ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the overarching concept of information spread is introduced and framed in the specific context of information spread over online social media. It begins with a loose classification of the types of information examined in this text along with the reasons behind an interest in understanding and analyzing types of information. Several modern scenarios focusing on information spread are presented as real-world examples including mass communication, governmental concerns, advertising, political campaigning, misinformation, and more. Until relatively recently, information spread was at best examined through intuition, experience, and assumptions. On both traditional news outlets and social media, information began to spread rapidly throughout both the global and localized communities with the latest news, recommendations, government orders, infection rates, scientific research, and much more. While the first element is simply accomplished via machine algorithm and data acquisition, the second is a direct result of active information spread within an online shopping community.
