Tackling disinformation and misinformation
Misinformation and disinformation are subject of both extensive public controversy and increasing academic attention. This attention has led to debates surrounding the extent of the negative impact of disinformation and most effective ways of mitigating this negative impact.
Scope
Loosely, the misinformation and disinformation refer to (factually) incorrect/misleading information the circulation of which causes some form of harm (social, political, economic), respectively on the basis of unwitting (misinformation) or deliberate (disinformation) actions. Understandably, much of the scrutiny related to these phenomena has centred on digital contexts. These digital contexts appear to influence the way that incorrect/misleading information is produced, circulated, consumed, and more broadly, embedded in societal processes.
Conceptual and theoretical work on the nature of misinformation and disinformation
How are the two concepts best defined, how can they be operationalised? How do the associated phenomena (e.g. ‘fake news’, ‘post-truth’, ‘conspiracy theories’, ‘alternative facts’) relate to epistemological debates in the social sciences (e.g. stemming from STS and the philosophy of science), and debates on truth perceptions, identity construction, and partisan cues in the behavioural sciences?
Mapping misinformation and disinformation
How do the dual phenomena manifest themselves empirically? What are trends in terms of their original, spread, recurrence, and salience in different digital settings? In particular, what is the role of social media platforms and other sites of online social interaction on these trends? How does the governance and regulation of such platforms and sites affect this role over time?
Behavioural insights related to misinformation and disinformation
How do the two phenomena function in relation to behaviour? What evidence is there of the uptake of disinformation, and of concrete effects on behaviour at the individual and group level? What is known about specific interventions to limit the uptake, spread, or effects of misinformation and disinformation in a variety of settings?
Governance of disinformation threats
In what ways are governments engaged in developing responses to the disruptive effects of disinformation? Are new policies and institutional structures developed? If so, which actors are invited to participate in these policies and structures? How is the responsibility allocation question dealt with, and through what processes are particular problems prioritised and possible solutions selected?
Historical perspectives misinformation and disinformation
How new are the dual phenomena? How can historical work inform our perception on current trends related to information manipulation and truthfulness debates in the digital sphere? What is the specific impact of digital devices from a socio-technical perspective, and what are the historical roots of this role?
Interested in participating?
Contact one of the principal researchers of this SIG!