# Text Analysis Methods for Misinformation-Related Research on Finnish Language Twitter
###### Abstract  
The dissemination of disinformation and fabricated content on social media is growing. Yet little is known of what the functional Twitter data analysis methods are for languages (such as Finnish) that include word formation with endings and word stems together with derivation and compounding. Furthermore, there is a need to understand which themes linked with misinformation--and the concepts related to it--manifest in different countries and language areas in Twitter discourse. To address this issue, this study explores misinformation and its related concepts: disinformation, fake news, and propaganda in Finnish language tweets. We utilized (1) word cloud clustering, (2) topic modeling, and (3) word count analysis and clustering to detect and analyze misinformation-related concepts and themes connected to those concepts in Finnish language Twitter discussions. Our results are two-fold: (1) those concerning the functional data analysis methods and (2) those about the themes connected in discourse to the misinformation-related concepts. We noticed that each utilized method individually has critical limitations, especially all the automated analysis methods processing for the Finnish language, yet when combined they bring value to the analysis. Moreover, we discovered that politics, both internal and external, are prominent in the Twitter discussions in connection with misinformation and its related concepts of disinformation, fake news, and propaganda. disinformation; misinformation; fake news; propaganda; Twitter; Finland; Finnish language; infodemic; social media +
Footnote †: journal: _Future Internet_  
-political communication because its functions are particularly visible and effective, especially in election campaigns. The study of propaganda has a long history in communication research, but disinformation was rarely a topic of primary analysis before 2017 [11]. Since then, communication research on disinformation has widely increased, and the study of social media has played a special role in this [12]. In information systems, research in big data is a popular trend that deals with high volume, high velocity, high variety, and high veracity information assets that require new forms of processing for enhanced decision making and insight discovery [13]. In social media research, it has been identified that conversations, actors involved in the conversations, and the interactions between the actors are relevant dimensions for the dissemination of disinformation [14; 15]. Furthermore, the term \"fake news\" serves as a discursive device for ordinary citizens to consolidate group identity in everyday political utterances on Twitter [16]. The rapid spread of false information on Twitter has especially raised concerns [3; 17; 18]. So far, research is still theoretically scattered, and there is a need for a data-driven understanding of the phenomena. The research has especially focused on the role of social media in facilitating the dissemination of fake news. However, it has been shown that social media also serves as a networked public space for opposing parties to define, contest, and strategically leverage the \"fake news\" label to their respective interests, thus challenging democracy with a weaponized discourse of fake news [16]. A total of 33% of Finns tend to trust or totally trust news and information they receive through online social networks and messaging apps [19]. Thus, investigating the spread of misinformation, disinformation, fake news, and propaganda in the discourse of Finnish Twitter is a relevant research topic. Previous research has also identified that users have difficulty in recognizing manipulation of information in news [20], which supports the need for further research on the topic. Methods to study and analyze social media data, also regarding misinformation, are currently evolving alongside social media applications. Thus, we focus on Twitter data, especially in Finnish Twitter.