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Essay Available:
Pages:
9 pages/≈2475 words
Sources:
10 Sources
Style:
MLA
Subject:
Social Sciences
Type:
Research Paper
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 52.49
Topic:

How Facebook Influences People’s Privacy Concerns

Research Paper Instructions:

In a concise paper (2000-2500 words), propose a computational research study based on a social scientific research question that you find interesting. You should (briefly) explain your topic of interest and the specific question you seek to answer in this research project. Next, identify the basic research design you will undertake and the source(s) of the data. You do not need to include detailed information, such as the specific statistical method you will use to analyze the data, but you should identify the basic framework of the project. A large portion of your proposal should be a critical assessment of why you believe this project will be a good example of computational social science.
Major elements of the paper include:
(15%) A clearly stated research question and description of its social scientific significance.
(35%) A clearly-stated, computational research design plan for collecting and interpreting data to answer the question.
(35%) A justification for why your proposed research design will best enable you to answer your research question and why it is a good example of Computational Social Science. As examples, this justification could include identifying:
How this project illustrates the good characteristics of big data
How this project illustrates the bad characteristics of big data, and how you plan to overcome these weaknesses
An assessment of the experimental design
Identifying the anticipated internal/external validity of your study
Potential sources of error in your study
Note that you do not have to address every single one of these elements in your paper (the entire paper should, at most, be 2500 words). However you should defend your specific approach against potential critiques proposing an alternative research strategy.
(15%) A feasibility assessment of the project (for instance, as your MA thesis) - for example:
If you are going to rely on data from Facebook's News Feed, how will you convince Facebook to work with you?
Do you think your project will need to be reviewed by the IRB? How will you address any potential ethical concerns with your research design?
How much money will it cost to run your survey? How will you obtain funding?
How much time will it take to complete the study? Is it doable within the timeframe of your graduate student career?
We do not expect you to be able to go out and run this study tomorrow, so it is okay to be a bit optimistic at this stage (and employ skills that you might not yet have, but hope to build over the course of your time here at UChicago). But also be realistic, and address these concerns.
Things to watch out for
State your research question clearly
Make sure your research question has social scientific significance
Make sure to articulate a computationally-enhanced research design
Include at least five citations to published academic literature related to your question or methodology along with a bibliography. These citations should enhance the argument that your question is worthy of being answered by social scientists and support your specific approach to designing the research study. Appropriate citations include peer-reviewed journal articles, books, published conference proceedings, etc. Inappropriate citations include blog posts, Wikipedia, policy reports, etc.
Use proper grammar/spelling/syntax
Here are a few examples of strong proposals from past iterations of this class to help give you a sense of what we are looking for:

Research Paper Sample Content Preview:

Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
How Facebook Influences People’s Privacy Concerns
Introduction
Facebook Inc. or Meta Technology Company is one of the largest social media platforms globally. Currently, the corporation has over 3 billion registered users worldwide. However, despite Facebook’s popularity, it has been involved in several incidents involving possible breaches of its users’ data, including email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates, and physical location, which are some of the information gathered during the registration process. Facebook is prominent since many people like it, particularly when it comes to sharing information and communication. Privacy concerns are prevalent at Facebook as a significant number of users have raised attention to how the company does not protect their data. In particular, Facebook users are highly susceptible to personal data misuse, harassment, stalking, identity theft, and privacy invasion. These privacy concerns have contributed to numerous individuals losing trust in the company and have profound impacts on mental health.
Research Question and Description of Its Social Scientific Significance
The primary research question is:
How does Facebook influence people’s concern about privacy?
Facebook significantly influences users’ privacy concerns. In the past, the company has been involved in several breaches that make individuals wonder whether their data is safe or not. Facebook has been accused of mining its users’ data and sharing it with third parties for targeted advertising. In that light, it is challenging for people to know which data Facebook collects, how it protects users’ information, and who the company shares the data with. For example, in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a company owned by Robert Mercer, a hedge fund billionaire, Facebook was involved. Cambridge Analytica exploited Facebook and gathered over 50 million users’ profiles (Cadwalladr and Graham-Harrison). The firm used the data to build models that targeted different demographics to influence their voting behaviors and the decision of choosing the presidential candidate. After this instance, many individuals have raised concerns about privacy since they believe that Facebook has security loopholes that it leaves intentionally or unintentionally for third-party firms to acquire users’ data.
Literature Review
The abuse of people’s data by entrusted organizations, such as Facebook, can decrease the level of users’ trust. Although Facebook is a renowned brand worldwide, it does not mean that the company has the authority to use individuals’ data how it wants. The social media company is responsible for safeguarding people’s information by implementing effective security protocols. If Facebook ignores users’ concerns about privacy, it might lose individuals’ engagement and membership (Ayaburi and Treku 171). Privacy concerns have far-reaching consequences, which is why Facebook needs to prioritize the security of people’s data. During the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Christo...

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