Analysing the Opinions of People about the Death of Sidhu Moose Wala through Twitter Data Analysis

Manoj Kumar Verma; Aasif Ahmad Mir; Syed Inabia Bukhari; Shafqat Jan Bhat; Asra Nisar Syed; Nasreena Rasheed Mir

Authors

Manoj Kumar Verma Department of Library and Information Science at Mizoram University, Aizawl, India.
Aasif Ahmad Mir Department of Library and Information Science, at Pondicherry Central University, Puducherry
Syed Inabia Bukhari Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.
Shafqat Jan Bhat Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.
Asra Nisar Syed Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.
Nasreena Rasheed Mir Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.

Keywords:

Sidhu Moose Wala, Twitter data analysis, Opinion mining, Content analysis

Abstract

Purpose: Twitter is one of the most popular micro-blogging sites worldwide, with millions sharing their thoughts, opinions, and sentiments on various topics. The death of Sidhu Moose Wala, a prominent figure in India, sparked significant discussions on social media, particularly Twitter, to express their condolences, share memories, and discuss the impact of his music and persona. The study analyses the trend, geographical contribution, and opinions of the Twitter-sphere surrounding his demise.
Methodology: Two hashtags, “#SidhuMooseWalaDeath and #SidhuMosseWala” were used as input terms to download the tweets. The Tweet Archiver was used to retrieve the tweets against selected hashtags. The data was retrieved for 40 days, from 05-06-2022 to 14-07-2022. A total of 5247 tweets with accompanying metadata were retrieved during the specified time frame. The location of the tweeter users was ascertained to discover the geographical distribution of tweets. Moreover, to categorize and interpret the content of tweets, the naturalistic approach was used, in which the content of each tweet was read and understood thoroughly so that the opinions related to the demise of a famous singer (Sidhu Moose Wala) could be framed.
Findings: The study uncovers the daily trend of tweets and found that the majority of tweets were posted on some specific days, like on the birthday of Sidhu Moose Wala and the day on which YouTube removed a new song of deceased Sidhu Moose Wala titled SYL- named on the under-construction Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL). As for the geographical contribution of tweets, it is found that the conversation surrounding the death of Sidhu Moose Wala extends beyond borders, with the significant contribution of Tweets from India followed by Pakistan, Canada, the UK, and the USA, respectively. The content analysis of the tweets highlights that people have varied opinions regarding the death of Sidhu Moose Wala, with a majority of tweets sharing News, followed closely by the ones that express sympathy for the deceased. Moreover, Twitter users have used different terms in their tweets to share their thoughts regarding Sidhu Moose Wala’s death. The study found that the term “Sidhumoosewala” followed by “Sidhu”, “legend”, “Sidhumoosewaladeath”, and “Justiceforsidhumoosewala” are the most frequently occurring terms.
Originality: The study is the first of its kind, which offers a comprehensive understanding of the Twitter sphere’s response to the death of Sidhu Moose Wala. The study showcases the multifaceted nature of opinions expressed on Twitter surrounding the death of Sidhu Moose Wala, highlighting the diverse sentiments and perspectives that emerge within this virtual space.

Author Biographies

Manoj Kumar Verma, Department of Library and Information Science at Mizoram University, Aizawl, India.

Manoj Kumar Verma is a Professor in the Department of Library and Information Science at Mizoram University, Aizawl, India. His areas of interest include Bibliometrics, Scientometrics, Webometrics, Open-Access Publications and Sentiment Analysis. He has published 146 papers in various peer-reviewed national and international journals, eight authored/edited books, 27 book chapters, and 64 conference papers.

Aasif Ahmad Mir, Department of Library and Information Science, at Pondicherry Central University, Puducherry

Aasif Ahmad Mir is a Research Scholar in the Department of Library and Information Science, at Pondicherry Central University, Puducherry, India. His research interests include data mining, sentimental analysis and social media. He has published two research articles in Scopus-indexed journals and has presented two papers and one poster at national/international Conferences.

Syed Inabia Bukhari, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.

Syed Inabia Bukhari has completed her Masters in Library & Information Science from the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.

Shafqat Jan Bhat, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.

Shafqat Jan Bhat is a Masters in Library & Information Science from the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.

Asra Nisar Syed, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.

Syed Asra Nisar has completed her Masters in Library & Information Science from the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.

Nasreena Rasheed Mir, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.

Nasreena Rasheed Mir holds a Masters in Library & Information Science from the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir.