Abstract: While survey research has been at the heart of social science for decades and social scientific research with digital trace data has been growing rapidly in the last few years, until now, there are relatively few studies that combine these two data types. This may be surprising given the potential of linking surveys and digital trace data, but at the same time, it is important to note that the collection and analysis of such linked data are challenging in several regards. The three key issues are: (1) data linking including informed consent for individual-level studies, (2) methodological ethical issues impeding the scientific (re)analysis of linked survey and digital trace datasets and (3) developing conceptual and theoretical frameworks tailored towards the multidimensionality of such data. This special issue aims at addressing these challenges by presenting cutting-edge methodological work on how to best collect and analyze linked data as well as studies that have successfully combined survey data and digital trace data to find innovative answers to relevant social scientific questions. Linking Twitter and survey data: The impact of survey mode and demographics on consent rates across three UK studies / Tarek Al Baghal, Luke Sloan, Curtis Jessop, Matthew L. Williams & Pete Burnap) Abstract: In light of issues such as increasing unit non-response in surveys, several studies argue that social media sources such as Twitter can be used as a viable alternative. However, there are also a number of shortcomings with Twitter data such as questions about its representativeness of the wider population and the inability to validate whose data you are collecting. A useful way forward could be to combine survey and Twitter data to supplement and improve both. To do so, consent within a survey is first needed. This study explores the consent decisions in three large representative surveys of the adult British population to link Twitter data to survey responses, and the impact that demographics and survey mode have on these outcomes. Findings suggest that consent rates for data linkage are relatively low, and this is in part mediated by mode, where face-to-face surveys have higher consent rates than web versions. These findings are important to understand the potential for linking Twitter and survey data, but also to the consent literature generally. Collecting survey and smartphone sensor data with an app: Opportunities and challenges around privacy and informed consent / Frauke Kreuter, Georg-Christoph Haas, Florian Keusch, Sebastian Bähr & Mark Trappmann Abstract: The new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) imposes enhanced requirements on digital data collection. This paper reports from a 2018 German nation-wide population-based probability app study in which participants were asked with a GDPR compliant consent process to share a series of digital trace data, including geolocation, accelerometer data, phone and text messaging logs, app usage, and to allow access to their address book. With about 4,300 invitees and about 650 participants, we demonstrate (1) people were just as willing to share such extensive digital trace data as they were in studies with far more limited requests, (2) despite being provided more decision-related information, participants hardly differentiated between the different data requests made, and (3) once participants gave consent they did not tend to revoke it. We also show (4) evidence for a widely-held belief that explanations regarding data collection and data usage are often not read carefully, at least not within the app itself, indicating the need for research and user experience improvement to adequately inform and protect participants. We close with suggestions to the field on creating a seal of approval from professional organizations to help the research community promote the safe use of data. Who is exposed to news? It depends on how you measure: Examining self-reported vs. behavioral news exposure measures / Emily K. Vraga & Melissa Tully Abstract: Despite the importance of news exposure to political outcomes, news consumption is notoriously difficult to measure and misreporting news exposure is common. In this study, we compare participants' news behaviors measured on a news aggregator website with their self-reported story selection immediately after exposure. We find that both individual and contextual characteristics -especially the presence of political cues in news headlines -influence reporting of story selection. As a result, the news audience profiles differ using self-reported versus behavioral measures, creating two different pictures of news exposure. More attention is needed to improve news measurement strategies to address misreporting and to improve the accuracy of news audience profiles.
Researchers have also attempted to integrate survey data and digital traces to analyze and uncover social scientific questions REF .