Linking Survey and Twitter Data: Informed Consent, Disclosure, Security, and Archiving

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Data Science
• Ethics in Research

Background:

• Linked survey and Twitter data offer significant potential for social scientific analysis.
• Ethical considerations for using linked data are complex and require careful examination.
• Informed consent processes are complicated by the nature of digital data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the ethical implications of linking survey and Twitter data.
• To highlight the risks of disclosure and harm to participants in such studies.
• To provide guidance on best practices for handling linked social media data.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of three recent linked data studies involving Twitter and survey data.
• Review of existing research on data linkage and informed consent.
• Examination of the disclosive potential of various Twitter data elements.

Main Results:

• Twitter data contains a vast array of information that can be highly disclosive.
• Specific challenges exist in maintaining data security, minimizing risks, and managing archiving and reuse.
• The technical understanding of Twitter data composition often lags behind data collection capabilities.

Conclusions:

• A deep understanding of Twitter data's nature is crucial for ethical research.
• Best ethical practices necessitate a thorough comprehension of the data being used.
• Addressing the ethical complexities is essential for responsible social media data research.