Social Media is fast becoming a key area of linguistic research. This highly accessible guidebook leads students through the process of undertaking research in order to explore the language that people use when they communicate on social media sites.This textbook provides:An introduction to the linguistic frameworks currently used to analyse language found in social media contextsAn outline of the practical steps and ethical guidelines entailed when gathering linguistic data from social media sites and platformsA range of illustrative case studies, which cover different approaches, linguistic topics, digital platforms, and national contextsEach chapter begins with a clear summary of the topics covered and also suggests sources for further reading to supplement the initial discussion and case studies. Written with an international outlook,Researching Language and Social Mediais an essential book for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Linguistics, Media Studies and Communication Studies.