Freie Universität Berlin

The Institute of Media- and Communication Studies at the Freie Universität Berlin has a vacancy for a research assistant with working hours set at 65% of a full-time position (pay group 13 TV-L FU) starting as soon as possible (planned 01.01.2022), subject to third-party-funding.

The position is part of a research project which analyzes diffusion dynamics of conspiracy theories in digital public spheres (Head: Dr. Annett Heft). The project explores how conspiracy theories spread across different actors and digital public spheres and which technical and communicative strategies are used to adapt conspiracy narratives to the respective communication environments. The project offers the opportunity to work on a methodologically innovative and socially relevant question and to contribute to a widely visible publication output and transfer into society. The research project is part of a larger thematic research network and is also closely linked to the work of the research group Digitalization and the Transnational Public Sphere based at the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society, Berlin.

Job description:

- Planning and implementation of empirical studies in the project in cooperation with the project lead/other project members;

- Data management and documentation, taking into account aspects of data protection law and research ethics;

- Supervision and guidance of student assistants in content analyses;

- International publication and conference activities;

- Participation in transfer activities to the broader public.

Requirements:

university degree (Magister, Diplom, Master), preferably in the field of media and communication science, computer/data science, political science, sociology or another social science.

Desirable:

- very good university degree

- very good knowledge of and interest in empirical communication research with a focus on researching digital political public spheres and analysing communication in digital media;

- Programming experience, preferably in R and/or Python, and routine application knowledge in the field of statistical data analysis;

- very good knowledge of and experience with standardised empirical methods of communication research, especially content analysis;

- Knowledge of data-intensive methods in the social sciences (computational social science), in particular knowledge of one or more of the following methods: network analysis, automated content analysis (topic modelling and similar);

- Experience in working with digital trace data (data collection via API and web scraping);

- Experience in assisting in the implementation of third-party funded research projects;

- Willingness to engage in interdisciplinary work;

- Team and communication skills;

- Ability to work independently;

- very good English skills

For further information, please contact Mrs. Dr. Annett Heft (annett.heft@fu-berlin.de ).

Weitere Informationen

Applications should be sent by e-mail, together with significant documents, indicating the reference code, in PDF format (preferably as one document) to Mrs. Dr. Annett Heft: antje.wolters@fu-berlin.de .

On the given occasion and for the duration of the essential on-site operations by Freie Universität Berlin, we kindly ask you to apply electronically by e-mail. The processing of a postal application cannot be guaranteed.

Freie Universität Berlin

Fachbereich Politik- und Sozialwissenschaften

Institut für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft

AS Kommunikationstheorie / Medienwirkungsforschung

Mrs. Dr. Annett Heft

Garystr. 55

14195 Berlin (Dahlem)

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