Conspiracy theories circulated online contribute to a shift in public discourse away from facts and analysis and can contribute to public harm. Using linguistic and rhetorical theory, RAND researchers conducted a modeling effort to improve machine-learning technology for detecting conspiracy theory language. This report describes the results of that effort and offers recommendations to counter the effects of online conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy theories circulated online via social media contribute to a shift in public discourse away from facts and analysis and can contribute to direct public harm. Social media platforms face a difficult technical and policy challenge in trying to mitigate harm from online conspiracy theory language. As part of Google's Jigsaw unit's effort to confront emerging threats and incubate new technology to help create a safer world, RAND researchers conducted a modeling effort to improve machine-learning (ML) technology for detecting conspiracy theory language. They developed a hybrid model using linguistic and rhetorical theory to boost performance. They also aimed to synthesize existing research on conspiracy theories using new insight from this improved modeling effort. This report describes the results of that effort and offers recommendations to counter the effects of conspiracy theories that are spread online.
Chapter One
Introduction: Detecting and Understanding Online Conspiracy Language
Chapter Two
Making Sense of Conspiracy Theories
Chapter Three
Modeling Conspiracy Theories: A Hybrid Approach
Chapter Four
Conclusion and Recommendations
Appendix A
Data and Methodology
Appendix B
Stance: Text Analysis and Machine Learning
This research was sponsored by Google's Jigsaw unit and conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD).
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Format:Marcellino, William, Todd C. Helmus, Joshua Kerrigan, Hilary Reininger, Rouslan I. Karimov, and Rebecca Ann Lawrence, Detecting Conspiracy Theories on Social Media: Improving Machine Learning to Detect and Understand Online Conspiracy Theories. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2021. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA676-1.html. Also available in print form.
Marcellino, William, Todd C. Helmus, Joshua Kerrigan, Hilary Reininger, Rouslan I. Karimov, and Rebecca Ann Lawrence, Detecting Conspiracy Theories on Social Media: Improving Machine Learning to Detect and Understand Online Conspiracy Theories, Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation, RR-A676-1, 2021. As of May 05, 2021: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA676-1.html