Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Be Strengthened by the “Disinformation Cooperation Platform”

With support from the University of Tartu Development Fund, various units at the University of Tartu have initiated interdisciplinary collaboration in the study and teaching of information disorders. On Wednesday, January 15, the first discussion seminar was held, providing an opportunity to explore each other's research directions, as well as academic and teaching needs related to misinformation.

Researchers from the Institute of Social Studies, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, Institute of Computer Science, Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health, Institute of Foreign Languages and Cultures, and the School of Economics and Business Administration shared their studies and experiences. The seminar identified topics that are currently well-studied at the university, as well as those requiring more attention.

At the Institute of Social Studies, the overarching theme of informational disorder encompasses both everyday misinformation circulating on social media and research on information operations threatening societal security. This area is also closely integrated into the institute’s teaching activities. At the Johan Skytte Institute, the focus is currently on disinformation targeting the Russian-speaking population and the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war on the information landscape. The Institute of Computer Science studies the trajectories of misinformation in media and social media, offering effective methods for its detection. The Institute of Foreign Languages and Cultures focuses on emotions in texts, which significantly influence interpretations of social realities. At the Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health, there is a growing need to understand people’s susceptibility to medical misinformation.

Participants agreed that information disorder is a complex issue encountered in diverse forms, making collaboration essential for effectively addressing it. Learning from each other’s expertise and methodologies was highlighted as a key opportunity.

The one-year support from the University of Tartu Development Fund for the Disinformation Cooperation Platform creates the groundwork for closer interdisciplinary collaboration. Planned activities include joint research projects, co-authored publications, and the development of educational materials. According to Ragne Kõuts-Klemm, the lead of the cooperation platform, this initiative could serve as a model for fostering closer interdisciplinary collaboration within the university.

The day concluded with a public lecture by Professor Vilma Luoma-aho from the University of Jyväskylä, titled “Cognitive Biases as Vulnerabilities for Misinformation.”

Other interested parties are welcome to join the cooperation platform.

For more information:

Ragne Kõuts-Klemm
Institute of Social Studies
Head of Institute, Associate Professor in Sociology of Journalism
E-mail: ragne.kouts@ut.ee