Industry Influence in High-Profile Social Media Research

TL;DR

This study reveals extensive, impactful, and often undisclosed industry influence in high-profile social media research, highlighting the need for stronger disclosure norms and transparency policies.

Contribution

It uncovers the prevalence of undisclosed industry ties in social media research and their influence on research focus and dissemination.

Findings

Half of top journal social media research has industry ties.

Most industry ties go undisclosed in publications.

Industry-influenced research receives more attention and focuses less on platform impacts.

Abstract

To what extent is social media research independent from industry influence? Leveraging openly available data, we show that half of the research published in top journals has disclosable ties to industry in the form of prior funding, collaboration, or employment. However, the majority of these ties go undisclosed in the published research. These trends do not arise from broad scientific engagement with industry, but rather from a select group of scientists who maintain long-lasting relationships with industry. Undisclosed ties to industry are common not just among authors, but among reviewers and academic editors during manuscript evaluation. Further, industry-tied research garners more attention within the academy, among policymakers, on social media, and in the news. Finally, we find evidence that industry ties are associated with a topical focus away from impacts of platform-scale features. Together, these findings suggest industry influence in social media research is extensive, impactful, and often opaque. Going forward there is a need to strengthen disclosure norms and implement policies to ensure the visibility of independent research, and the integrity of industry supported research.