Role of Twitter in Information and Disinformation on the Covid-19 Vaccination Process
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the Study
The broad objective of the study will be to examine the role of twitter in information and disinformation on the covid-19 vaccination process. Specifically the study seeks:
- To know if Twitter users in Nigeria have knowledge of the virus and the vaccine.
- To provide basic information on the virus and the vaccine in Nigeria.
- To know if the Twitter exposure and awareness affected their choice for vaccinations or not.
- To know how often COVID-19 vaccine process adverts and awareness are done on Twitter.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter will be to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
CORONAVIRUS
The Corona virus is a large group of viruses that resemble a crown. The word corona is a Latin word meaning crown (UNESCO 2020). There are different types of corona viruses and people around the world commonly get infected with human corona viruses 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1. The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS-CoV; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS; and novel Corona virus or SARS-CoV-2 are all caused by corona viruses and result in severe respiratory illnesses. The 2019 novel corona virus (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, was first identified in Wuhan, China, among people having pneumonia. These ones were associated with seafood and the live animal market. In China, as of February 14, 2020, there were 51986 confirmed cases in a single province (Hubei); out of which, 1318 cases died (Tellier, H. 2020).
Transmission
The role of the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in propagating the disease is unclear. Many initial COVID-19 cases were linked to this market, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 was transmitted from animals to humans. However, a genomic study has provided evidence that the virus was introduced from another, yet unknown location, into the market where it spread more rapidly, although human-to-human transmission may have occurred earlier. Clusters of infected family members and medical workers have confirmed the presence of person-to-person transmission. After January 1, less than 10% of patients had market exposure and more than 70% of patients had no exposure to the market. Person-to-person transmission is thought to occur among close contacts mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Fomites may be a large source of transmission, as SARS-CoV has been found to persist on surfaces for up to 96 hours and other coronaviruses for up to 9 days. Whether or not there is asymptomatic transmission of disease is controversial. Findings about disease characteristics are rapidly changing and subject to selection bias. A study indicated the mean incubation period was 5.2 days (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 4.1–7.0). The incubation period has been found to be as long as 19 or 24 days, although case definition typically relies on a 14-day window (Wu, L., Morstatter, F., Carley, K. M., & Liu, H. 2019). Misinformation in Social).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we will describe the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher will employe the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study will be carried out to examine the role of twitter in information and disinformation on the covid-19 vaccination process. Twitter Users in Ikeja, Lagos State will form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
Two methods of data collection which are primary source and secondary source will be used to collect data. The primary sources will be the use of questionnaires, while the secondary sources include textbooks, internet, journals, published and unpublished articles and government publications.
METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS
The responses will be analysed using the frequency tables, which provided answers to the research questions.
VALIDITY OF THE STUDY
Validity referred here is the degree or extent to which an instrument actually measures what is intended to measure. An instrument is valid to the extent that is tailored to achieve the research objectives. The researcher constructed the questionnaire for the study and submitted to the project supervisor who used his intellectual knowledge to critically, analytically and logically examine the instruments relevance of the contents and statements and then made the instrument valid for the study.
REFERENCE
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