Enhancing Communication by Social Media Platforms: Research Proposal

This research proposal focuses on enhancing communication between citizens and the government through social media platforms. It begins with a rationale that highlights how social media is transforming communication and the potential for governments to build trust and transparency. The research aims to develop a software application that integrates citizens and the government, allowing users to log in via social media accounts. The research questions focus on solutions for citizen engagement and social media integration. The methodology includes a positivism research philosophy, a deductive approach, and a descriptive research design. The hardware and software requirements involve computer configurations and platform development. Ethical and access issues, including data storage and privacy, are considered. The potential value of the research lies in improving government-citizen interaction. The proposal outlines a research plan with key stages and an initial literature review discussing social media's use in government, its implications, benefits, and challenges. The study explores how social media can facilitate communication, disseminate information, and enhance public services.

Running head: ENHANCING COMMUNICATION BY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
Enhancing communication through social media platforms
Research proposal
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Table of Contents
1. Rationale and context..................................................................................................................2
2. Aims.............................................................................................................................................2
3. Research questions.......................................................................................................................3
4. Proposed research methods..........................................................................................................3
4.1 Research philosophy..............................................................................................................3
4.2 Research approach.................................................................................................................3
4.3 Research design.....................................................................................................................4
4.4 Hardware and software requirement......................................................................................4
5. Ethical and access issues.............................................................................................................4
6. Potential value of research...........................................................................................................5
7. Research plan...............................................................................................................................6
8. Initial literature review................................................................................................................7
8.1 Use of social media to communicate with the government...................................................7
8.2 Implication of social media in present case...........................................................................7
8.3 Benefits of using social media in government.......................................................................8
8.4 Challenges of using social media in the government............................................................9
References..................................................................................................................................10

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1. Rationale and context
Vernuccio (2014) stated that the development of social media over previous years is
transforming the ways by which people can think, behave as well as communicate. Internet is not
just a static resource of advertising at present days. However, people get information online by
involving with the trusted as well as relatable sources, which can speak to particular interests.
Social media has a degree of openness as well as transparency. It provides good opportunity for
the governments in order to develop trust and public perception of work as well as services. In
addition, social media makes it possible to develop trust as well as positive public perception of
work as well as services. The idea of government utilize the web and associated technologies
were born in 1990. In this perspective, it is important to focus on B2B, B2C and several terms b
floated around as well as sought that can be defined to enable and leverage promise of web. The
promise, progress as well as efforts are stymied that has unique requirements and challenges.
The government and its roles to the society can be properly displayed with the help of software
application.
Current web technology allows the governments sharing information with citizen in the
unlimited quantities according to their demand. Technology helps allowing citizens in order to
bring issues of the concern to local as well as national governments. On the contrary, exploiting
the capabilities within the system of government is a challenge encompasses policy,
environmental and cultural issues. The promise of e-Government can allow the citizens
accessing information and services of the government ion terms. Hence, sharing data of the
government with the citizen provides transparency and openness with citizens. It also assists in
enhancing operations within as well as between governments. Hence, effective e-government is

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not easy for accomplishing and giving unique challenges faced by the government and includes
the outdated policies, personnel constraints bas well as budgetary information. Web 2.0 and
social media have added the challenge, whereas the government becomes slow down for
adjusting the new paradigms of interaction.
Moreover, social media helps for councils as well as governments in order to
communicate directly with people. The governments are using social media in order to provide
new enhanced government services more frequently (Ventola 2014). It has been reported from
millions of users irrespective of demographic groups, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter can be
helpful to meet core operational goals efficiently compared to conventional communications as
well as marketing tactics. Hence, it is required to develop application or platform that can be
helpful to communicate with the government and citizens of the nation.
2. Aims
The research aims to develop a software application helpful to integrate and involve
citizens and the government. In addition, the research has aim to integrate the account of social
media for the users in the purpose of logging into the application and test effectiveness of the
application.
3. Research questions
The research questions can listed as followed.
 What could be the solution for integrating and engaging citizens?
 How social media account can be integrated with the process?

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4. Proposed research methods
In order to carry out the research in proper way, it is important to select right tools for the
research. Choosing research philosophy, research approach and research design will be helpful
for the research. In addition, it is important to understand right process for data collection and
analysis technique for the research.
4.1 Research philosophy
Research philosophy is useful to illustrate the process of assumptions carried out for the
research (Lewis 2015). Research philosophy deals with source, development as well as nature of
knowledge. Addressing research philosophy in the research engages being aware as well as
formulate beliefs and assumptions. Each stage of the research procedure is usually based on the
assumptions serve as the base of research strategy. The research process is varied while carrying
out the research, which is essential for adopting research philosophy. It needs to be effective as
well as must be effective and appropriate alignment. In the research, positivism philosophy will
be selected. Selection of positivism philosophy will be helpful to evaluate the hidden facts in the
research. In addition, as the nature of the study is limited in time, selection of positivism
philosophy will be helpful for the research.
4.2 Research approach
Brinkmann (2014) mentioned that deducative and inductive are the approaches, selected
by the researcher for the study. Deductive and inductive are the types of approaches selected by a
researcher in order to conduct the research. The relevance of hypothesis to the particular study is
considered as major distinctive point between the two mentioned approaches, A researcher
usually selects inductive approach when adequate data for the research topic is selected. On the
other hand, deductive approach is useful for the research as it is helpful to deduce theory and

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models related to the topic of the research. In the research, deductive approach will be selected
for the research.
4.3 Research design
Research design is divided into two major groups such as exploratory as well as
conclusive. According to the name that has merely aims exploring the particular aspects of
research in exploratory research. This type of research does not aim providing final as well as
conclusive answers for the research questions. In exploratory research, it is important to integrate
insights regarding a situation. Conclusive research deals with verification of insights and help in
selecting a course of action. Conclusive research is divided into two major categories such as
descriptive and casual. In descriptive research design, particular components, causes and
phenomenon are suggested in the research area. Exploratory, explanatory and descriptive
research designs are the types of research design. In the research, descriptive research will be
selected. It will be helpful for understanding the role of social media for communicating with the
citizens and the government.
4.4 Hardware and software requirement
It is important to identify the hardware and software requirements for the research. In the
research, it is required to develop application or platform that can integrate people with the
government (Carr and Hayes 2015). In order to develop the platform, computer is required with
proper configuration. The essential factors that are required to remember are as followed. The
user case is one of the most important for understanding the difference between a software
requirement specification and use case. Usually, the use case steps are written in a simple way
for understanding the structured story utilizing verbage of the domain. The software

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requirements need to fulfil deliverables of the project. The functional terms, leaving design as
well as implementation details is significant for the developers.
5. Ethical and access issues
Application software is used to the modern decision-making process that includes data
storage as well as manipulation, availability of data as well as selection (Munar and Jacobsen
2014). However, it is the issue for software development and the government linked with the
organization. After demonstrating software management, easy access for the files is not good.
However, some information need to be able to view by other people when it is required. The
development office has an essential role to make the changes for the system in order to fulfil the
requirements. It is also required to analyse ethical, social, legal as well as professional issues
related to design and development of the project. Ethical principles need to taken into account by
the development office as per the requirements of the management. Involving human participants
in the project include ethical principles (Sobaih et al. 2016). Gathering project requirements, the
respondents have the right for selection and it is informed regarding the research. Beneficence is
considered as one of the major principles for considering the project. Risks for the participants
need to be minimized, whereas justice is ethical principles that provide priority to the equality.
The top management as well as lower level employees needs to be treated equally. Higher
management is required to hide information from the stakeholders and disclose sensitive data
and the key issues from the stakeholders (Ngai et al. 2015). However, as an ethical software
engineer decisions are required to take ethically. In the development, vulnerable groups will not
be violated.

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6. Potential value of research
The potential social values as well as advantages for the research are distributed
systematically. With the help of checklist as well as description of the project, it is required to
address at least 10 distinctive aims of the research. McCann and Barlow (2015) commented that
the primary focus is on developing as well as testing of the instruments as well as taking
preliminary look in the value systems. Completion of the project will be helpful to integrate
citizens with the government by application software. As the governments across the world
require involving citizens, it is essential to find out the suitable way to make people understand
regarding initiatives, projects are important for finding out the right process. However, it is
important to make the policies suitable for the research. It is also difficult to inform that the
government require important aspects for the aspects. Thus, for development of social media to
mitigate the communication barrier, it is important to take proper initiative by the government
for citizens. The policies as well as facilities are required to set up properly for communication
technology and use of social media platforms to make it accessible. Thus, connecting common
people as well as the government by social media platform will be helpful to understand about
initiatives of the government as well as notify their requirements.
In addition, development of software application can integrate people easily with the
users with the help of smart phones. However, it is essential to be aware about the misuse of
social media accounts as privacy and security issues are involved with it.
7. Research plan
Main activities/ stages Week Week Week Week Week Week Week

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Topic Selection 
Secondary data collection  
Creating the layout for research 
Literature review   
Creating research Plan  
Selection of suitable Research
Techniques
 
Gathering hardware and software
requirements
 
Development of the application  
Deploying the application 
Testing of the application 
Creating Rough Draft  
Submitting Final Work  

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8. Initial literature review
8.1 Use of social media to communicate with the government
Social media has evolved into a preferred method in order to reach and involve with
masses and culminating in the process of exponential amplification. There are several effective
ways through which, social media can be used to communicate with the government. It helps to
prevent crime as well as police assistance (Effing and Spil 2016). The police departments are
posting tips for protecting crime. Time sensitive information and alerts using the social media
channels can be helpful (Wu et al. 2015). Weather as well as other emergencies occurs quickly
with no warning. In addition, social media channels can assist the local governments to
communicate regarding safety information.
Social media achieve activities as well as class registration (Huotari et al. 2015). Public
service announcements are effective way to raise awareness of the issues, which affect in the
community. Hence, social media has an important role to develop effective communication and
get in touch with the governments.
8.2 Implication of social media in present case
In the research, a software application will be developed to communicate with the
governments locally. In the application, it is required to sign up the application with the user id
and password (McFarland and Ployhart 2015). With rapid development of information and
communication technology, social media usage has increased rapidly. In this perspective, use of
social account to sign up will be helpful to integrate social profile of the citizens with the
governments. Hence, it is important to develop the application that can be helpful to integrate
social media (Chua and Chang 2016). Apart from these, as the use of smart phones increase,

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integration of social media for sign up process will be helpful to connect the users easily with the
application and get notified regarding the initiatives and activities taken by the government.
As the number of Facebook users increase, the uses are voicing opinions about the user
policy as well as functionality. The staffs of Facebook are able to follow the opinions as well as
platforms (Lunnay et al. 2015). It results increased participation of the users. Hence, it is sure
that the government departments need to start using social media channels for better
communication in a valuable way for achieving the objectives. Communication is considered as
immediate relationships and addresses the complaints. Social media acts as a dominant value for
two-way communication and makes the ability for receiving the feedback and monitor the
process.
8.3 Benefits of using social media in government
There is an important role of the social media for government from passing of new
legislation to the large campaigns. the government needs to participate actively in the
conversation. There are several policy makers taking notice about the trend (Taggart et al. 2015).
The social media study in 2015 commissioned that American Congressional Management
Foundation, there are 76% of American policymakers reported that social media has enabled
social media in order to have meaningful interactions with the constituents (Poell 2014). Apart
from this, face-to-face appearance has driven campaign trail where social media assisted
candidates to reach audiences across the nation.
On the other hand, social media is helpful for accurate poll forecasting through social
media (Househ et al. 2014). Crisis communication is one of the methods through which

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government can notify the citizens regarding any emergency. The integration of social media
account with the application will be helpful to know about the situation.
8.4 Challenges of using social media in the government
According to Killian and McManus (2015), simple measures can be helpful for safeguard
the government against the security breaches. Apart from this, there are chances of using social
media platforms where fake user id can open and misuse the application that has a large impact
on the society.
On the other hand, remaining complaint to the privacy demands is considered as
important for a government. Involvement of citizens can deploy keeping in compliance. In
current years, the government bodies as well as employees need to respond in government
discourse (Hajli 2015). It is important for innovative policy makers as well as staffs are adapting
the application by creating high involvement of social media may affect overall process.