The one-day 'Analysing social media for better public policy' symposium will be held at Charles Sturt in Bathurst on Thursday.

Symposium organiser Associate Professor Peter Simmons said the event will address overlooked aspects of social media's influence.

The symposium will bring together researchers from five universities, as well as people working in public policy, strategy and communication.

Presenters will share cases where social media has been used to guide public policy and decisions, as well as research highlighting the use of social media in policy matters.

Professor Simmons said the symposium will also explore the challenges of using social media data, including ethics, geolocation and access.

"Insights from social media have some distinct advantages and limitations when compared with other research methods, such as surveys, focus groups or interviews," he said.

The free event is open to the public. It will be held 9.30-4.30pm on Thursday at the School of Engineering building at Charles Sturt in Bathurst.

Registrations are available through the Eventbrite website.