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Human Centered Research
HCI research position (paid) focused on logging and qualtative coding of social media rumoring surrounding election integrity and the US/Mexico Border
Date
January 2024 - Present
Role
Research Assistant
Organizations
Center for Informed Public
UW Informatics School
Skills gained
• Data Collection
• Social Media Monitoring
• Thematic Analysis
• Content Analysis
Details
Research Project Goal: Develop methods and tools to analyze visual media—such as videos, memes, and infographics—used to spread rumors and disinformation surrounding illegal migration, and the US/Mexico border.
Working alongside a team of researchers, I contributed to the creation of a qualitative codebook to use thematic and content analysis to categorize and summarize this content. I then applied these methods to code 500+ images and videos, providing critical context and analysis that supported the project’s overall findings.
Label Studio: Content Analysis Software
One of the tools I used extensively was Label Studio, a platform that allowed us to annotate and qualitatively code visual media in a structured way. This hands-on experience taught me how to categorize, label, and extract insights from complex visual data—skills that are highly transferable to user experience and other HCI roles.
Final Outcome: My contributions to this project were recognized through co-authorship on two academic papers. My work was recognized as exceptional by the lead researcher on the project, which led to my current research position with the Center for Informed Public (CIP).
New Role: CIP Election Rumor Research
Research Project Goal: Conduct discovery tasks on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, focusing on tracking rumors related to election integrity. Using social media monitoring tools, I identify and document trends and artifacts of online election rumoring. I also provide additional insights, context and discover additional posts around the same topic put into the public discourse during the 2024 election cycle.
Brandwatch: Social Media Monitoring Software
A tool I am using frequently is called brandwatch, which allows for social media trends, keywords and rumors be tracked in real time and discover import posts made on X. This software has trained me to analyze quantiative user data and conduct thematic analysis.