The use and roles of misinformation, disinformation, malinformation and dark knowledge in political contexts

girl on a mountain looking at the sun rise

The prevalence of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation in society has been described by experts as an ‘infodemic’. Dark knowledge may be hidden or forbidden knowledge used to produce these forms of disnormative information. These forms are particularly prevalent within political contexts and may adversely influence democratic processes.

Award

MRes | MPhil | PhD | MSc by Research

Start Date

Usually February and October - at individual School's discretion

Research Opportunities

Summary

This project seeks to explore the roles of dark knowledge and its informational outputs (including misinformation, disinformation and malinformation) in political contexts. It would be particularly suitable for students with an interest and/or background in the use of information in a political context.

These contexts are not specified but may include: political campaigns, political/democratic movements (including Scottish independence), regional/national elections, etc. While it is anticipated that political contexts outwith the UK may inform the study, the focus of this research should primarily be on the political context in the UK.

Potential research questions include:

How do misinformation, disinformation and malinformation manifest themselves in political contexts?
How is dark knowledge employed in the production of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation?
What are the potential and actual impacts of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation on democratic processes?
What channels are used to facilitate the transfer of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation?

This study will contribute to understanding the complexities of information disorders and offer insights for policymakers to enhance information integrity in political discourse. It is anticipated that a highly qualitative research approach is utilised within this study.

Potential impacts for this project include:

A framework for the identification of disnormative political information sources
An assessment of the impacts of disnormative political information on UK politics
An understanding of the roles of media channels in the distribution of disnormative political information