Project Summary

Recent scientific research emphasizes on big data analytics using large datasets. Sentiment analysis, a form of data analytics utilizes people’s written views on online platforms such as microblogging services, social networking sites and short messaging services to discover customer needs. It is consistent with assessing consumer preferences and an alternative research approach to using interviews and surveys to solicit sentiments. Online written expressions can be quantified associating them positively or negatively with an issue and companies are increasingly using sentiment analysis to assess public perceptions, inform marketing campaigns, measure product performance, track sentiment toward a brand or company, and manage opinions and sentiments. This project will apply sentiment analysis to assess online sentiments on select fish species from the Internet of Things (IoT) perspective and quantify positive / negative sentiments associated with the species (farmed and wild-caught) for the U.S. and census regions. We focus on largemouth bass, yellow perch, walleye, bluegill, tilapia and rainbow trout. The analysis has implications for the aquaculture industry in the North Central Region (NCR) because these are major species produced in the region and online chatter would provide valuable insights into consumer mood, perceptions and potential demand signals for these fishes.

Objectives

1. Apply sentiment analysis to assess sentiments on major North Central Region (NCR) farmed fishes from the Internet of Things (IoT) perspective utilizing online listening tools including social media.
2. Quantify online sentiments of consumers in terms of positivity and negativity associated with food and sport fishes over time – farmed and wild-caught for the U.S. and various census regions.
3. Categorize online contents and highlight patterns of how people perceive farmed versus wild fish in the food fish and sport fish industries; the change over time, and identifying shocks and relevant events that are associated with the change in sentiments for the U.S. and various census regions.
4. Assess implications of online media chatter data for the U.S. aquaculture industry.
5. Develop outreach materials based on results to improve the understanding of Americans’ perceptions of farmed fish from online chatter.

Duration:  2 Years (January 1, 2024-December 31, 2025)

Participants

PI:  Kwamena Quagrainie-Purdue University

Co-PI:  Amy Shambach-Purdue University

Co-PI:  Nicole Wright-The Ohio State University

Project Outline

Proposal

Award Amount

$193,452

Award Number

2022-38500-38103