed that many CNRs were created around the wildfire, most of which either became inactive or were closed after the wildfire containment. These CNRs shared wildfire-relevant information, served a variety of purposes from information dissemination to offers of help to expressions of solidarity. They also received good reviews and were followed by many people. These observations about CNRs laid the foundation for the third study that sought to determine the factors that iv influence the trustworthiness of these resources. The third study involved 17 interviews and 105 surveys with members of the public and experts in Crisis Informatics, Communication Studies, and Emergency Management. Participants were asked to evaluate the trustworthiness of CNRs that were named after the 2017 Hurricane Irma. Findings indicate that participants evaluated the trustworthiness of CNRs based on their perceptions of CNR content, information source(s), owner, and profile. This dissertation provides the following contributions- (1) identification and examination of online sources that provide official crisis information; (2) characteristics and behaviors of CNRs during crisis events; and (3) factors that influence the trustworthiness of CNRs. (179 pages) v PUBLIC ABSTRACT Social Media Use During Crisis Events: A Mixed-Method Analysis of Information Sources and Their Trustworthiness Apoorva Chauhan This dissertation consists of three studies that examine online communications during crisis events. The first study identified and examined the information sources that provided official information online during the 2014 Carlton Complex Wildfire. Specifically, after the wildfire, a set of webpages and social media accounts were discovered that were named after the wildfire—called Crisis Named Resources (or CNRs). CNRs shared the highest percentage of wildfire-relevant information. Because CNRs are named after a crisis event, they are easier to find and appear to be dedicated and/or official sources around an event. They can, however, be created and deleted in a short time, and the creators of CNRs are often unknown, which raises questions of trust and credibility regarding the information CNRs provide. To better understand the role of CNRs in crisis response, the second study examined CNRs that were named after the 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire. Findings showed that many CNRs were created around the wildfire, most of which either became inactive or were closed after the wildfire containment. These CNRs shared wildfire-relevant information and served a variety of purposes from information dissemination to offers of help to expressions of solidarity. Additionally, even though most CNR owners remained anonymous, these resources received good reviews and were followed by many people. These observations about CNRs laid the foundation for the third study that sought to determine the factors that influence the trustworthiness of these resources. The third vi study involved 17 interviews and 105 surveys with members of the public and experts in Crisis Informatics, Communication Studies, and Emergency Management. Participants were asked to evaluate the trustworthiness of CNRs that were named after the 2017 Hurricane Irma. Findings indicate that participants evaluated the trustworthiness of CNRs based on their perceptions of CNR content, information source(s), owner, and profile. vii DEDICATION To my dear grandmother, Late Mrs. Vijaya Chauhan and uncle, Dr. Sanjay S. Chauhan for their love, guidance, and unwavering support, without which I would not have come this far. viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work would not have been possible without God’s grace and the support of many individuals. Foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude towards my Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Amanda Lee Hughes. I want to thank her for believing in me and inspiring me to get a Ph.D. in Computer Science. I greatly acknowledge the time and energy that she continues to invest towards my betterment. Dr. Hughes has always encouraged me to become a better scholar and a researcher. I admire her calmness, patience, and dedication towards work and family. I couldn’t have found a better Ph.D. advisor! I would also like to thank my Ph.D. committee members. I thank Drs. Daniel Watson and Curtis Dyreson for their invaluable comments on my research questions. I also acknowledge the various teaching opportunities that they provided me within the Computer Science department. These opportunities have helped me grow as a teacher. Comments from Dr. Victor Lee on my research design were much appreciated and made my dissertation work better. Special thanks goes to Dr. Breanne K. Litts for making me a part of her research group. Joining her lab has exposed me to several qualitative data collection and analyses techniques. Writing book chapters and conference papers and designing research posters with Dr. Litts has also boosted my academic writing skills. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Richard S. Krannich, Professor in Sociology, for providing feedback on my survey questionnaire. Also, I thank Dr. Tyson Barrett from the College of Education and Human Services for providing me guidance and feedback on the quantitative analyses of my survey data. ix I sincerely thank the staff members of the Computer Science department, namely Genie Hanson, Vicki Anderson, and Cora Price for all their timely advice and guidance. Next, I extend my thanks and gratitude to all those who participated in my interview or survey studies. This work would not have come to completion without their help. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the most important people in my life—my family—for their continued love and support. This work is an outcome of the endless prayers and best wishes of my parents, Mr. Rajeev Singh Chauhan and Mrs. Archana Chauhan. I sincerely thank my father for encouraging me to choose engineering. My parents have always encouraged me to work hard and become a better human. I am also grateful to have a brother like Rishabh, who has always supported and encouraged me to achieve better things in life. I greatly acknowledge my uncle, Dr. Sanjay S. Chauhan, who is none less than my father. I thank him for believing in me and encouraging me to get a Ph.D. My uncle is a blessing in my life. I thank him for all the time that we spent together over the past few years. He is a wonderful person and there is so much to learn from him! Last but not least, I want to acknowledge my dear aunt Mrs. Sandhya Chauhan and my dear cousin, Shashank for all their contributions towards the completion of this dissertation. Apoorva Chauhan x CONTENTS ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………...iii PUBLIC ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................ v DEDICATION…………………………………………………………………………...vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..............................................................................................