Research Project

Computing Information Disorder

28 March 2022

This section of my portfolio represents a research project I am conducting as part of a master's program. (You can find more context here.) The aim of the project is to make sense of information disorder using a theoretical framework called “computational thinking.” Those terms are likely unfamiliar to most readers so I will begin with a short video that gives a high-level overview of the problem I am trying to solve.

The diagram below visualizes the organizational structure of this project. I have divided it into layers. 

When discussing topics such as computation and information theory, there is a great risk of feeling overwhlemed by an endless barrage of facts and explanations. It can be difficult to integrate that new knowledge into a larger narrative. This layered hierarchy should assist the reader in staying oriented to the bigger picture that ties the layers together. 

It is important to note that, at this time, I have not yet composed a layer that puts Computing Information Disorder into historical context. That will ultimately be the top layer. My working hypothesis is that Information Disorder is rooted in the failure of epistemologists to resolve key Enlightenment debates over the correspondence of thought to reality. However, I will leave that investigation for a later time.

Below you will find the work I have done thus far. I consider this project to be the backbone of my academic pursuit so it will develop over time. I begin by explaining computational thinking as a theoretical framework that enables an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving. If you are unfamiliar with computational science, I recommend starting there.