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The dramatic rise in the public’s use of social media platforms to document events of historical significance presents archivists and others who build primary source research collections with a unique opportunity to apply traditional archival practices, such as appraisal and content selection, in new ways to these non-traditional materials. The personal nature of documenting participation in historical events on social media also presents researchers with new opportunities to engage with the data generated by individual users of services such as Twitter, which itself has emerged as one of the most important tools used in social activism to build support, share information and remain engaged with issues. Twitter users document activities or events through the text, images,