Our new paper is out today in @pnasnexus.org with colleagues at Yale (@matthewshu.com, Danny Karell, @keitarookura.bsky.social)
We wanted to understand how using AI-generated summaries to learn about history influenced attitudes compared to existing resources like Wikipedia. 1/4
Want to learn about computational social science *for free* and identify new research partners across academic fields? Apply to one of the 2026 Summer Institutes in Computational Social Science (described in yellow in the attached map) here: sicss.io/locations
A new publication at www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
We find that religious markers (esp. beards) can reduce perceived trustworthiness in Turkey.
(That's why you often see me clean shaven ;-)
Are female economists treated differently than males in academic seminars?
These authors wanted to know whether gender shapes how scholars are treated when presenting research.
So they built a massive dataset of 2,000+ economics seminars, job talks, and conference presentations from 2019–2023...
www.nature.com/articles/d41... #wikipedia @wikipedia.org #openscience #citizenscience
🎺 On May 21/22 @lespin.bsky.social , @doriantsolak.bsky.social, and I host “Democracy at Risk? Societal Challenges, Data, and Research Infrastructures in the Age of CSS” in Vienna
Keynotes: @lauraknelson.bsky.social and @lorenzspreen.bsky.social
computational-social-science.org/workshops/20...
wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage
The kind of research that makes one jealous.
“How does India Cook #Biryani”
We should no longer trust data collected on MTurk
link.springer.com/article/10.3...
My guess is that other online data is going to drop in quality due to LLMs. This is going to be an existential crisis for the behavioral sciences.
It's out!!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Big thank you to my coauthors @small-schulz.bsky.social and @lorenzspreen.bsky.social, and to all participants who discussed 20 political issues over 4 weeks in 6 subreddit, 3 experimental conditions and let us observe.
Pew Research Center is seeking a Data Archivist to support our commitment to open science and data transparency. This newly created role will play a key part in enhancing the accessibility, usability, and reproducibility of our research data while continuing to protect the privacy and identity of our survey participants. As Data Archivist, you will lead efforts to create and implement best practices for preparing, documenting, and disseminating datasets. These best practices should maximize FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles while minimizing disclosure risk. You will work across teams to ensure our data is well-organized and thoroughly documented. You will serve as an internal advocate for data users, helping to ensure that our datasets are not only accurate and comprehensive but also easy to discover and reuse by researchers, journalists, and the public. This is a full-time, Pew Research Center position. The position is funded by an external grant and limited to a two-year term.
Primary Responsibilities Develop optimization procedures to improve discoverability of our datasets on internal and external platforms Develop and maintain standards to improve accessibility of our microdata and tab plans by changing/adding formats and/or adding documentation Identify metadata documentation best practices and a process to implement those best practices at the Center Work with Legal to evaluate most appropriate license to publicly share the Center's survey data, including Creative Common options Identify and correct processing inefficiencies in our data publication process Sit on the internal Disclosure Risk Taskforce Document analytical decisions and code to support transparency and replicability, including the development of a RACI chart for publishing code to recreate derived variables that are used in reports but are not included in the microdata Manage/create merged time series datasets for select Center datasets Identify a process for internally archiving data and projects that are no longer in active use Identify and implement a process to assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) to microdata Prepare and upload public-facing datasets and restricted-use datasets for external sharing. Train staff on FAIR principles and best practices in data archiving.
Education/Training/Experience Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in library sciences, organizational management, or a related field. 5-7 years of experience with data archiving, database management, or survey research. This may include graduate training at the MA/PhD level or equivalent experience in an applied setting. At least 3-5 years of experience applying FAIR and open science principles. Background in social science research or data curation. Experience in data management, archiving, or research support. Familiarity with FAIR principles, Creative Common licensing, data privacy principles, and exposure risk. Proficiency in metadata standards and documentation tools. Experience managing research projects, including working collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team. Experience with statistical software (e.g., R, Python, Stata) and reproducible research workflows. Knowledge, Skill and Workplace Requirements Strong organizational and communication skills. Detail oriented with exacting standards to maintain accuracy and impartiality in all work products. Ability to work independently to carry out special projects from start to finish. Ability to balance numerous tasks simultaneously. Ability to work collaboratively and collegially with other team members, as well as with staff from other Pew Research Center teams. Ability to balance competing priorities and identify optimal solutions FLSA Status: Exempt Compensation: Starting salary is commensurate with experience within the range of $100,000 - $120,000. Hybrid Work Schedule: Pew Research Center staff are required to be present in the Center’s Washington, D.C., office three core days weekly (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday). Staff may work virtually from remote locations on other days in a typical work week.
Please share - @pewresearch.org wants to hire a data archivist who will be an advocate for data users, helping to ensure that our datasets are easy to discover and reuse by researchers, journalists, and the public.
pewtrusts.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/CenterExtern...
Thrilled to announce the Handbook of Computational Social Science is officially out! 956 pages, 118 authors, and truly global, interdisciplinary perspectives. Deep thanks to the contributors and anonymous reviewers who shaped this over 4 years. Buy your copy now!
@elgarpublishing.bsky.social
🎄 Still looking for a gift for your favourite social scientist?
How about a #preprint with 717 urban areas, 30 countries, and 16,164 models of #Immigrant #Segregation across Europe? Just published with @kasimirdederichs.bsky.social & David Kretschmer 🎅
🎁 Wrapped up here: arxiv.org/abs/2512.17037
All research is exploratory if you’re confused enough
Paper out today in @nathumbehav.nature.com:
1) those groups (women, African Americans, lower SES, rural) that are underrepresented in science have been less trusting of science.
2) If you improve representation in science, you improve trust among those groups.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congratulations!! 🥳
AI is powered by Wikipedia, the world’s greatest online knowledge resource. For 25 years, editors around the world have shaped the knowledge that shapes the future. #Wikipedia25
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Is this cheese grater conscious? Many users feel they're talking to a real person. Scientists say it's time to consider whether they're onto something.
Why did I visit the Facebook pages of 5500 German grocery stores on a grey lockdown day ca. 2021?
You can now find out in AJS.
Our work on ethnoreligious infrastructures is finally online in the ominous Volume 0:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
I enjoyed writing this piece for the LSE Impact Blog on Musk's latest swing at Wikipedia, and its future in a hostile AI-skewed political landscape 👇
Screenshot of a Tweet pointing out that academic spam is actually in its own way kind of encouraging.
I think about this post every day 🧪
"dplyr but make it bussin fr fr no cap"
hadley.github.io/genzplyr/
Two AI generated images showing 1) a boy walking through a disorderly neighbourhood with graffiti and trash and 2) a boy walking through a very similar but cleaned up neighbourhood without trash ad graffiti.
Can AI-generated images work as visual vignettes in survey experiments? I argue yes - and discuss how . in my new @sscratsage.bsky.social paper: doi.org/10.1177/0894...
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
We have a new preprint: osf.io/preprints/so...
What have we learned about social media - the constantly moving target of empirical research - over the past decade?
Overlay of the number 13 in red and blue, with green stripes blending them into a single abstract composition. Text says: Happy anniversary, Wikidata! Happy 13th birthday to Wikidata, a free, collaborative, and multilingual database helping power Wikimedia projects.
Happy 13th birthday, Wikidata!
Facts do not live in isolation; they form a web of connections that shape understanding. Thirteen years ago, Wikidata was created to store and link facts across Wikipedia and its sister projects. ➡️ w.wiki/Jg
Dinge, die gleichzeitig passiert sind:
- Elon Musk startet "Grokipedia", eine "propagandafreie" Wikipedia-Kopie - komplett von einer KI geschrieben
- Eine Studie sagt, 45% aller KI-Ergebnisse seien "falsch"
Das und mehr – heute bei "Haken dran" mit @kattascha.bsky.social (zum ersten Mal bei uns!):
Ever wondered how to get better survey feedback from respondents? 🧐
👉 Check out our new @jssam.bsky.social paper together with @jkhoehne.bsky.social @jessicakuhlm.bsky.social testing different (1) visual designs and (2) answer formats of #FinalCommentQuestions.
🌐 academic.oup.com/jssam/advanc...
