Research Handbook on Social Media Research Methods

This Research Handbook provides a practical and accessible guide for studying social media, examining proven approaches for collecting and analysing online data. Spanning video platforms, text-based communities, podcasts, and emerging AI tools, it equips researchers with a better understanding of different methods, from netnography to sentiment inquiry.Chapters address the crucial ethical, legal, and privacy challenges faced by investigators attempting to navigate digital spaces, providing guidance grounded in real-world case studies. An interdisciplinary and international selection of contributors from across marketing, computer science, and communication studies discuss step-by-step, replicable advice for collecting and evaluating digital data. Looking ahead, they explore how AI and large language models are reshaping current practice, from automated content analysis to predictive modelling.The Research Handbook on Social Media Research Methods is an essential resource for students and scholars of social media, digital marketing, and business management seeking to better understand the methods they use daily. Academics and educators of communication and media studies will also benefit from the bridging of abstract and practical applications.