HPV Immunization: �It Takes (to Understand) a Community (Structure)� - A Social Networks Approach

Abstract

Social network clusters as communities, Key social mediators, and mediated content at the HPV vaccination conversation on Twitter.

Full text

HPVImmunization:
ItTakes(toUnderstand)aCommunity(Structure)
ASocialNetworksApproach
ItaiHimelboim,Ph.D.
DepartmentofAdvertisement&PublicRelations&
DirectoroftheSEESuite
GradyCollegeattheUniversityofGeorgia
SocialmediaEngagement&Evaluation

3

Whatisina(Twitter)Network?
Retweet, Mention, Reply
On social media, networks capture self-selected
information flow maps for a specific topic
A social network is constellation of social actors (e.g.,
users) and ties or links among them (e.g., retweets)
HPVVaccination
8/29‐9/2

SocialNetworkClustersasCommunities
5
Giventheopportunitytointeractfreely,clustersoftightly
interconnectedindividualsemerge,
Wheretiesacrossclustersarerare.
Informationflowisthereforedeterminedbyuser‐
interaction.
Weidentifyclustershere,usingtheClauset‐Newman‐Moore
algorithm.
We create siloes of information of
like-minded individuals

Thecommunitystructure
ofTwitterconversations
6
Circles are users talking
about HPV Vaccination
Arrows are mentions and
retweets indicating
information flow
Colors capture clusters
HPVVaccination
8/29‐9/2
Isolates

Networks,Communities
&InformationFlow
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Eachcommunityhasitsowninformationsources(keyusers)
Theinfluenceofeventhemostretweetedusersinaconversationis
limitedbytheboundariesofitscluster
Keyusersthatonlylooselyreach,ifatall,tousersinother
communities
Weidentifyhubsasthetopin‐degreeusersineachcluster.
In‐degreemeasuresthenumberofuserswhoinitiatedengagement
withauser(here:numberofusersmentioning/retweetingauser)

8
HPVVaccination
8/29‐9/2
Isolates
Homeopathy
promote
TVBritish
Personality
Sciencenews
site
News
Gov.
AntiVacc.
Blogger
Vacc.Forums

Networks,Communities
&ConversationThemes
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Eachcommunityfeedsfromdifferentsetofwebsites
Tophyperlinks
Topdomains
Differenthashtags
Differentkeywords

10
Mostretweetedlinks

inonecommunity

11
Mostretweetedlinks

inasecondcommunity

12
Mostretweetedlinks

inathirdcommunity

NetworksandCommunitiesInterconnectivity
13
Hub-and-Spoke
Hub-and-Spoke
High Density
High Density
Hub-and-Spoke
Usersinnewsor
institutionalcommunities
tendtorelyononeortwo
keyusersforinformation
High Density
Usersingrassroots‐led
communities,relymore
ononeanother

NetworksandCross‐CommunitiesFlow
14
The dense, grassroots-
oriented, communities
are interconnected.
Institutional and News
are more siloed.

15

Whotoreach?SocialMediators
16
Bridginghubs
Topin‐degree
&Betweennessusers
(inBlue)
The path to core Anti vaccination
communities goes though non-
institutional, yet supportive, players.

Howtoreach?MediatedContent
17
Yet, much of the
mediated context is
posted by your
immediate
audiences.

18

Takeaways
19
Content
Tailorcontenttocommunitiesinterests
Addresscommunityconcerns
Users
Utilizekeysocialmediators
Utilizeyourcommunities
Utilizenon‐institutionalplayers

DIY
20
YoucandoityourselfusingNodeXL:
smrfoundation.org/nodexl

SEESuite.uga.edu @SEESuiteUGA
Immunization:
ItTakes(toUnderstand)aCommunity(Structure)
ASocialNetworksApproach
ItaiHimelboim(itai@uga.edu;Twitter:@itaih @SEESuiteUGA)