Social Media for Integrated Emergency Management (SMIEM)

The research project SMIEM aims to develop and improve concepts, methods and tools that can be used in the context of natural crisis situations, human-made disasters and societal challenges such as the current refugee situation. We plan to investigate how social media and social media analytics can be used, processed and transferred to information systems used by Emergency Service Agencies (ESA). We especially emphasise the importance of integration into existing systems and processes. The project is motivated by the ever increasing amount of information shared in social media. They represent an important platform for ad-hoc and real-time communication during crises. People affected share first-hand accounts which may contain useful information about the conditions on-site. At the same time, officials communicate information to the public. However, the reliability of the information is questionable. Uncertainty and the lack of official information foster the emergence of rumours and misinformation. Analytical tools have been developed by researchers in the field of social media and data analytics alike. However, their practical application at ESAs and other crises-related organisations have not yet been studied thoroughly. Successful integration into existing systems will help making communities more resilient, minimising the disruption to everyday life brought by the disaster. Before a crisis, automated analysis of social media can be used for early detection. During the crisis, information shared by locals in social media can complement official information. Lastly, the recovery process may be improved by listening to the needs and problems discussed in social media. In sum, the project will identify relevant social media information concerning crisis and emergency situations, evaluate and adapt methods to the domain of crisis research, thereby improve our understanding and the utilisation of social media at ESA's and help develop ESA communication strategies.