Web Insights for National Security: Analysing Participative Online Activity to Interpret Crises

Social Media has become the primary communication channel to share feelings and opinions to big audiences. This characteristic is especially important when dealing with a crisis because people use it to send a variety of messages; however, to emphasise or complement what they post, individuals include links to web pages or other web services. Contributing a component to a novel framework for National Security crises analysis and management, this paper focuses on Web Insights as a mechanism that can help to comprehend the nature and state of a crisis. The mechanism analyses web resources and provides insights along three different dimensions: Firstly, the escalation of the crisis over time. Secondly, the interpretation of the information that the main actors have published (Social Networking Services, Information Outlets, Non-Governmental Organisations and Independent Websites). Thirdly, an estimate whether the crisis has turned violent.