Robert Ackland

Engagement with news on Twitter: insights from Australia and Korea

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Date: 17-04-2018

DOI: 10.1080/01292986.2018.1462393

The democratic role of social media in political debates: The use of Twitter in the first televised US presidential debate of 2016

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Date: 23-03-2019

DOI: 10.1080/19331681.2019.1590283

Important relationships in a multilevel world: The role of network structure in explaining closeness of relationships and access to resources in later life

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 20-04-2021

DOI: 10.1177/02654075211009311

Abstract: We examine why some relationships are more important than others, using a multilevel statistical model and data on personal networks of Australians 50 years and older, collected via a purpose-built Facebook application. While the network data were collected automatically, participants in our study provided data on the importance of their relationships, measured by perceived closeness and access to resources. We find that the information on how network members are connected with each other (network structure) provides powerful insights into what makes a relationship important. When importance is measured by closeness of relationship, important alters are kin, and are alters who are highly connected with others or act as bridges between different groups. When importance is measured by access to resources, important alters are those who act as bridges and are in more densely-knit networks. We discuss our findings in a broader context of research into important relationships in later life, and collecting personal network data via online social networks.

Which Audiences Engage With Advocacy Groups on Twitter? Explaining the Online Engagement of Elite, Peer, and Mass Audiences With Advocacy Groups

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 21-12-2020

DOI: 10.1177/0899764020979818

Abstract: Gaining an audience on social media is an important goal of contemporary policy advocacy. While previous studies demonstrate that advocacy-dedicated nonprofit organizations—what we refer to as advocacy groups—use different social media tools, we still know little about what specific audiences advocacy groups set out to target on social media, and whether those audiences actually engage with these groups. This study fills this gap, deploying survey and digital trace data from Twitter over a 12-month period for the Australian case. We show that while groups target a variety of audiences online, there are differences between group types in their strategic objectives and the extent to which particular audiences engage with them. Business groups appear to target elite audiences more often compared with citizen and professional groups, whereas citizen groups receive more online engagement from mass and peer audiences.

Risk issue adoption in an online social movement field

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Date: 06-06-2019

DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2019.1620823

Australian National University

Location: Australia

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Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0567298

Start Date: 12-2005

End Date: 12-2006

Amount: $98,586.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP0990974

Start Date: 01-2011

End Date: 10-2014

Amount: $270,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP0452051

Start Date: 2004

End Date: 12-2006

Amount: $150,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354484

Start Date: 12-2003

End Date: 12-2004

Amount: $10,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP110100446

Start Date: 2011

End Date: 01-2015

Amount: $300,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP140103688

Start Date: 06-2014

End Date: 06-2017

Amount: $225,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council