Facebook for Support versus Facebook for Research

Abstract

Researchers use Asynchronous Remote Communities (ARC) to reach out to target populations who may find it hard to meet in person, or make time for telephone interviews. So far, ARC studies have been conducted using closed and secure groups on Facebook, because most participants are active members of this social network. However, it is not clear how participants' Facebook usage might affect their engagement with an ARC study. In this paper, we report a secondary analysis of a recent ARC study of women who had experienced at least one miscarriage that focused on their information and social support needs. We find participants tend to be comfortable with seeking emotional support on Facebook, and even those who say they rarely post to Facebook engage with most group activities. We discuss implications for choosing platforms for ARC studies.