• What people study when they study Tumblr: Classifying Tumblr-related Academic Research

    Author(s):
    Rose Attu, Melissa Terras (see profile)
    Date:
    2017
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    #informationscience, #socialmedia, #socialmediaanalysis, #tumblr, Internet/web-based media
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6HR24
    Abstract:
    Purpose Since its launch in 2007, research has been carried out on the popular social networking website Tumblr. The purpose of this paper is to identify published Tumblr-based research, classify it to understand approaches and methods, and provide methodological recommendations for others. Design/methodology/approach Research regarding Tumblr was identified. Following a review of the literature, a classification scheme was adapted and applied, to understand research focus. Papers were quantitatively classified using open coded content analysis of method, subject, approach, and topic. Findings The majority of published work relating to Tumblr concentrates on conceptual issues, followed by aspects of the messages sent. This has evolved over time. Perceived benefits are the platform’s long-form text posts, ability to track tags, and the multimodal nature of the platform. Severe research limitations are caused by the lack of demographic, geo-spatial, and temporal metadata attached to individual posts, the limited Advanced Programming Interface, restricted access to data, and the large amounts of ephemeral posts on the site. Research limitations/implications This study focusses on Tumblr: the applicability of the approach to other media is not considered. The authors focus on published research and conference papers: there will be book content which was not found using the method. Tumblr as a platform has falling user numbers which may be of concern to researchers. Practical implications The authors identify practical barriers to research on the Tumblr platform including lack of metadata and access to big data, explaining why Tumblr is not as popular as Twitter in academic studies. Social implications This paper highlights the breadth of topics covered by social media researchers, which allows us to understand popular online platforms. Originality/value There has not yet been an overarching study to look at the methods and purpose of those who study Tumblr.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. DOI:
    https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-08-2016-0101
    Publisher:
    Emerald
    Pub. Date:
    2017-3-24
    Journal:
    Journal of Documentation
    Volume:
    73
    Issue:
    3
    Page Range:
    528 - 554
    ISSN:
    0022-0418
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    6 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
    Share this:

    Downloads

    Item Name: pdf attu_terras_tumblr_pdf_proof2.pdf
      Download View in browser
    Activity: Downloads: 481

    Back to Deposits