Background: Education and knowledge have long been considered core factors in explaining why individuals engage in political and civic activities (Galston, W.A., 2001, Ashley, Maksl and Craft, 2017).
The emergence of the notion of “fake news” and increased targeted misinformation however make it more and more difficult to distinguish between credible sources of political information and those promoting alternative content, with potentially malicious intent (Pennycook and Rand, 2021; Munger et al, 2022). Concurrently, media consumption and communication habits are changing, moving towards less traditional and more fast-moving methods of information exchange and increasingly into an end-to-end encrypted space, in which moderation and fact-checking become more difficult (Kamara et al., 2022, Kazemi et al., 2022).
Aim: This project aims to investigate novel digital ways and strategies to improve political engagement and political literacy, especially with a gameful/playful approach. It will consider the most effective ways for distributing political knowledge in a changing world of media consumption and communication, while also asking how the credibility of information can be ascertained.
Academic qualifications
A first-class honours degree, or a distinction at master level, or equivalent achievements ideally in Computer Science, HCI, Political Science, Social Sciences, Digital Media and Communication or Psychology.
English language requirement
If your first language is not English, comply with the University requirements for research degree programmes in terms of English language.
Application process
Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the supervisor, Dr Hanne Wagner ([Email Address Removed]) to discuss the content of the project and the fit with their qualifications and skills before preparing an application.
Contact details
Should you need more information, please email [Email Address Removed].
The application must include:
Research project outline of 2 pages (list of references excluded). The outline may provide details about
- Background and motivation, explaining the importance of the project, should be supported also by relevant literature. You can also discuss the applications you expect for the project results.
- Research questions or
- Methodology: types of data to be used, approach to data collection, and data analysis methods.
- List of references
The outline must be created solely by the applicant. Supervisors can only offer general discussions about the project idea without providing any additional support.
- Statement no longer than 1 page describing your motivations and fit with the project.
- Recent and complete curriculum vitae. The curriculum must include a declaration regarding the English language qualifications of the candidate.
- Supporting documents will have to be submitted by successful candidates.
- Two academic references (but if you have been out of education for more than three years, you may submit one academic and one professional reference), on the form can be downloaded here.
Applications can be submitted here. To be considered, the application must use:
- “SCEBE1123” as project code.
- the advertised title as project title
All applications must be received by 3rd December 2023. Applicants who have not been contacted by the 8th March 2024 should assume that they have been unsuccessful. Projects are anticipated to start on 1st October 2024.
Download a copy of the project details here.
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