With Whom to Coordinate, Why and How in Ad-Hoc Social Media Communications during Crisis Response

During crises affected people, well-wishers, and observers join social media communities to discuss the event. They often share useful information relevant to response coordination, for example, specific resource needs. However, responders face the challenge of massive data overload and lack the time to monitor social media traffic for important information. Analysis shows that only a small number of event related conversations are actionable. Moreover, responders do not know which sources are trustworthy. To address these challenges, response teams may apply manual filtering methods, resulting in limited coverage and quality. We propose a framework and interface for extracting specific resource-related information and engaging with influential users in the evolving social media community. These users can act as both sources and disseminators of important information to assist coordination, thereby emerging as virtual responders.