Junior Research Analyst - Data science, Mixed Methods

at  McGill University

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The Media Ecosystem Observatory at McGill University is seeking applications for a full-time Junior Research Analyst - Data science, Mixed Methods position with expertise in data science and analysis. They will work on the Project on Information Ecosystem Resilience (PIER), an innovative project designed to monitor information ecosystem health, report on information events and incidents as they occur and build social capacity to manage information threats. The candidate will be joining us at a stimulating time of growth and expansion, and will help drive a growing research agenda through analyzing data and sharing research findings publicly.

ABOUT US

The Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO) is an interdisciplinary research initiative dedicated to analyzing the complex web of online harms and digital threats to democracy, while actively working to safeguard against them. MEO runs the Canadian Digital Media Research Network (CDMRN), a pioneering initiative committed to fortifying and fostering resilience within Canada’s unique information ecosystem. Its mission is to understand the dynamics of information production, dissemination, and consumption across digital media with the goal of empowering Canadians to navigate the complexities of the modern digital age.
This role will be working on the Project on Information Ecosystem Resilience (PIER) at MEO. For more information about the project, visit us online.

This initiative aims to achieve four goals:

• Provide baseline understanding of the information ecosystem conceptualizing information flows, influence, sources and effects of mis/disinformation and interference, and anomalies as it relates to media, public perception and the political discourse
• Monitor and identify information incidents as they occur, provide ongoing updates as an incident evolves, and characterize ripple effects to inform future planning and lessons learned, and
• Improve information ecosystem resilience through (mis)information literacy public education programming.
• PIER is predicated on the vision of research as a service, i.e. transforming the research process so that it can be delivered faster, be easily digestible and grounded in the operational needs of individuals and organizations faced with the information threats.

This work is conducted through a ground-breaking research approach that mixes ongoing public survey (tracking survey) with digital trace efforts that analyzes the information ecosystem through across-platform monitoring and analysis of the top 1% most influential social media accounts in our ecosystem. Qualitative research is also used to supplement some of our findings with interview data and evolve the theoretical landscape of information incident management.
Skills & Qualifications

The successful applicant will have experience in:

• using and structuring research based on established research methodologies
• analyzing data to answer social scientific research questions
• translating and disseminating research knowledge into digestible, accessible and high-utility research products including reports, summaries, and articles
• coordinating and openly communicating with team members on investigations
• Basic familiarity with the Canadian information ecosystem
• Working in small teams to conduct research and perform data analysis
• Collaborate and coordinate with social media communications team to enable dynamic, simplified research dissemination for the general public
• Support qualitative research activities, e.g., interviewing, qualitative coding, theory generation, etc.

The successful applicant may have experience in:

• Analyze data emerging from the Observatory’s social and news media pipeline on an ongoing-basis to detect trends, patterns, anomalies, and facilitate the Observatory’s research projects on the health of the Canadian media ecosystem.
• Increase support during information events (e.g. elections, natural emergencies, etc.) to conduct “rapid-research” for monitoring, identifying and reporting on information incidents that may occur on a short turnaround
• Coordinate the design and implementation of mixed methods research, i.e. collaborating with colleagues conducting qualitative research to build alignment between research approaches and co-create in depth, innovative research
• Communicate findings with team members, receive feedback, and converge on defensible conclusions.
• Contribute to the writeup of reports and summaries to present conclusions to a wider audience.
• Support writing and submitting grant applications
• Contribute to the development and implementation of a misinformation digital literacy program that spans a variety of media, topics and target audience