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Seedlist Guideline Epilogue: How We Use the Seedlist
Since the summer of 2024, MTD has maintained a Canadian media ecosystem seedlist to track political discourse. The dataset underwent an annual review and update in the fall of 2025, which also included an expansion into the US political influencer space. Since its launch, we have used the data from the seedlist to research and…
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Seedlist Guideline #5: Maintaining the Seedlist
This final blog in our Seedlist Series describes the maintenance work needed for the seedlist. We recommend having a scheduled review of the seedlist on a regular basis as well as having a channel for ad-hoc updates requested by end-users. If your collection includes elected officials, you should schedule a review/update of the seedlist after…
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Seedlist Guideline #4: Building the Seedlist
In this section, we cover different methods used to build the seedlist. We will go over several ways to identify and add entities to the seedlist, such as using public lists, lists from external stakeholders, and group research exercises. Then, we cover how to collect the handles and other demographic data for the collected entities….
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Seedlist Guideline #3: The Format
Before running crawlers or analyzing data, it is necessary to have clear and consistent data tables that define the entities in the ecosystem. In this section, we break down the components that make up a well-designed seedlist, including what each column should contain and how to format them, and how they relate to other columns. …
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Seedlist Guideline # 2: Prerequisites
Before building a seedlist, it is important to understand what resources are needed. In this blog, we outline the key prerequisites, including the necessary technical tools, the team roles involved, the time investment required, and the planning necessary to set the project up for success. The seedlist and its place in the data collection pipeline…
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Seedlist Guideline #1: Why Use a Seedlist?
Welcome to the first blog in our Seedlist Series! This series will consist of blog posts dedicated to explaining what a seedlist is and how to create your own. Most social media research studies conversations. Few systematically study communities. Enter the seedlist: an entity-centered method that allows researchers to follow how communities behave online across…