In a significant academic milestone, AIJ Lab’s four research papers have been accepted by the International Communication Association (ICA) 2024 annual conference. The ICA is one of the most influential academic organizations globally, dedicated to promoting scholarly exchange and knowledge sharing in communication research. This year’s conference was successfully held in Australia, where Zhang Bolun represented Professor Xue and all the authors to present and discuss their research. This conference provided valuable feedback for the lab’s studies and laid a solid foundation for future research directions.

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Research Background and Objectives:

AIJ Lab’s four research projects are part of a series of ongoing studies focusing on public engagement and communication strategies on social media platforms. Two papers focus on Instagram, and two on Twitter. The unified goal of these studies is to extend existing models to our datasets and empirically validate the effectiveness of social media operations, ultimately helping organizations expand their influence.

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Research Overview:

1. Leveraging Instagram for Public Engagement: A Study on Visual Communication Strategies of Canadian Sexual Assault Support Organization

   Authors: Jia Xue, Yirun Wang, Hong Sh, Jingchuan Fan, Tong Su, Qiaoru Zhang, Shengjiehu, Chen Chen

   This study, led by Professor Xue, explores visual communication strategies on Instagram used by Canadian sexual assault support organizations. Using a classic four-factor model (including network size, content volume, targeting and connecting strategies, content strategies, and control variables), the study analyzes 39,000 Instagram posts from 75 nonprofit organizations, uncovering which types of images effectively enhance public engagement. It was found that not all images are more attractive than text.

2. Scoping Review and Thematic Analysis of Human Service Organizations' Visual Communication on Instagram

   Authors: Bolun Zhang, Dan Zhang, Vanessa J. Zhu, Chingwei Lee, Jingjing Wang, Qiaoru Zhang, Jia Xue

   Building on the first study, this research, led by Zhang Bolun, categorizes different types of images and examines their effectiveness. By integrating the latest literature and qualitative research, the team developed a new image classification framework tailored for nonprofit organizations, providing a foundation for future studies.

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3. Optimizing Network Engagement: An OLS Regression Analysis of Content and Connectivity Strategies for Sexual Assault Organizations on X (formerly Twitter)

   Authors: Qiaoru Zhang, Yun Zhang, Linxiao Zhang, Vanessa J. Zhu, Jia Xue

   This study, led by Qiaoru Zhang, uses OLS regression to analyze content and connectivity strategies of sexual assault organizations on Twitter, identifying the most influential metrics. The research confirms some cross-domain experiences and reveals that excessive tagging of other accounts can decrease one’s influence.

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4. Exploring Posting Behaviors and Patterns of Canadian Sexual Assault Centers Conducting Public Communication on X (formerly Twitter): An Analysis of Level of Activities and Tendencies

   Authors: Miao Xi, Qiaoru Zhang, Liangyu Sun, Hanjia Li, Junxiang Chen, Jia Xue

   Led by Miao Xi, this study statistically classifies the Twitter accounts of these organizations into six types, proving the stability of these classifications, thereby providing a basis for different organizations to strategize their communication efforts.

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Conference Exchange and Feedback:

At the ICA conference, Zhang Bolun presented the team’s research findings and participated in multiple group discussions, gaining valuable feedback from attending scholars. Essential suggestions and comments include:

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• Explanation of Variable Selection: Strengthen why certain variables were chosen in the research by providing clear theoretical or logical justifications to ensure the rationality and scientific basis of variable selection.
•  Correlation of Variable Combinations: While some variable combinations may show a positive correlation, further exploration of other potential variable combinations is necessary to fully understand the research problem.
• Research Focus and Human Practice: Although the ICA conference primarily focuses on human practice, which differs slightly from AIJ Lab’s current research theme, the discussions provided new perspectives and ideas for the team.

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These feedback points are invaluable for refining our research design and methods guiding our future studies.

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Research Significance and Future Outlook:

AIJ Lab’s series of studies aims to address the challenges nonprofit organizations face in social media promotion. Unlike commercial organizations, nonprofits often lack funding and advertising resources. AIJ Lab extends the classic four-factor model to verify experiences from other fields and general public assumptions while clarifying some erroneous expectations and speculations.

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Through these studies, the lab has developed a comprehensive theoretical and methodological framework, providing practical strategies for nonprofit organizations to utilize their limited resources to enhance their communication efforts effectively. These findings have significant academic value and practical applications.

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AIJ Lab will continue to focus on this field, optimizing and validating models to provide more scientific guidance for nonprofit organizations’ social media strategies and help them exert greater influence in the public domain.

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