Impact of Social Media in Emergency Response and Preparedness Research Paper here is my research proposal which need rewriting in an academic level and div

Impact of Social Media in Emergency Response and Preparedness Research Paper here is my research proposal which need rewriting in an academic level and divided according to the provided exemplarI wrote this proposal but I feel it is still not master level of research proposal. I might did not consider some significant points the proposal must has. therefore, I will do the IRB and observation instrument later. I will send it later to just some simple edits it to be relative to the proposal.the research design need to be from Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2013). Practical research: Planning and design. Boston: Pearson. Research Proposal: The Impact of Social Media in Emergency Response and Preparedness
Abstract
The paper will cover the extent and the impact of social media as a tool for emergency
and disaster preparedness and response. It is worth noting that social media is a recent platform
and thus current literature covers most recent emergencies depending on the use of the platform
and the number of users who had access to the services. In this context, social media will cover
Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Blogs and other social media platforms and their relation to
emergency response and disaster preparedness. The platforms are used by many people and are
compatible with the majority of devices including the iPhone, Smartphones, and PCs. The robust
use of social media makes the platform a better communication method among from different
geographical region. Besides people can access information from time to time and as fast as it
happens. In disaster management and emergency, response communication is a crucial
component. Emergency response and preparedness require effective communication which helps
people to get updates and support from emergency response groups and volunteers.
However, the lack of trusts among social media users may hinder the process of
emergency and disaster preparedness. Despite the flows, social media usage in disaster
management and emergency response has increased recently and has become a reliable means of
communication across the world. However, the use of social media may not reflect the true
picture of the disaster owing to the heterogeneous nature of social media and dissemination of
information. For instance, the number of tweets shared after a disaster is bulky to determine
reliable and unreliable data. The articles look to examine how reliable social media can be in
handling the response and emergency preparedness such as Hurricane Katrina that has hit the
united states recently.
Introduction
Social media is heading to two decades now, and the use and growth have been
imminent. The platform has been paramount in the sharing of information among all social
media groups across all ages and generations (Xiao et al, 2015). Reuter and Kaufhold (2017)
covered in the use of social media to handle emergencies in the last 15 years (Reuter, &
Kaufhold, 2017). Kaufhold and Reuter found that social media has become part of everyday life
and thus crucial in handling emergency and emergencies response. In handling research and
studies, social media carries a definition that was outlined by Kaplan and Heinlein (2010).
According to Kaplan and Heinlein, social media refers to the group of internet-based applications
based on the ideologies and technology foundations of Web 2.0; allowing the user to create and
share (exchange) user-generated content (Kaplan, & Heinlein, 2010).
According to Alexander, the internet is the most relied on source of information for all
people below thirty years (Alexander, 2014). Besides, it comes second to people of the other
ages only after television. The paper will offer a review of the use of social media in emergency
responses with the main focus on the occurrence of hurricanes which have taken place recently.
The paper will consider both the emergency management, respondent and how the citizens rely
on social media in case of an emergency. Besides, the use of unregulated information and
communication through social media will be taken into consideration (Muralidharan et al,
2011)). That being said, I will also focus on the benefits that align with the use of social media in
disaster management and response together with the corresponding drawbacks. Some cases will
be drawn from disasters such as the Katrina hurricane or the response when a hurricane hit
Florida. The focus on both disaster management team and citizens is preferred since both are
social media users and rely on it for information and updates on the occurrence of a disaster.
Purpose of the Study
The study’s looks to find out how reliable social media can be for emergency response and
preparedness.
Research Questions
How do people react incidences of disaster and emergency response in social media during
Hurricanes in the USA?
Objectives of the Study
The study looks to answer a couple of questions related to the impact of social media and
emergency response and preparedness in the United States.
•
To find out how reliable social media has been to the way emergency response
teams respond to emergencies.
•
To identify the flaws within the use of social media as a communication tool in
disaster management
•
To find out how social media can be used in the future to convey information
during a disaster management ordeal.
The hypothesis of the Study
Social media has been reliable as a communication tool between the emergency response teams
and social media users.
Purpose of the study
The study looks to identify whether social media has been reliable in disaster management and
response. Besides it looks at how current literature has provided a framework that will help
improve on the use of social media in the future. Lastly, it looks at the mistrust that exists on the
information provided in social media platforms during the occurrence of a disaster.
Methodology
The research will rely on data from previous works. The focus will be made on scholarly
articles mainly the journals that have captured the literature on disaster management and social
media. Besides, the emergencies in question will be recent which occurred after the 9/11 attack
when the use and growth of social media have been rampant.
Data collection
Apart from the available data on the resources cited previously, the research will conduct
interviews to determine the extent of the use of social media in emergency response and the
preparedness that can be done via the platform. The interviews will be done through open-ended
questions and also on closed questions. Structured questions will be handled to the sample
population to help in data collection. Participants in the interviews will range from the victims of
hurricanes disasters, their close relatives, emergency response teams and the citizens who rely on
social for updates and information on disasters.
Sample questions from the questionnaire
1. How much do you use social media for disaster information?
2. Which platforms do you rely on for the disaster information?
3. Does data from the social media align with the ones from the disaster management teams
and the government?
4. Do you trust data and information from social media on disaster response and
preparedness?
5. Do you have a victim of a disaster where social media was used to convey the message?
6. How is the dissemination of information through social media use in emergency
response?
7. How prepared are you in case of a disaster?
8. Will you trust and rely on social media in the future?
9. What would you do when the crisis occurs?
10. Do you share the information or contact during an emergency?
11. Are the platforms alerts important? How?
12. Have you used social media during an emergency?
13. How often do you use social media?
14. What will you do after reading the warning?
15. How many social media do you have?
According to Reuter and Kaufhold (2017), the overall reliance on social media by the
general public lies at a low 12%. However, when the data is surveyed for high school graduates,
they use social media for emergency information and response lies at 22%. The latter is an
indication that social media is used as a firsthand source of information for the age gap below 30
years. In a case study examining the relationship between the number of tweets and the level of
damage while holding population size as the independent variable, Xiao et al, found that the
number of tweets increased with the population size as well as the damage index (Xiao et al,
2015). Thus people have become more involved in the emergency as the level of damage
increased. Besides areas with higher population density had the highest number of tweets to
establish preparedness for future emergencies and to stay alert (Houston et al, 2014).
The reliance on social media as a tool for future information emergencies was found to be
in doubt. According to Reuter and Kaufhold, the use of social media conveys rumors and
misleading information when compared to other communication means and information
dissemination tools (Reuter, & Kaufhold). The data and information offered by different groups
relating to emergencies differ. For instance, Reuter and Kaufhold relied on Twitter as a social
media platform and found that information from Communication among citizens, citizens to
authorities and among authorizes and the emergencies response team varied (Houston et al,
2014). The latter attaches doubts on the reliant and trust of social media as a communication tool
for emergencies.
According to Mauroner and Heudorfer, social media undertakes three special attributes
among the users during disaster management (Mauroner, & Heudorfer, 20116. The three aspects
includes participation, communication and interaction among all users and parties involved in
disaster management. The three aspects rely on each other but have been enhanced by the
presence of technology that improves the level of communication and the content that is shared
among the users. The three aspects combine to become virtue community that has interest in a
disaster and emergency response. When United States was hit by a hurricane in Florida, majority
of social media users were quick to stream to the internet to search for information and reliable
information on the disaster. The people who participated in the search shared content and took
part in an ongoing participation giving views and opinions.
The number of people who expressed mistrust in the data and information propagated via
social media was also significant. According to Reuter and Kaufhold, there are many reasons
which make the information shared through social media to be unreliable (Reuter, & Kaufhold,
2015). First, most social media users do not trust unknown people in the vicinity of an
emergency. Thus people do not rely on information from unknown people or least trusted people.
Besides another doubt about social media is the way it is least awareness safety services (Collins
et al, 2016). According to Mehta and Bruns, trusts takes time to build between institutions
involved in an emergency response mission (Mehta et al, 2016). Mehta also notes that in
instances of disasters, there are conditions of uncertainty which may build mistrust between
people sharing information in social media together with the pressure that builds when a disaster
occurs (Mehta et al, 2016).
Apart from the flaws associated with the trust and how reliant social media can be to both
the users and the authorities, some advantages accrue with the use of social media in
emergencies (Collins et al, 2016). For instance, they offer a platform for listening functions.
According to Alexander (2015), social media offer a chance for people to voice their views. Thus
a democratic platform is created where different people can air their opinions and views on how
the authorities can address the issue of disaster preparedness and response (Alexander, 2015).
Besides the views can be sampled and used in the future to create a plan on responding to future
instances of disaster management.
Another advantage that accrues from the use of social media is the monitoring function.
With the continuous flow of information, social media users can monitor how information is
being shared and used the information as a follow of unfolding events following a disaster. It
also offers authorities a chance to monitor the reaction of the general public and their actions in
preparing for the post-event of a disaster. According to Alexander, monitoring removes the
doubted created by false and misleading information (Alexander, 2014). Besides there is existing
information that inaccurate and harmful information during emergency response is not always
propagated via social media (Bird et al, 2012).
Conclusion
Social media has grown over the last decade and used in various ways to disseminate
information. The platform has been widely used across the globe as a communication tool during
times of disasters and emergency response. In the study, a sample of people affected by the
hurricane was used together with the authorities and response team assigned to help the victims.
However, the current literature on the use of social media in emergency response is
limited and only covers occurrences that have taken place since the 9/11 attack. Thus conclusion
drawn from this research may not adequately substantiate the actual situation in an emergency
response situation. As such, the research question calls for further research to determine and
cover all objectives to the research questions fully. Current research has addressed the issue to
deal with disaster response, social media as a communication tool and the lack of trustworthiness
associated with the use of social media as a communication medium in disaster management.
Mistrust exist among social media users due to the number of platforms and content being shared
by the users which may not be similar to what is disseminated by the media. Besides some users
follow rumor and end up posting the rumors as credible information for social media users. As
such the whole platform becomes saturated with misleading information. The presence of
misleading information brings the mistrust atmosphere associated with social media. Another
issue about the mistrust is the lack of awareness created by posting information in the social
media platforms. Users can post information about emergency response as well as the
authorities.
Lastly, the impact of social media during an emergency has flaws and drawbacks as well
as advantages. Some significant effect of social media is the creation of a listening function
where all can express their views. Besides a platform can be created where views, opinions, and
recommendations can be monitored. The recommendation can be utilized in the future to help in
disaster preparedness. Future research will indicate how reliable social media and emergency
response can be to society
References
Alexander, D. E. (2014). Social Media in Disaster Risk Reduction and Crisis
Management. Science and Engineering Ethics, 20(3), 717-733.
Bird, D., Ling, M., & Haynes, K. (2012). Flooding Facebook: The use of social media during
the Queensland and Victorian floods. Australian Journal of Emergency
Management, 27(1), 27-33.
Collins, M., Neville, K., Hynes, W., & Madden, M. (2016). Communication in a disaster-the
development of a crisis communication tool within the S-HELP project. Journal of
Decision Systems, 25(sup1), 160-170.
Houston, J. B., Hawthorne, J., Perreault, M. F., Park, E. H., Goldstein Hode, M.,
Halliwell, M. R., … Griffith, S. A. (2014). Social media and disasters: a functional
framework for social media use in disaster planning, response, and
research. Disasters, 39(1), 1-22. doi:10.1111/disa.12092
Mauroner, O., & Heudorfer, A. (2016). Social media in disaster management: How social media
impact the work of volunteer groups and aid organisations in disaster preparation and
response. International Journal of Emergency Management, 12(2), 196.
doi:10.1504/ijem.2016.076625
Mehta, A. M., Bruns, A., & Newton, J. (2016). Trust, but verify: social media models for
disaster management. Disasters, 41(3), 549-565. doi:10.1111/disa.12218
Muralidharan, S., Rasmussen, L., Patterson, D., & Shin, J. (2011). Hope for Haiti: An analysis
of Facebook and Twitter usage during the earthquake relief efforts. Public Relations
Review, 37(2), 175-177.
Palen, L., & Hughes, A. L. (2017). Social Media in Disaster Communication. Handbook of
Disaster Research, 23(2), 497-518. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-63254-4_24
Reuter, C., & Kaufhold, M. (2018). Fifteen years of social media in emergencies: A
retrospective review and future directions for crisis informatics. Journal of
Contingencies and Crisis Management, 26(1), 41-57. doi:10.1111/1468-5973.12196
Xiao, Y., Huang, Q., & Wu, K. (2015). Understanding social media data for disaster
management. Natural Hazards, 79(3), 1663-1679. doi:10.1007/s11069-015-1918-0
Students will write and present a Research Project Proposal on a research topic of interest and
with approval of the instructor. The Proposal will include a literature review of pertinent material
with abstract, discussion of methodologies that would be utilized in the gathering of data (were
time to permit), discussion of expected outcomes and conclusions based upon findings and future
directions of the research. The paper should be between 7 – 10 pages in length. Check syllabus
schedule for due date.
Typical Sections of a Research Proposal
1. Abstract – Offers a brief description of the study and its main findings. It is limited to one
page and tells the reader what he is going to read.
2. Introduction
• Context of the study or the statement of the problem
Provides a brief explanation of the researcher’s problem area
• Purpose of the study – Provides the specific goal or goals of the study or problem area.
These can be expressed as a statement of purpose – overall intention of the study. It
should provide a specific and accurate synopsis of the overall goal of the study.
• Questions, objectives and hypothesis – Provide a specific restatement and clarification of
the purpose statement. Usually presented as either a comparison between two or more
groups in terms of a dependent variable or as a relationship of two or more independent
or dependent variables. Four main criteria for evaluating hypothesis:
The variables and their relationship to each other should be made explicit.
Hypotheses, questions and objectives should be grounded in previous research.
Hypotheses should be stated briefly and clearly.
Hypotheses, questions, and objectives in qualitative research would emerge as
data collection and analysis.
• Theoretical perspective (optional depending on the research problem) Includes a
description of the main theory being used, the central propositions of the theory,
information about who has used the theory and its applicability and the adaptation of the
theory to variables in the study.
• Significance of the study – Provides a clear rationale for the importance of the study for
select audiences. It includes three or four reasons why the study adds to scholarly
research, about how the study improves practice and policy
• Other subsections – delimitations – addresses how the study will be narrowed in scope,
limitations – identifies potential weaknesses of the study, and definitions of terms so that
readers can understand the context in which words
3. Review of the literature – It shares with the reader of the proposal the results of other
studies that are closely related to the proposed study and it relates the body of relevant
knowledge and its importance to the present study. It also provides a framework for
establishing the importance of the study, as well as a benchmark for comparing the
results of a study with other findings.
4. Methods – This section describes the nature of the research design, the population and
sample, instrumentation and data collection procedures, and data analysis.
•
•
•
•
Research design – provides the purpose and rational for the selection of a given
design.
Population and sample – this section specifies the characteristics of the
population and sampling procedures to be used to obtain a representative sample.
Describes the size of the population and how it can be identified. It further
delineates the sampling size as single stage or multistage, how individuals will be
selected (random sample) and indicates the number of people in the sample and
how they were determined.
Instrumentat…
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