Analytical framework for evaluating digital diplomacy using network analysis and topic modeling: Comparing South Korea and Japan. Issue 4 (July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Park, Sejung; Chung, Dahoon; Park, Han Woo
• Is Part Of: Information processing & management. Volume 56:Issue 4(2019:Jul.)
• Page Start: 1468
• Page End: 1483
• Publication Date: 2019-07
• Subjects: Digital diplomacy -- Soft power -- Social media -- South Korea -- Japan; Information storage and retrieval systems -- Periodicals; Information science -- Periodicals; Systèmes d'information -- Périodiques; Sciences de l'information -- Périodiques; Information science; Information storage and retrieval systems; Periodicals; 658.4038
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ipm.2018.10.021
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4573

Abstract

Highlights: This study introduces a data-driven approach for assessing the practices and effectiveness of digital diplomacy. The Korean public diplomacy (PD) organization has a larger, loosely connected, and decentralized comment network than the Japanese organization. The Japanese PD organization show a "small world" connectivity pattern. The Korean PD organization successfully adopts new public diplomacy. The Japanese PD organization uses social media as a mere information dispersion tool. Abstract: This study introduces a data-driven approach for assessing the practices and effectiveness of digital diplomacy, using the cases of South Korea and Japan. The study compared the networking power of public diplomacy organizations based on social media use, engagement with the public, interaction patterns among the public, and public perceptions and attitudes toward organizations. This was accomplished through a three-step method employing social network analysis and topic modeling. The network analysis found that the Korean public diplomacy organization generated a larger, more loosely connected, and decentralized comment network than the Japanese organization, which presented a "small-world" connectivity pattern with highly interconnected actors. The findings also suggest that, compared to the Japanese organization, the Korean organization was successful in not only enhancing its soft power through social media but also building international networks among the foreign public.