LINES OF RESEARCH

Socio-political effects of data

At a time when society generates information that significantly reflects its interactions in the real world, it is essential to advance in the understanding of the generation, uses and impact of data in society, through the virtuous and interdisciplinary interaction of political science, communications, computer science and statistics.

Through this line of research, we will study how the increasing understanding and accessibility of social data can improve the credibility of government functions, improve the state's ability to implement sound public policies without breaching data confidentiality, contribute to the shaping of a more democratic and less biased public sphere and thus counteract the influence of, for example, fake news.

In addition, we will investigate how to better channel the processes of citizen mobilization that originate in social networks and strengthen citizen representativeness. 

Our objectives include:

  • At a theoretical and empirical level, to explore how highly segmented viral information flows shape political processes in Chile.
  • To understand what citizens learn and/or misinterpret from the public sphere in light of such viral information flows.
  • To study how social movements deploy strategies to impact public policies through social media platforms.   

Partner universities