Are you interested in the reciprocal relationships between mis- and disinformation and trust in organizations and institutions? Do you want to know more about how mis- and disinformation impact organizational trust and how this impact can be corrected? Then apply to this PhD project.
We are looking for an ambitious PhD Researcher for the four-year project “Organizations and Misinformation: The Role of Trust and Corrections”. The PhD Candidate is embedded in the
Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) and is part of the
Corporate Communication Program Group.
What are you going to do? Misinformation and disinformation are widely seen as big societal threats, both in the Netherlands and beyond. These threats call for more research and for new solutions to make citizens and societal groups more resilient against mis- and disinformation. This is why the Department of Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam has launched a new initiative focusing on the causes, content, consequences, and counterstrategies against mis- and disinformation in our digital society. This PhD project is part of this initiative and will specifically address the roles of trust and corrections in relation to organizations and misinformation.
Misinformation has been linked to eroding trust in institutions and governments, posing challenges to societal cohesion and organizational performance. The proposed project aims to explore the relationship between misinformation and organizational trust. Specifically, the project aims to address two overarching objectives: (1) examining the impact of misinformation on institutional trust and (2) identifying strategies organizations can employ to enhance trust amidst misinformation in society. To address these objectives, the project will conduct a four-study multi-method research project. Thereby, this project aims to provide novel insights into the interplay between misinformation and organizational trust, offering practical implications for enhancing trust in a society characterized by information challenges.
Methods used in the project range from quantitative (e.g., experiment, network analysis) to qualitative (semi-structured interviews). The PhD Candidate will write a paper-based dissertation and strive to publish the results of individual sub-studies in important journals in the field of communication science.
Tasks include:
- completing an English-language PhD dissertation consisting of research articles within the appointment period;
- conducting experiments on effects of misinformation on institutional trust;
- conducting socio-semantic network analyses relevant to misinformation and institutional trust;
- conducting qualitative interviews with communication professionals on their perspectives on mis- and disinformation;
- conducting data analysis;
- presenting the work at national and international conferences;
- spending 10% of your time on teaching-related tasks.