Heroic

New research published in PNAS

New article in PLoS ONE: What it Takes to Get Passed On

What it Takes to Get Passed On: Message Content, Style, and Structure as Predictors of Retransmission in the Boston Marathon Bombing Response Jeannette Sutton, C. Ben Gibson, Emma S. Spiro, Cedar League, Sean M. Fitzhugh, and Carter T. Butts Abstract: Message retransmission is a central aspect of information diffusion. In a disaster context, the passing on of official warning messages by members of the public also serves as a behavioral indicator of message salience, suggesting that particular messages are (or are not) perceived by the public to be both noteworthy and valuable enough to share with others.

New Research: Online Message Amplification in the Boston Bombing Response

To Appear in the Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (ISCRAM): Title: Online Message Amplification in the Boston Bombing Response Sutton, Spiro, Johnson, Gibson, Fitzhugh and Butts Abstract: On the morning of April 15, 2013, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, resulting in a large number of casualties. This generated a week-long response under the US National Incident Management System.

New Article in Information, Communication & Society

New research from project HEROIC was published in the recent issue of Information, Communication & Society. Sutton, J., Emma S. Spiro, B. Johnson, S. Fitzhugh, B. Gibson, and C.T. Butts. (2013) “Warning Tweets: Serial Transmission of Warning Messages During a Disaster Event.” Information, Communication, and Society. Abstract: Serial transmission – the passing on of information from one source to another – is a phenomenon of central interest in the study of informal communication in emergency settings.

HEROIC Team Published in IJISCRAM

Research from the HEROIC team was published in the recent issue of the International Journal of Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (IJISCRAM). Abstract Informal online communication channels are being utilized for official communications in disaster contexts. Channels such as networked microblogging enable public officials to broadcast messages as well as engage in direct communication exchange with individuals. Here the authors investigate online information exchange behaviors of a set of state and federal organizations during the Deepwater Horizon 2010 oil spill disaster.

Final Report on Twitter Response to Boston

Today we released the final report in a series of three research highlights on the bombing and other events in Boston, MA earlier this month. In this third report we discuss the content of Twitter messages and the warnings/advisories that were released across many different channels. Please see the online research highlight here. Sutton, J., Johnson, B., Spiro, E., and Butts, C. (2013). “Tweeting What Matters: Information, Advisories, and Alerts Following the Boston Marathon Events.

Spiro to Present HEROIC Research at Sunbelt 2013

Emma Spiro will head to Hamburg, Germany next week to present preliminary findings from HEROIC projects at Sunbelt XXXIII. The annual conference is sponsored by the International Network for Social Network Analysis. Spiro will present an exploration of tie dynamics in online social networks. Many social systems now facilitate rapid re-organization (creation and dissolution) of social ties over short time scales on the order of days. Spiro et al. examine tie decay following instances of mass convergence of attention (i.

Second Report on Twitter Activity During Boston Bombing

The HEROIC team has released a second online research highlight that focuses on Twitter activity during the recent events in Boston, MA. This second report explores relational and conversational aspects of messages posted by official government accounts during the event. Please see the online research highlight here. Sutton, J., Spiro, E., Johnson, B., Fitzhugh, S., and Butts, C. (2013). “Tweeting Boston: The Influence of Microstructure in Broadcasting Messages through Twitter.” Online Research Highlight.

New Research Highlight on the Boston Bombing

HEROIC Online Research Highlight

In recent work, the HEROIC team performed an exploratory analysis of online conversation surrounding the Waldo Canyon fire which started on June 23, 2012, three miles west of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team looked at Twitter posts by the general public as well as official government emergency management organizations. A few of the lessons learned from this research include: When an event occurs local organization gain large numbers of followers.