The role of Geo-spatially oriented Social Media Communication in Disaster Response

1. The role of Geo-spatially oriented Social Media Communication in Disaster Response Susan McClendonWyDOT GIS/ITS Developer GEOG 596A Advisor: Anthony Robinson, Ph.D.

2. Presentation Outline • Introduction • Background • Project Overview • Research Questions • Methodologies • Project Management • Anticipated Results • References

3. Introduction

4. Background “Social media may have changed disaster relief forever.” (Slagh, 2010) Aftermath of Haiti Quake (Reuters, 2010)

5. Project Overview • Probe the capabilities of two systems • Project Epic’s Tweak the Tweet • Ushahidi Crisis Mapping application • Goals • Evaluate the effectiveness • Identify the challenges and successes • Recommend suitable platforms for the rapid and effective integration • Identify requirements for future platforms that will support social media communications and mapping

6. Project Epic • Project Epic began in September 2009 with the goal to “unite a range of computational techniques with behavioral knowledge of ‘widescale’ computer-mediate interaction—information people generate using social media—in routine and disrupted situations” (Project Epic). • This capstone focuses specifically on Project Epic’s “Tweak the Tweet” (TtT) project which attempts to direct Twitter communications using Twitter hashtags in order to facilitate data extraction during disaster events.

7. Project Epic

8. Mapping Tweeting Reports from the Boulder Fire #fire,flare up,9/9/2010 23:31:33,"near top of long gulch closer to gold hill rd sw of coloradomt ranch 40.061,-105.41...",NA,NA,NA,40.061,-105.41,NA,NA,brokerz_gold,"RT @SophiaBLiu - #boulderfire #fire flare up #loc near top of long gulch closer to gold hill rd sw of coloradomt ranch 40.061,-105.41...",NA,NA,NA,#boulderfire,NA,14096

9. Ushahidi (oo-shah-hee-dee)“testimony” • Ushahidi is an open source software project originally developed by volunteers in Kenya to map reports of post-election violence in 2008 (Meier). The software facilitates the collections and mapping of reports from social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook, as well as SMS test messages. • This capstone focuses on the use of the Ushahidi crisis mapping and volunteer efforts during disaster response.

10. Ushahidi Haiti Map

11. Ushahidi Haiti Map 3125,Tents urgently needed - Leogane,2/5/2010 15:09,Leogane, 9295978 Creole: Tanpri f* message la pasepounounan L*oganenoubezwentant se vraiment urgent m*si beaucoup. English: Please spread the word: We need tents in Leogane.It is really urgent.,"2d. Refuge | Shelter needed, ",18.508261,-72.633362,YES,NO

12. Ushahidi Haiti Map

13. Research Questions • What kinds of information and what was the source of the data collected by TtT and Ushahidi efforts during recent events? • What evidence exists to show information collected and mapped from these systems has been used in the different phases of a disaster, specifically response and recovery?  • Using examples from the recent events are there differences in capability and utility that can be characterized between these two systems, or are they performing similar functions? • What are the key design considerations for the future development of  these projects and similar applications using social media in disaster response? 

14. MethodologyPreliminary • Identify events to be analyzed from TtT and Ushahidi deployments • Project Epic TtT • Chile earthquake • Joplin Tornado • Boulder Four mile Canyon Fire • Ushahidi • Haiti earthquake • Queensland Floods • Gulf Oil Spill • Shared Resources (Ushahidi used Project Epic’s TtT data) • Pakistan Flooding

15. Methodology What kinds of information did the Ushahidi and TtT efforts collect during recent events? • Analyze social media traffic and create a matrix of the types of information collected • Download available data from projects from the date of the disaster to 3 to 6 months after the disaster • Determine the matrix categories • location information from LBS / determined by volunteers from message content • Incident reports • Date/Time Stamps • Twitter Tags/Category of need • Source (Author or Organization) • Social Media Source (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr) • Actionable  • Verified • Language

16. Methodology What evidence exists to show information collected and mapped from these systems has been used in the different phases of a disaster, specifically response and recovery?   • Research media, academic papers, and after action reports for examples of actionable items and organizational use • Find specific examples of use by first responders  • Find specific examples of use by NGOs, Military and Governments for response efforts • If possible, identify use in situational awareness and/or other coordination efforts

17. Literature Review Examples

19. MethodologyUsing examples from the recent events are there differences in capability and utility that can be characterized between these two systems, or are they performing similar functions? • Use maps to characterize effectiveness. • Map the geographic extent of each selected disaster • Map social/economic information for each extent (focus on population, income, cellular telephone use, internet use) • Map the extent of the damage for each disaster (focus on communication infrastructure - key to use of social media) • Attempt to map information that was verifiable or not verifiable (based on each organizations own characterizations of verified information) • Attempt to map information that was actionable • Compare and contrast the presentation of the data by the organizations

20. MethodologyWhat are the key design considerations for the future development of  these projects and similar applications using social media in disaster response?  • Identify challenges, successes, and failures and recommend requirements for improving these and future applications • Volunteer realm vs. use by government organizations • Automatic processing of information vs. volunteer processing • Handling the large volumes of information • Verification of information • Applications that go beyond crowdsourcing to coordinated response and situational awareness

21. Project Management • Using Google Sites Project Tracking Template https://sites.google.com/site/smcclendonpenn/

22. Project Home Page

23. Project Tasks

24. Project Calendar

27. Anticipated Results • Current tools • Ushahidi likely to be suited for large scale disasters with multiple volunteers. • Project Epic TtT likely to be suited for smaller scale, localized events. • What is missing? • Automated location determination • Automated or streamlined verification • Translation Tools • First Responder input or control • Tracking Response • Situational Awareness overview

28. References • Haiti Aid Map. Interaction a United Voice for Global Change (2010). Web. 05 May 2011. <http://haitiaidmap.org/>. • Meier, Patrick and Nesbit, Josh . “The Haiti 4636 Story”. 18 March 2008. Web YouTube. 11 January 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8ifAnk8d0Y&feature=related>. • No Title. Reuters. Web Image. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/jan2010/5/3/haiti-earthquake-pic-reuters-581841911.jpg>. • Project EPIC. Web. 05 May 2011. <http://epic.cs.colorado.edu/>. • Mapping Tweeting Reports from the Boulder Fire. Web. 05 May 2011. <http://haitiaidmap.org/>. • Social Media and Disaster Communications. Proc. of Senate Committee Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs | Disaster Recovery, Washington, DC. CSPAN, 05 May 2011. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/DisasterC>. • Slagh, Chris. "How the Rise of Social Media Transformed Disaster Response in Haiti." Secure Nation. Conversations about National Security and Defense. Web. 30 June 2011. <http://www.securenation.org/how-the-rise-of-social-media-transformed-disaster-response-in-haiti/>

29. Questions?