Security, Crime, and Intelligence Innovation Institute

Disinformation, Strategic Communications and Open Source Research Programme

OSCAR

Our research programme has developed specialist expertise in identifying and analysing disinformation campaigns and foreign state information operations.

Our team blends social and behavioural scientists with data and computer scientists. Our focus on disinformation grew out of pioneering research that used social media analytics to track public reactions to terror attacks. It has since evolved into the assessment of the causes and consequences of disinformation in over 20 countries.

The programme is a multi-million pound research programme that has transformed understanding of how foreign state disinformation campaigns and information manipulation operations are organised and conducted.

Research highlights

European flags

Scale of Russian interference in European democracy revealed

New analysis of social media activities should serve as a warning ahead of the European Parliamentary elections, academics say

Woman using mobile phone

Murder of Jo Cox used by “digital prophets” to widen divides before EU vote, research finds

Predictions about the future implications of the murder on social media, were a key moment in polarising the Brexit campaign

New Research Shows How Disinformation is Becoming Normalised and Domesticated in Europe

Researchers trace the influence of innovations in digital influence engineering pioneered by far-right groups and agencies linked to the Kremlin.

De-platforming Covid conspiracy theorists from Facebook has limited impact in reducing their influence, research finds

“Minion accounts” continue mission of spreading misinformation

High-profile Western media outlets repeatedly infiltrated by pro-Kremlin trolls

Reader comments sections used to create distorted picture of public opinion

Using laptop and phone

Research sparks calls for tougher enforcement on social media companies

Evidence from academic report contributes to findings of inquiry

Research unit lead

Professor Martin Innes

Co-Director (Lead) of the Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute

: innesm@cardiff.ac.uk
: +44 29208 75307