Table 2.

Checklist for researchers: what to ask and consider when developing a social media knowledge translation strategy.

Phase			Probing questions		Considerations
Planning
	Purpose and goal
		What is the purpose of using SMa for this KTb strategy?		Are you wanting to engage, disseminate, or create a dialogue?
		What are the objectives of the campaign?		Identify a theory, framework, or model that aligns with the project’s purposec (eg, dissemination), objectives (eg, increase knowledge vs behavior change), and topic area (eg, health, sociology, and psychology)
		N/Ad		The scope of messages (ie, one clear message repeated over time in different formats or messages on multiple topics)
		N/A		Create evaluation framework in planning phase
		What will success look like?		What metrics for quantitative data will you collect and when (eg, at what point, how often, and for how long)?
		How are you going to measure success?		Do you need qualitative evaluations?
	Intended audience
		Who is the intended audience?		Conduct formal or informal research to help answer these questions
		What are the characteristics of the intended audience?		Conduct a social networking map of the intended audience
		What SM platforms do they use? How do they interact on the web?		Involve some from the intended audience in planning (concepts of integrated KT)
		How do they like to receive information?		This may differ for each end-user group
	Duration and intensity
		How long will the campaign run?		What resources do you have available?
		How many posts a day or week or month?		This will be dependent on what platforms you use and your intended duration of interactivity
		Can you incorporate social filtering?		What hashtags are currently used for your topic area, and is there already a presence on the web?
Doing
	Platform and messaging
		What resonates with the intended audience?		Depending on resources and team expertise, you may use one or multiple platforms
		Are they already gathered in an SM community or are you creating a new presence or community?		Invest in a SM management tool (eg, Hootsuite, Buffer, and Twitonomy)
		What will work best for the campaign’s purpose?		Tailor strategy to ensure compatibility with each platform used
		How will messages be structured and delivered (scope, format, plain language, figures, pictures, etc)?		Ensure messages are tailored to target audience needs
		Are you incorporating social filtering or negotiated awareness techniques?		Map out who the influencers are that you want to reach
		Have you reached out to stakeholders? Do you have a campaign champion (preferably a peer of the target group)?		Find someone who will act as a community or peer mediator to build trust within the target group
	Personnel, logistics, and other resources
		Who are the key personnel involved?		Content and communications experts are minimum requirements
		What skill sets are needed?		Resources, time, and funding needed will differ across platforms
		Do you have an advocate or opinion leader from the intended audience or community?		Connect with organizations with infrastructure already in place
		How and how often will they post or interact with the audience or community?		N/A
		Can you link in with a larger organization?		N/A
	Ethics
		Is everyone a research participant or peripherally involved because of interactions with a participant?		Evaluate the nature of participant involvement and prospectively consider the potential risks to individuals
		Does the audience understand informed consent and expectations for privacy?		Tailor communication about risks and expectations
		Are you aware of the privacy policies governing the different SM platforms?		Work closely with governing bodies and develop standards of practice (eg, create SM policy or “rules of engagement” document)
Evaluating
	Planning
		Relates back to the goals—what are you hoping to achieve (eg, increased reach, engagement, and uptake)?		Create a logic model mapping goals to output indicators and ensure output indicators are measurable
		How will you determine whether the SM campaign or strategy was successful?		Build an interim evaluation to ensure goals are being met and redeploy efforts and resources effectively
	Collecting
		Are you able to collect the data you need (eg, quantitative, qualitative, or both)?		Invest in web analytic tracking platforms

^aSM: social media.

^bKT: knowledge translation.

^cUseful resources: World Health Organization communications work [25], value-added research dissemination framework [26], and a guide to KT theory [27].

^dNot applicable.