Collective Sensemaking in Social Media: A Case Study of the H7N9 Flu Pandemic in China

Abstract

This exploratory research studies microblog users’ collective sensemaking process in response to a public health threat – the developing H7N9 flu pandemic in China. We examined question-bearing microblogs and responses during the course of 31 days after the first confirmed cases were reported. We found that: 1) different gaps were present during the 5 uncertainty phrases; 2) many topical gaps appear at both collective and individual levels; 3) users employed multiple approaches to deal with and bridge the gaps. The results suggested that users used social media as a platform for collective sensemaking and collaboration among different types of users may help to best utilize social media as a platform for reducing uncertainty and promoting information openness and transparency in such cases.