Thematic Analysis of the Role of Social Media in Advancing Science and Technology Policy-Making in Iran

Shababi, Hooman

doi:10.22085/jiscm.2025.526311.1859

Thematic Analysis of the Role of Social Media in Advancing Science and Technology Policy-Making in Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Hooman Shababi

Assistant Professor of Management, Rahedanesh Institute of Higher Education, Babol. Iran.

10.22085/jiscm.2025.526311.1859

Abstract

In the information age, social media serves as a modern platform for exchanging viewpoints and shaping public opinion, playing an increasingly significant role in science and technology policy-making. This study, using a thematic analysis approach and qualitative methodology, explores how social media influences the policy-making process for science and technology in Iran. Data were collected through the content analysis of posts, tweets, and comments made by users, politicians, and scientific institutions on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Telegram. The findings indicate that social media, by fostering interactive and participatory environments, enables direct communication between the scientific community and policymakers and can elevate scientific discourse to a public priority. Furthermore, these platforms function as bottom-up pressure tools, enhancing public oversight over policy-making. By proposing a conceptual framework to explain the pathways through which social media affects science and technology policy-making, this paper also addresses gaps in the existing literature and lays the groundwork for future research.

Keywords

Social media

science and technology policy-making

thematic analysis

Iran

public participation

scientific information