Apply for credentials to a data service for Russian social media

Social media content is important research data for Russian and Eastern European studies. The data can be used for research, for example, on societal phenomena or language development. Integrum Social Networks is a social media monitoring and analysis service covering channels especially popular in Russia: OK.ru, Telegram, VK.com, X and YouTube. The National Library has acquired 12 credentials for the service.

Customers of the National Library can apply for credentials to the service between 4 November 2025 and 31 October 2026. Credentials will be granted as long as they remain available. The last time credentials to the service were available for application through us was in 2024.

The service will be introduced in a webinar on 3 November 2025

The service provider Integrum World Wide will organise an English-language webinar to introduce the Integrum Social Networks service on 3 November 2025 from 14.00 to 15.00. Anyone interested in the service is welcome to join! Applying for credentials is not required to participate in the webinar.

Register for the webinar by 11.00 on 3 November 2025. Before the event we will send you the webinar link to the email address you provide. The webinar will not be recorded. If you are unable to participate in the webinar, read the instructions for the service we have collected on the Slavica wiki. Please note in particular that it is not possible to make retrospective searches in the service.

More information on the service is available on the Integrum World Wide website.

Research use of social media

The use of social media content in research requires particular care. It is the responsibility of the researcher or student using the service to determine what should be taken into account in planning the use of social media in research. Before starting your research, check at least the following:

Consent of research subjects, informed consent and data protection. Contact your organisation’s data protection officer.
Does your planned processing of data present a high risk to research subjects? Contact your organisation’s data protection officer.
Terms of use of each social media platform and possible limitations for data collection and research.
Copyright: Social media posts can also be original works and, consequently, protected by copyright. Publishing a social media update as part of your research requires the permission of the author of the post.

Please refer to any guidelines of your organisation on the research use of social media content. See, for example, the University of Helsinki’s Research data guide: Social media data.

Applying for credentials

Credentials can be applied for either by individual researchers and students, or for shared use by research groups. Only one member of a group need apply for credentials on behalf of the group. That member will be responsible for credential use, once they are received, on behalf of the group as a whole. The terms and conditions of use for the credentials are described in the application form.

The credentials will be valid for 12 months (365 days) from the first login of the customer. For this reason, we will not grant credentials for individual coursework or acquainting oneself with the service, but only for sustained research or thesis work.

Criteria for granting credentials

Individuals applying for credentials must be customers of the National Library of Finland, i.e., they must possess a National Library card. The National Library card number is compulsory information on the application form.
Credential applicants accept the terms and conditions of use listed in the application form and are responsible for the use of the credentials once they have been granted.
When applying for the credentials, applicants must disclose what they are planning to use the service for, allowing us to ensure that the service is used for sustained research or thesis work.

Instructions for applying for credentials

First, ensure that you have a National Library card: log in to the National Library's search service, where you can find your National Library card information on the Library Cards tab of your user account.
- If you do not have a National Library card, apply for one before submitting the application form for the Integrum Social Networks service. Instructions for applying for the card are available on our website.
- If you have a National Library card but cannot find information on it in your account details in the search service, apply for the a new card and collect it from the Library before submitting the application form for the Integrum Social Networks service. Instructions for applying for the card are available on our website.
- If you see a notification of the expiry of your National Library card in your details in the search service, you can still submit the application form for the Integrum Social Networks service. An expired National Library card does not prevent you from been granted the credentials. When granting the credentials, the Library will automatically extend the validity of your card.
Apply for the credentials using the following form.
After receiving the credentials, log in to the service no later 31 October 2026. The service will be available for use with your credentials for the next 12 months (365 days) starting from your first login.

If you have any questions about applying for the credentials, please contact the Library’s service address:
nationallibrary@helsinki.fi.