Data resources for Social Sciences & social media data ethics

First Session: Sharing and reusing data can effectively reduce redundant efforts in data collection, ultimately saving valuable time and resources, especially for smaller laboratories. Additionally, it enhances the efficiency of scientific research investments by preventing the reinvention of the wheel. Building a sustainable data-reuse process and culture relies on frameworks that comprise policies, standards, roles, and responsibilities, all of which must address the diverse needs of data providers, curators, and (re)users alike. A critical step in the data sharing and (re)use cycle involves researchers identifying data that are (re)usable for their needs. It is a common challenge among researchers to locate data that appear (re)usable. In this session, I aim to introduce 2-3 data repositories ideal for researchers seeking (re)usable data for their studies. Additionally, I will offer several tips and strategies for identifying and utilizing (re)usable data effectively. The session is structured to last approximately 45 minutes, encompassing a 25-minute presentation, a 5-minute question-and-answer segment, and a 10-minute practical workshop exercise. Second Session: Social media is increasingly becoming an important site for data collection and research for students, researchers, and scholars across the Humanities and Social Sciences. This workshop introduces participants to the existing landscape of social media data and the fluctuating access academics have to ‘big datasets’. Using Facebook, Twitter (or X), and Reddit as examples of data archives, we discuss the latest guidelines and restrictions on scraping social media data from these three platforms and how they affect researchers conducting social media research. The workshop urges participants to rethink their notion of “Data” concerning social media to foreground the issue of research ethics that is often sidestepped or not taken seriously due to the presumed publicness of social media data. This workshop was part of the UC Love Data Week 2024 program (https://uc-love-data-week.github.io).