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Computational modeling of Weibo user influence based on information interactive network

Dingguo Yu (School of New Media, Zhejiang University of Media and Communications, Hangzhou, China)
Nan Chen (Qianjiang College, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China)
Xu Ran (Center for Internet and Society, Zhejiang University of Media and Communications, Hangzhou, China)

Online Information Review

ISSN: 1468-4527

Article publication date: 14 November 2016

1061

Abstract

Purpose

With the development and application of mobile internet access, social media represented by Weibo, WeChat, etc. has become the main channel for information release and sharing. High-impact users in social networks are key factors stimulating the large-scale propagation of information within social networks. User influence is usually related to the user’s attention rate, activity level, and message content. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors focused on Sina Weibo users, centered on users’ behavior and interactive information, and formulated a weighted interactive information network model, then present a novel computational model for Weibo user influence, which combined multiple indexes such as the user’s attention rate, activity level, and message content influence, etc., the model incorporated the time dimension, through the calculation of users’ attribute influence and interactive influence, to comprehensively measure the user influence of Sina Weibo users.

Findings

Compared with other models, the model reflected the dynamics and timeliness of the user influence in a more accurate way. Extensive experiments are conducted on the real-world data set, and the results validate the performance of the approach, and demonstrate the effectiveness of the dynamics and timeliness. Due to the similarity in platform architecture and user behavior between Sina Weibo and Twitter, the calculation model is also applicable to Twitter.

Originality/value

This paper presents a novel computational model for Weibo user influence, which combined multiple indexes such as the user’s attention rate, activity level, and message content influence, etc.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors truly thank the anonymous reviewers for their pertinent comments. This work was supported by the Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project of Zhejiang province, China (15NDJC135YB), the public welfare Technology Application Research Project of Zhejiang province, China (2016C33196), and the Science and Technology Project of state administration of press, publication, radio, film and television of China (201309).

Citation

Yu, D., Chen, N. and Ran, X. (2016), "Computational modeling of Weibo user influence based on information interactive network", Online Information Review, Vol. 40 No. 7, pp. 867-881. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-12-2015-0391

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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