The social media scenario just keeps getting better and better. According to reports, journalism has now turned to social media as a source for online research.

A recent survey in the U.S states that an estimated 56% of journalists and editors turn to social media sites for information or stories. Google tops the chart as the primary site for online research whereas Wikipedia takes second place with 61%.

Facebook and LinkedIn have two-thirds of journalists knocking on their door for online research whereas Twitter has half the amount in comparison. Social media stirs a huge amount of communication that in turn assists journalists and researchers in their quest for vital information.

Although it can be safely said that social media and corporate sites do not take the cake for online research, they do contribute largely as supplements for online information and studies. With these tools being utilized widely (micro-blogging sites-57%, social networking sites-60% and blogs-64%), it appears that social media is on the brink of playing a crucial part for online research.