Searching for settlement information on Reddit (2023)

What is this research about?

The research investigates how newcomers to Canada use Reddit to find settlement information, which is also available through formal settlement service providers. The study aims to understand the extent to which informal online conversations on Reddit align with formal settlement service categories and to explore the potential for using this information to improve settlement services.

From the publication abstract: "Newcomers are using informal means to find settlement information that is also freely available through formal settlement service providers. Newcomers may seek settlement information on Reddit when the same information might be found through a settlement service provider. This study finds that several Reddit submissions can be categorized in at least one or more of the formal settlement service categories. There is some overlap between informal conversations on Reddit and formalized settlement services. However, informal spaces go beyond providing settlement information in formalized categories. These results suggest that there is scope for policymakers to take a closer look at online conversations to better understand the needs of newcomers when they are looking for information about settling in Canada before and after they arrive. There is the potential to use this information to identify service gaps and create new funded settlement service categories. There is also the potential to accurately train a machine learning model to classify new Reddit submissions and produce real-time advice to policymakers on newcomer information needs."

What do you need to know?

To understand this research, it is important to know:

• The role of formal settlement service providers in Canada.
• The types of settlement information newcomers seek.
• How social media platforms, particularly Reddit, are used by newcomers for information.
• The overlap between informal online discussions and formal settlement services.

What did the researchers do?

The researchers:

• Extracted data from Reddit using specific keywords related to newcomers in Canada.
• Manually categorized Reddit submissions into formal settlement service categories.
• Trained a Naive Bayes classification model to test the feasibility of categorizing new Reddit submissions.
• Analyzed the overlap between Reddit discussions and formal settlement service categories.

What did the researchers find?

The key findings include:

• There is significant overlap between the information needs discussed informally on Reddit and the services provided formally.
• 32.16% of Reddit submissions could be categorized into formal settlement service categories, indicating some overlap.
• 21.04% of submissions included questions or queries that could have been addressed by settlement service providers but for which no comparable formal service exists.
• Newcomers use Reddit to seek personalized information that may not be available through formal channels.
• There is potential for policymakers to use online conversations to identify service gaps and create new settlement service categories.

How can you use this research?

If you work in the settlement services sector, you can use this research to:

• Understand the types of information newcomers seek on social media. Enhance engagement by monitoring social media for real-time feedback and adapting services accordingly.
• Identify gaps in current settlement services based on the questions and queries posted on Reddit.
• Develop new services or improve existing ones to better meet the needs of newcomers.
• Consider integrating social media monitoring into your service delivery to provide real-time support and information. Engage with online communities to better understand and address the unique needs of newcomers.
• Train machine learning models to classify and respond to newcomer queries on social media platforms, enhancing service accessibility and responsiveness.