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Pol Comm Tech Lab

The Pol Comm Tech Lab is an academic research group focused on exploring the intersections of politics, communication, and technology.

Built around the University Research Chair in Politics, Communication and Technology held by Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, the Pol Comm Tech Lab includes students and researchers from communication studies, political science, law, computer science, and more.

The Pol Comm Tech Lab’s research seeks to shed light on the various ways that digital technologies like social media and artificial intelligence shape political landscapes, journalism, and the media environment.  

Pol comm tech lab logo

The Pol Comm Tech Lab strives for excellence in research through methodological rigour and seeks to advance knowledge by developing innovative new methodological and theoretical approaches.  

Th Lab conducts research in six areas:  

  • Mean Tweets: Examines the impact of online harassment on political journalists in Canada.  
  • Global Journalism Innovation Lab: Policy impact of explanatory journalism.  
  • Digital Ecosystem Research Challenge: Mapping the digital ecosystem of the 2019 federal election to support increased civic and digital literacy.  
  • Connected Canada Initiative: Unpacking what it means to be a digital citizen in Canada today.  
  • Political Bots: Examining types of bots and their relationships with other political actors.  
  • Search, Social Media, and Political Opinion Formation: Investigates the roles of social media, search, and personal influence in people’s political opinion formation process.  

The Lab also produces a podcast hosted by Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, Wonks and War Rooms, where political communication theory meets on the ground strategy.  

Find more about the Lab at polcommtech.com .

Team

Join the lab

Undergraduate students may join the Lab through Directed Studies Courses.  

Graduate student supervision can be completed through a MA and PhD in Communication, or MSc and PhD in Digital Transformation and Innovation.  

Postgraduate, Post-Doctoral, and Visiting Fellows may work with the Lab through other opportunities.

Featured news

More News
Canada

Elizabeth Dubois, Vivek Krishnamurthy and Michael Pal appeared before the Foreign Interference Commission

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, Prof. Vivek Krishnamurthy and Prof. Michael Pal were interviewed by the Foreign Interference Commission as part of their policy consultation hearings, contributing to the development of recommendations to address foreign interference in Canadian democratic processes.
On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, Prof. Vivek Krishnamurthy and Prof. Michael Pal were interviewed by the Foreign Interference Commission as part of their policy consultation hearings, contributing to the development of recommendations to address foreign interference in Canadian democratic processes.

October 28, 2024
Dubois

Elizabeth Dubois elected to the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars

Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, a Faculty member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society and the University Chair in Politics, Communication and Technology at the University of Ottawa, has been elected to the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada, adding her to the list of Canada’s most impactful new scholars.
Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, a Faculty member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society and the University Chair in Politics, Communication and Technology at the University of Ottawa, has been elected to the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada, adding her to the list of Canada’s most impactful new scholars.

September 3, 2024
Dubois

Elections integrity: Elizabeth Dubois receives the university’s Knowledge Mobilization Excellence Award

From examining the impact of technology and media on election integrity to driving significant societal change, Dr. Elizabeth Dubois’ innovative knowledge mobilization practices truly stand out and are celebrated this year by the Knowledge Mobilization Excellence Award for Early Career Researchers of the Office of the Vice President, Research and Innovation at the University of Ottawa.
From examining the impact of technology and media on election integrity to driving significant societal change, Dr. Elizabeth Dubois’ innovative knowledge mobilization practices truly stand out and are celebrated this year by the Knowledge Mobilization Excellence Award for Early Career Researchers of the Office of the Vice President, Research and Innovation at the University of Ottawa.

August 30, 2024

Contact

For more information on research, publications, current opportunities, or how to get involved, please get in touch with via [email protected] .  

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