Public Response to Alerts and Warnings Using Social Media: Report of a Workshop on Current Knowledge and Research Gaps

The book explores how officials monitor social media, as well as the resulting privacy considerations, the workshop focused on such topics as: what is known about how the public responds to alerts and warnings; the implications of what is known about such public responses for the use of social media to provide alerts and warnings to the public; and approaches to enhancing the situational awareness of emergency managers.

This volume looks at the role of social media in disaster response. This was one of the first workshops convened to look systematically at the use of social media for alerts and warnings—an event that brought together social science researchers, technologists, emergency management professionals, and other experts on how the public and emergency managers use social media in disasters.
The issue summarizes presentations made by invited speakers, other remarks by workshop participants, and discussions during parallel breakout sessions. It also points to potential topics for future research, as well as possible areas for future research investment, and it describes some of the challenges facing disaster managers who are seeking to incorporate social media into regular practice.

Brief Contents
Preface
Acknowledgment of Reviewers
1 Fundamentals of Alerts, Warnings, and Social Media
2 Current Uses of Social Media in Emergencies
3 Dynamics of Social Media
4 Credibility, Authenticity, and Reputation
5 Privacy and Legal Challenges with the Use of Social Media
6 Research Gaps and Implementation Challenges
Appendixes
Appendix A: Workshop Agenda
Appendix B: Biosketches of Workshop Speakers
Appendix C: Biosketches of Committee and Staff Members