The Social Media Archive (SOMAR) is a revolutionary initiative and data resource that makes social media data accessible and useful to researchers like never before. Housed in the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR), SOMAR will democratize access to some of the most consequential information in contemporary society. From the emotional well-being of local youth to the outcomes of global political processes, social media play a critical, but poorly understood, role in socio-political life. Social media platforms contain a treasure trove of information that can help us better understand human behavior, social systems, and psychological processes. At ISR and ICPSR, it is our imperative to shed light on these processes.
Our mission is to provide a centralized and reliable repository for social media research data. We believe that open access to research data is crucial for advancing our understanding of the role of social media in society. Our archive contains a wide range of data collected from large-scale social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit, as well as smaller, more specialized data sets focused on specific research topics. These data sets have been collected and curated by researchers from around the world, and they cover various topics such as political communication, online behavior, and social networks. The data in our archive takes two forms. They can be public, i.e., available for immediate download, and/or restricted, i.e., available within our secure data enclave after receiving approval following a submitted restricted data application.
We strive to maintain the highest standards of data quality and integrity, and we are committed to protecting the privacy of social media users. In addition to our data collection efforts, we also offer a range of resources and support for researchers using our archive, including documentation, tutorials, and workshops. We are committed to helping researchers make the most of our data and advancing social media research.
We hope our archive will be a valuable resource for researchers, students, policymakers, and the data user community seeking to better understand the impact of social media on society. If you have any questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
