RTI International Facebook Applications as a Data Collection Platform Adam Sage RTI International @AdamSage RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute. www.rti.org RTI International Why Facebook? Why Now? Facebook is big. (Facebook, 2012) @AdamSage RTI International Why Facebook? Why Now? Really, really, mind-boggling big. (Facebook, 2012) @AdamSage RTI International How Big? Huge. Over 13% of the WORLD (Facebook, 2012) @AdamSage RTI International How Big? And in the U.S. •157 Million Users •50.63% of the U.S. Population •65.5% of Internet Users in the U.S. (Social Breakers, 2012) @AdamSage RTI International Who are they? In the U.S. Gender Age 5% 8% 10% 45% < 18 13% 24% 18 - 24 Male 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 Female 55 - 64 55% 17% 65 + 23% (Social Breakers, 2012) @AdamSage RTI International What are they doing? “Liking,” commenting, sharing photos, connecting… @AdamSage RTI International What are they doing? Updating their status… @AdamSage RTI International What are they doing? Sharing content… @AdamSage RTI International What are they doing? Joining groups… @AdamSage RTI International What are they doing? Listening to music… @AdamSage RTI International What are they doing? Searching… @AdamSage RTI International What are they doing? And using Apps! (among other things) @AdamSage RTI International In other words… We are changing the way we communicate… @AdamSage RTI International In other words… And we’re documenting it all. @AdamSage RTI International This Creates Data . Big Data . Accessible data . Opportunities to create and collect more data . And we can do something we have never been able to do… @AdamSage RTI International New Types of Data Tap into the social graph @AdamSage RTI International The Social Graph . Our connections to people and things: – Friends – Likes – Interests – Photos – Video – Comments – Status Updates – Locations – Groups – Events – Content @AdamSage RTI International Facebook’s Graph API Graph API (Application Programming Interface) . Introduced in 2007 . Allows web applications to operate within Facebook (over 7 million) . Allows web applications to utilize data in the social graph @AdamSage RTI International Why Not Just Build a Website? People spend their time in Facebook: . More people spend their time on Facebook than on any other website – 7 hours 45 minutes per month (average) (Nielsen, 2011) @AdamSage RTI International What Does This Mean For Surveys? . We have been developing web surveys for years . Websites can connect to Facebook . Web applications (programmed surveys) can take advantage of the social graph . Surveys have an opportunity to evolve with Facebook . What role will applications play in this evolution? @AdamSage RTI International Networks: A Unique Opportunity . The meaning of our connections: – Tapping into the social graph provides opportunity to explore on a level no other platform has ever offered. Facebook shrinks the social world: – Since 2008, the average degree of separation between 2 randomly selected Facebook users has dropped .5 degrees. (Backstrom, 2011) @AdamSage RTI International The Battle Between Surveys and Networks “…as usually practiced, using random sampling of individuals, the sample survey is a sociological meatgrinder, tearing the individual from his social context and guaranteeing that nobody in the study interacts with anyone else in it” - Allen Barton, 1968 (Barton, 1968 as reported in Freeman, 2004) @AdamSage RTI International The Battle Between Surveys and Networks What is more valuable and why? . Ensuring random representative samples? . Understanding the true social structure? OR . Understanding how surveys can enhance our understanding of networks, and how networks can enhance reliability of survey data? @AdamSage RTI International Surveys <3 Networks? . How are survey responses influenced by our social structures? – How do survey responses change as salient roles change from one network to another (e.g. researcher to brother). How can survey methods help understand the links between individuals and the world around them? . How can Facebook enhance our understanding of processes we’ve always studied? @AdamSage RTI International The New Communications Platform . Surveys have historically adapted to changes in communication, and that doesn’t stop with the cell phone and Web 1.0. Surveys will have to adapt to new methods of communication and information sharing – Passive Data Collection – Interactive Data Collection . Applications offer a unique opportunity to harness this new type of communication @AdamSage RTI International So… So how do we harness Facebok Apps? @AdamSage RTI International Uses for Facebook Apps: What can we do with apps? . Administer Surveys . Maintain a (streaming) Database – Develop Registries with real-time updates – Longitudinal Studies . Create an Interactive Data Collecting Experience – Give data meaning to the user (e.g. instant feedback) – Create the environment and control conditions (e.g. give the app a purpose). @AdamSage RTI International The Reconnector App . Allows Facebook users with military affiliations to reconnect with friends via advanced searches and filters . Builds a registry of individuals with military affiliations . Obtains useful data via social graph and supplemental survey @AdamSage RTI International The Reconnector App . Driven by 2 types of data: – Survey – Social Graph . Maintains a temporary registry . Provides interactive experience allowing us to understand some military connections @AdamSage RTI International Built-in Survey @AdamSage RTI International Considerations for Using Apps in Research 1. Incentive Structures 2. Acquiring App Users 3. Maintaining a Community 4. Privacy 5. Data Use and Storage @AdamSage RTI International Built-in Incentives 1. Users need a reason to use your app: . Social Tools (organize, connect) . Gamification (badges, levels) . Useful Information (data visualization) . Monetary (gift card codes, credits) @AdamSage RTI International Incentive Structures Most Importantly… People want to share and connect! @AdamSage RTI International The Reconnector App . Allows users to connect with other users in an isolated environment . Allows users to filter results . Allows users to share results @AdamSage RTI International (Federal Trade Commission, 2012) @AdamSage RTI International Generating a User-base 2. Participants! . Organic Growth . Advertising . Methods outside of Facebook – Inclusion in study materials – Linking in web/mobile surveys (Federal Trade Commission, 2012) @AdamSage RTI International The Reconnector App . Utilized targeted advertisements base on: – Location – Occupation – Age . Adapted targets to hone users most likely to use the app, thus increasing its utility @AdamSage RTI International Reconnector Recruitment Target your ads! Define your user-base! (Sage and Dean, 2011) @AdamSage RTI International Maintaining an App 3. App Management . Apps require maintenance! . Facebook’s API is constantly changing and evolving . Users may become bored . People need moderators at times @AdamSage RTI International The Reconnector App . Requires little maintenance (monitoring functionality and addressing user concerns) . Most management involves understanding data to optimize user growth/experience @AdamSage RTI International Private vs Public 4. Privacy: . Facebook setttled with the FTC in 2011 . Privacy and ethics evolve . Any use of Facebook user data requires a Privacy Policy . IRBs may require informed consent beyond the Facebook Privacy Policy – Sometimes these can be combined @AdamSage RTI International The Reconnector App . Provides an opt-out feature on every page of app . Privacy policy serves as informed consent @AdamSage RTI International Reconnector Privacy Policy @AdamSage RTI International USING User data 5. Data Storage . Facebook requires user data only be used in a capacity that is necessary for the app to function . Your app must be created with this in mind . As you develop your app, ask yourself: – What data do I want? – How will the app justify access to this data? . Data can only be stored as long as your app is usable @AdamSage RTI International The Reconnector App . Data is stored on a secure server . Only most recent data cache is used for analysis @AdamSage RTI International What’s Next? . How will you utilize apps? . What role will apps play in the future of survey research? . What are the values and limitations of apps in our research? @AdamSage RTI International Lastly… Explore the Frontier “Move fast and break things… if you never break anything, you’re probably not moving fast enough.” - Mark Zuckerberg @AdamSage RTI International References Backstrom, Lars. 2011. “Anatomy of Facebook.” Retrieved on May 16, 2012 from https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-data-team/anatomy-of-facebook/10150388519243859. Blumberg. S. Luke, J., Ganesh, N., Davern, M., Boudreaux, M., Soderberg, K. 2011. “Wireless Substitution: State- level Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, January 2007 June 2010.” National Health Statistics Reports, Number 39 Burbary, Ken. 2011. “Facebook Demographics Revised 2011 Statistics.” Retrieved on April 6, 2012 from http://www.kenburbary.com/2011/03/facebook-demographics-revisited-2011-statistics-2/ CTIA. 2012. “ Wireless Quick Facts” Retrieved on April 30, 2012 from http://www.ctia.org/advocacy/research/index.cfm/aid/10323 Edmonds, Rick, Guskin, Emily, and Rosenstiel, Tom. 2011. “Newspapers: By the Numbers” Retrieved on May 1, 2012 from http://stateofthemedia.org/2011/newspapers-essay/data-page-6/