TrISMA – Tracking Infrastructure for Social Media Analysis was a joint project involving Queensland University of Technology, Curtin University, Deakin University, Swinburne University, and the University of Sydney, as well as the National Library of Australia; it received funding from the Australian Research Council through ARC LIEF grant LE140100148. Following the conclusion of the ARC LIEF project, TrISMA data are now managed by the QUT Digital Observatory.

TrISMA establishes a powerful new framework for tracking, storing, and processing the public social media communication activities of Australian users at very large scale and in close to real time. By drawing on TrISMA’s groundbreaking infrastructure, researchers are able to engage with ‘big data’ from leading social media platforms in hitherto unprecedented detail, and to respond immediately to emerging phenomena in social media usage.

TrISMA focusses in the first place on leading platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and enables the comprehensive analysis of how Australians participate in current public debates, respond to breaking news and events, and engage in everyday interpersonal communication through social media.

TrISMA has generated the first comprehensive map of the Australian Twittersphere, and commenced its continuous tracking of Australians’ public social media activities in 2015. For further information about the future use of TrISMA data, please contact Marissa Takahashi (marissa.takahashi@qut.edu.au).