Nsf

Dr. Spiro Awarded NSF Grant

Dr. Spiro and Dr. Starbird were awarded an NSF grant to study Collective Sensemaking Online. The research project will address empirical and conceptual questions about online rumoring, asking: (1) How do online rumors permute, branch, and otherwise evolve over the course of their lifetime? (2) How can theories of rumor spread in offline settings be extended to online interaction, and what factors (technological and behavioral) influence these dynamics, perhaps making online settings distinct environments for information flow?

New Project: Detecting Misinformation Flows in Social Media Spaces During Crisis Events

Detecting Misinformation Flows in Social Media Spaces During Crisis Events Starbird, Kate (PI), Emma S. Spiro (Co-PI), and Robert Mason (Co-PI). (09/2014-09/2016) National Science Foundation [#IIS-1420255]: $467,629.00. Abstract: This research seeks both to understand the patterns and mechanisms of the diffusion of misinformation on social media and to develop algorithms to automatically detect misinformation as events unfold. During natural disasters and other hazard events, individuals increasingly utilize social media to disseminate, search for and curate event-related information.