Phd Position for The Project: Are We Too Concerned - Amsterdam, Nederland - Universiteit van Amsterdam

Universiteit van Amsterdam
Universiteit van Amsterdam
Geverifieerd bedrijf
Amsterdam, Nederland

1 maand geleden

Daan Van den Berg

Geplaatst door:

Daan Van den Berg

werver van beBee
Beschrijving

PhD Position for the Project:
Are We Too Concerned About Misinformation?


Faculteit/Dienst:
Faculteit der Maatschappij

- & Gedragswetenschappen
Opleidingsniveau:Master
Functie type:Promotieplaats
Sluitingsdatum:20 May 2024
Vacaturenummer:12911
  • Are you interested in the role that misinformation plays in people's understanding of their information environment? Do you
    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 how people form risk perceptions regarding misinformation that are potentially incorrect. In the battle against misinformation, we are frequently warned for being misled by false information. Accordingly, audiences perceive misinformation as an omnipresent threat and report difficulties in distinguishing fake from real news. However, recent empirical research highlights that misinformation comprises only a very small proportion of people's news diets. Thus, audiences' perceptions of the threat of misinformation might, at times, be disproportionate to the risk of being deceived or misinformed. The main aim of this PhD project is to explore the causes of the discrepancy between perceived misinformation salience on the one hand and the low observed misinformation exposure on the other hand. We aim to map (i) the signals on which citizens base their potential worries for misinformation, (ii) threat frames used in political elite communication, journalism, and on social media, and (iii) how more accurate misinformation perceptions can be stimulated.
  • Tasks include:
  • completing an English
  • language PhD dissertation consisting of research articles within the appointment period;
- conducting qualitative focus groups;
- conducting a quantitative (computational) content analysis;
- conducting an Experience Sampling Method;
- conducting data analysis;
- presenting the work at national and international conferences;
- spending 10% of your time on teaching-related tasks.


What do we require

  • You have:
  • (research) master's degree in Communication Science or in another discipline relevant to the project, such as Political Science, Sociology, or (Social) Psychology;
- experience with quantitative and/or qualitative research methods;
- an excellent spoken and written command of English (as you will write an English-language dissertation and present at international conferences);
- the motivation to work in an interdisciplinary team.

  • You are:
  • passionate about research, particularly related to political communication;
- interested in working in an interdisciplinary team;
- open to feedback;
- committed to open science;
- able to work independently;
- eager to learn and to develop new skills;
- organized, flexible and have attention to detail.


Our offer

  • The planned starting date for this project is September 1, 2024. The position concerns temporary employment of 1.0 fte (38 hours per week) for a maximum term of 4 years. The initial employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended by a maximum of 3 years, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate.
  • Your salary will be €2,770 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €3,539 in the final year, based on fulltime employment and in keeping with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a yearend bonus of 8.3%.
  • The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.
    _What else do we offer_
- a position in which initiative and input are highly valued
- an enthusiastic and warm team that is open to new colleagues
- an inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam.


About the faculty

  • The Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) is the research institute for the Communication Science Department in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.
  • A challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. The social and behavioral sciences play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future.
  • To work at the University of Amsterdam is to work in a discerning, independent, creative, innovati
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