Extracting information from Reddit for emergency management - Wildfire case
Date
2023-12-28
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Abstract
The advent of social media has revolutionized the way information is disseminated and consumed during emergency situations, such as wildfires. This study provides an in-depth analysis of public sentiment and communication patterns on Reddit during wildfire events in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Utilizing a comprehensive methodological framework, the research employs data mining techniques, sentiment analysis, and comparative methods to explore the digital discourse surrounding wildfires. The methodology integrates topic mining, keyword extraction, and sentiment analysis to evaluate the nature and scope of discussions within Reddit communities. Subreddit activity is scrutinized to understand regional and national concerns, while sentiment analysis offers insights into the emotional undertones of the discussions. A comparative analysis between Reddit posts and news articles is conducted to assess the interplay between social media narratives and traditional media reporting. The findings reveal a strong regional focus in discussions, reflecting the direct impact of wildfires on local communities. National concern is also evident, with broader societal implications being discussed in both general and niche subreddits. Temporal analysis of subreddit activity indicates that engagement is predominantly event-driven, with implications for emergency services, content creators, and community managers. This research contributes to the understanding of social media’s role in crisis communication and public sentiment analysis. It highlights the potential of platforms like Reddit to serve as real-time barometers of public concern and provides actionable insights for stakeholders involved in crisis management and communication. The study’s methodologies and insights have broader applications, offering a template for analyzing online discourse in response to various emergencies.
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Keywords
Emergency Management, Wildfire, Data mining
Citation
Arvandi, A. (2023). Extracting information from Reddit for emergency management - wildfire case (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.