Explore the AIReD dashboard: Real-time massive social media data in action
Explore the AIReD dashboard: Real-time massive social media data in action
Researchers and eResearch professionals can now directly explore the AIReD dashboard which provides a targeted interface aggregating a wide array of social media data from platforms including BlueSky, Mastodon, Reddit, FlickR, YouTube comments and historic Twitter data (to April 2023). Over 250 million posts have been aggregated thus far. By visiting the AIReD dashboard, selecting Dashboard, and logging in with your institutional credentials via CILogOn, users can view live data that reflects the scale and impact of what is happening online across Australia. Topic modelling and sentiment analysis is used to provide user-oriented information of what is happening every hour of every day capturing the pulse and mood of online behaviour across Australia.
Whilst major platforms like FaceBook, Instagram and X/Twitter no longer provide programmatic access to their data, a key highlight of AIReD is the rapid increase in activity for BlueSky, which has now surpassed 76 million recorded interactions often with over 500k posts made every day across Australia. These numbers are updated continuously, providing a near real-time view of the information flow across the Australian social media landscape.
The dashboard has been designed to support the research community by making complex data accessible, interpretable, and actionable. It enables researchers, administrators, and infrastructure specialists to discover what is happening online and subsequently access the data that underpins their research questions. From knife crime, to global conflicts, to politics, to AFL, to First Nation people - the AIReD platform offers a rich array of data that can underpin many research questions.
This initiative highlights AIO’s commitment—together with research lead Professor Richard Sinnott at the University of Melbourne—to strengthening digital research infrastructure and promoting transparency in the use of research technologies. For all users, the dashboard serves as a vital tool for tracking adoption, spotting emerging trends, and aligning research support services with the evolving needs of the community.
AIReD along with AusReddit, NewsTalk, RAPID, and Web Archiving are the API-based data collection tools and databanks that are offered by AIO to researchers aiming to study digital platforms for their projects. Check out all the AIO tools here.