NSF Convergence Accelerator Track F: Building Trust in Communication Systems by Addressing Misinformation-Driven Online Abuse and Harassment

NSF 融合加速器轨道 F：通过解决错误信息驱动的在线滥用和骚扰问题建立对通信系统的信任

• 批准号: 2137448
• 负责人: Rebekah Tromble
• 金额: $ 74.92万
• 依托单位: George Washington University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-01 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2137448&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Convergence; Accelerator; Track; Building

This project addresses the links between two significant problems impacting trust in contemporary communication systems: (1) the broad and rapid spread of misinformation and (2) campaigns of abuse and harassment directed at members of expert communities. Misinformation-driven harassment campaigns have particularly large impacts on those at the forefront of efforts to accurately inform the public, including journalists, scientists, and public health officials. As a result, these harassment campaigns undermine confidence in pivotal sources of knowledge, reduce expert participation in the information ecosystem, and normalize behaviors such as trolling and abuse. The project aims to develop Expert Voices Together (EVT), a platform that provides real-time support to experts experiencing online harassment, with particular emphasis on empowering bystanders to act in their aid.The team of scientists, technical specialists, civil society, and community representatives will bring together their expertise in a wide range of fields—including psychology, human-centered design, journalism, communication research, and systems engineering—to create a technical system and series of protocols modeled on best practices in trauma-informed, rapid-response crisis interventions. EVT will also provide tools for gathering high-quality data on the sources and tactics of misinformation-driven harassment. Finally, the project will develop new educational programs and materials designed to help shift the broad norms, expectations, and practices of online communities, including changing the actions of bystanders to abuse and harassment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

本项目探讨了影响当代通信系统中信任的两个重要问题之间的联系：（1）错误信息的广泛和迅速传播;（2）针对专家群体成员的虐待和骚扰活动。由错误信息驱动的骚扰运动对那些站在准确告知公众的最前沿的人，包括记者、科学家和公共卫生官员，产生了特别大的影响。因此，这些骚扰活动破坏了对关键知识来源的信心，减少了专家对信息生态系统的参与，并使拖钓和滥用等行为正常化。该项目旨在开发Expert Voices Together（EVT），这是一个为遭受在线骚扰的专家提供实时支持的平台，特别强调让旁观者采取行动帮助他们。科学家，技术专家，民间社会和社区代表组成的团队将汇集他们在广泛领域的专业知识，包括心理学，以人为本的设计，新闻，传播研究，和系统工程-创建一个技术系统和一系列协议的最佳做法，在创伤知情，快速反应危机干预建模。EVT还将提供工具，用于收集有关错误信息驱动的骚扰的来源和策略的高质量数据。最后，该项目将开发新的教育计划和材料，旨在帮助改变广泛的规范，期望，和在线社区的做法，包括改变旁观者的行为虐待和骚扰。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。