Experiments Using Social Media Data

Widespread use of social media platforms has generated an explosion of data available for use by political scientists. This chapter will outline the possibilities of social media data for experimental research in all domains. At a basic level, social media data can be useful for improving measurement and design in the study of classic theories. They also facilitates research into questions about politics and the Internet itself. Using a large Twitter field experiment as a running example, I will illustrate how social media platforms can be used to (1) recruit experimental subjects, (2) deliver treatments, and (3) collect outcomes. I suggest that these possibilities are especially promising for scholars interested in studying political mobilization and media effects. Finally, I discuss challenges and opportunities for using these techniques to explore peer effects and other network dynamics.