My research focuses on two complementary areas: 1) new forms of political participation emerging on social media platforms and 2) the related challenges of collecting, analyzing, and working with data from these platforms. This work examines how new forms of political participation are emerging on social media platforms through the analysis of social media posts surrounding social movements, protests, and elections. My work on social media methods also addresses gaps in our understanding about social media data, collection methods, and the implications (ethics, representation, etc.) of using those methods. I recieved my PhD in Information Science from the University of Washington Information School. I am a founding member of the Social Media (SoMe) Lab @ UW and a member of the DataLab. I also earned degrees in International Studies, and Liberal Studies, with a focus on public policy and technology, from Northern Kentucky University.
Personal Website: http://shawnw.io/