A Total Error Framework for Digital Traces of Human Behavior on Online Platforms

Abstract People’s activities and opinions recorded as digital traces online, especially on social media other web-based platforms, offer increasingly informative pictures of the public. They promise to allow inferences about populations beyond users platforms which are recorded, representing real potential for sciences a complement survey-based research. But use brings its own complexities new error sources research enterprise. Recently, researchers have begun discuss errors that can occur when used learn humans phenomena. This article synthesizes this discussion proposes systematic way categorize errors, inspired by Total Survey Error (TSE) framework developed survey methodology. We introduce conceptual diagnose, understand, document may in studies based such traces. While there clear parallels well-known TSE framework, “Total Framework Digital Traces Human Behavior Online Platforms” (TED-On) identifies several types specific By providing standard vocabulary describe these proposed is intended advance communication using scientific