Views on Linking Social Media Data

We are conducting a new study to understand people’s views on having their publicly available social media data linked with their survey data.

About the study

We are conducting a new study to understand people’s views on having their publicly available social media data linked with their survey data. This research has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Taking part

Why have I been selected to take part?

You have been selected to take part in this study because you agreed to be contacted about future research when you took part in the British Social Attitudes survey.

What will taking part involve?

  • A one-to-one interview with a NatCen researcher lasting around an hour, at a time convenient for you
  • The interview can be done online on a video call (using Microsoft Teams) or by phone, if you prefer
  • The researcher will ask you to answer a few questions on different topics (such as your media consumption, your health, and politics) and show you a consent to link data question. The researcher will then ask about your general views and preferences around this  
  • Taking part is completely up to you. You do not have to take part if you do not want to. Even if you do, you can change your mind at any time and do not have to answer any questions you do not want to
  • Everything you say will be confidential and only NatCen will know you have taken part. NatCen will store your information securely and your name will not be in the published report
  • As a thank you, you’ll receive a £30 Love2Shop e-voucher that will be emailed to you after the interview

Please note that you do not have to provide details of your Twitter account if you don’t want to.

Why take part?

Your feedback will be important in helping us understand attitudes to linking social media data with survey data and will contribute to making the information we provide when asking for data clear and easy to understand. Everyone who takes part in an interview will receive a £30 Love2Shop e-voucher as a thank you.

How can I take part?

We appreciate your interest in our research. We will be calling people in the next few weeks to ask if they would like to take part. Please note that not everyone who would like to take part will be contacted.

What will happen to any information I give?

We will treat the information you give us in the strictest confidence under the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2018. Our legal basis for processing data is ‘legitimate interest’. NatCen is the data controller for this study.

How do I opt out?

If you decide you do not want to take part in this study, please call 0808 168 2796  or email TwitterResearch@natcen.ac.uk with your full name so that we can remove you from the list.

Contact us

For more information about this study, please call 0808 168 2796 or email TwitterResearch@natcen.ac.uk. One of our staff will get back to you to answer your query as soon as possible.