Hi all, wanted to advertise two positions at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP). The first, a postdoc, is probably a better fit for folks on this list. The second is for a full-time computer programmer, and I include it here just in case it’s a fit for someone. Please direct all questions to me. Thanks, //DEEN ****************************************** POSITION #1: Postdoctoral Research Associate (Civic Software) [1]https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/185163 CITAP is broadly focused on the intersection of misinformation, partisanship, polarization, propaganda, political institutions, and journalism. One of its major long-term initiatives, supervised by Dr. Deen Freelon, will focus on what we are calling “civic software”. This initiative’s goal will be to produce and analyze the output of software that fulfills two tasks: 1. Helps citizens understand the civic and political implications of their information environments and empowers them to defend against the most harmful aspects therein (such as mis- and disinformation); and 2. Generates rigorous, open datasets of relevance to disciplines such as communication, political science, and information science. An example of the kind of software we seek to implement is a next-generation media monitoring tool that will allow researchers to better understand internet users’ content consumption patterns. This tool will generate data that reveals what kinds of content users are consuming, where it comes from, and how it influences their political opinions and actions. All CITAP-branded software will be developed by a full-time programmer who is currently in the process of being hired. The postdoctoral researcher will assist the programmer in conceptualizing, testing, and evaluating (and possibly developing, depending on the successful candidate’s skill set) civic software for both research and public audiences. They will design, execute, and write up research studies based on the data the different software packages produce. They will also take a lead role in designing and maintaining our open data and open-source policies and procedures. The successful applicant will join a vibrant research community anchored by CITAP’s four principal researchers—Deen Freelon (Hussman School of Journalism and Media), Daniel Kreiss (Hussman), Alice Marwick (Dept. of Communication), and Zeynep Tufekci (School of Information and Library Sciences)—along with senior researchers Tressie McMillan Cottom, Shannon McGregor, Francesca Tripodi, and over a dozen grad student, postdoctoral, and faculty affiliates. CITAP affiliates will meet regularly for research updates and internal presentations, as well as present their work at domestic and international conferences. This position features a complete benefits package including health, vision, and dental insurance. Educational Requirements Applicants are required to hold a PhD in communication, political science, information science, sociology, or a related social science field before the appointment may begin. Qualifications and Experience The successful candidate will demonstrate strong quantitative skills and expertise in one or more of the following areas: • Computational social science (specifically social media data analysis) • Human-computer interaction (HCI) • Political communication (specifically the study of mis/disinformation, polarization, and/or hyperpartisan content) • Survey design and data analysis • User experience (UX) design More specifically, we are looking for a scholar who wants to expand the horizons of digital democracy research via new software tools. A promising body of relevant peer-reviewed publications, external funding, and/or digital interface designs is strongly preferred. ******************************************** POSITION #2: Research App Developer The Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seeks a full-time computer programmer to support its research priorities. Position ad here: [2]https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/184964 The ad describes the project for which the funding was originally committed, but the position itself has evolved beyond that. The successful applicant will work under Dr. Deen Freelon and a postdoctoral researcher to form a group focused on building what we call “civic software.” We will develop free and open-source software that does two things: 1. Helps citizens understand the civic and political implications of their information environments and empowers them to defend against the most harmful aspects therein (such as mis- and disinformation); and 2. Generates rigorous, open datasets of relevance to disciplines such as communication, political science, and information science. Once the project gets up and running, we will offer a suite of public software tools to the general- and research public. Some of these tools will provide direct benefits to citizens, while others will supply data that enables research of public relevance (thus providing an indirect benefit). We understand this is not a new idea--other institutions currently provide software offerings in a similar vein--but we believe there is room for multiple (noncompetitive) operators in this space. More importantly, we will distinguish ourselves by drawing inspiration from relevant social science fields as well as pressing public concerns, in contrast with groups that operate from a more CS/engineering perspective. The ideal applicant for this position will be mission-driven, civic-minded, and full of ideas. Being at a public education institution in a global pandemic, we know we can’t compete with private companies in terms of salary. Instead, we offer an opportunity to make a living wage developing software that helps researchers and the public understand our rapidly evolving communication ecosystem and avoid the threats that plague it. (We also don’t require you to relocate, which means you can work from anywhere and mostly make your own hours, a few meetings a week notwithstanding.) ******************** Deen Freelon, Ph.D. Associate Professor | Hussman School of Journalism and Media Principal Researcher | Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://dfreelon.org | [3]@dfreelon | https://github.com/dfreelon | https://citap.unc.edu/ [4]Schedule an appointment with me References 1. https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/185163 2. https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/184964 3. https://twitter.com/dfreelon 4. https://doodle.com/mm/deenfreelon/book-a-time