Research Reviews

“… the most vicious, hateful, and divisive speech ever delivered by an American president, vilifying 75 million citizens… as threats to democracy and as enemies of the state. You’re all […]

Automated devices permeate our lives, from our toasters to Siri. The promise has been that automation and algorithms will make our lives simpler, and help us find the things we want in an increasingly connected world. But we now realize that on social media platforms, algorithms and automation can be used to spread disinformation further and faster.

Introduction How important is the internet to the far-right provocateurs who use it? After the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally, the city of Charlottesville threw the book at its self-described […]

As the effects of climate change continue to worsen, so does the ideological polarization around this issue which has caused an increase in climate denialism. With the evolution of social media and the internet sharing mis- and disinformation, conspiracy theories, echo chambers, and ideological entrenchment has only furthered disbelief in climate change over the last 50 years. This literature review points to the causes of how climate information has been misused and guides us towards next steps in combatting not only climate change but climate change denial.

Terms such as “fake news,” misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, polarization, and networked harassment have rocketed to prominence in recent years. This literature review addresses some of the contexts of misinformation, beginning with political polarization and the twin concepts of ideological echo chambers and filter bubbles.

What are dis- and misinformation? What about propaganda and “fake news?” How are researchers and activists defining these terms, and how are those definitions evolving? This introductory research review discusses the importance of a unified set of definitions in the social sciences.