Autumn 2026
Conducting Rapid Election Rumor Research on TikTok
Instructors:
- Lead: Nina Lutz, PhD Candidate
- Co-Lead: Danielle Lee Tomson, PhD [Research Manager at Center for an Informed Public]
- Faculty Advisor: Professor Kate Starbird
During elections and other events of high public importance, rumors and cultural commentary happen in real time and researchers conduct rapid research to monitor and understand these trends in broader contexts. You can read a bit more about CIP’s past election efforts here: 2024 Rapid Research Blog | Center for an Informed Public
This DRG will involve conducting an iterative netnography on TikTok to track rumors about the 2026 midterm elections across different online communities and internet cultural trends. More info about this method can be found at our CSCW preprint from how we conducted this work in 2024: Iterative Netnography and Occurrence for Rapid Research: A Case Study of TikTok
Students will learn ethnographic observation best practices on TikTok and put this methodology into action. In practice, this will involve developing and scrolling feeds on research phones and carefully documenting observations. Students will conduct this work and contribute to discussions about content that will inform weekly rumor briefs made available to the public.
Expectations:
This DRG expects approximately 45 minutes of work daily (scrolling and writing observational notes) and then students to attend an hour and a half weekly meeting for analysis and memoing. This will be approximately 6 hours of work a week total.
Closest to the election (first week of November) may involve more scrolling needs. Students interested in doing additional scrolling time for this period for an additional credit may register for 3 credits.
Enrollment Information
- Meeting time: This DRG will meet at 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, starting the first day of classes on September 30, 2026. Meetings will be in Sieg 420.
- Credits: 2 credits
- This DRG does count toward the research requirement for PhD students.
- Who should apply: People who are avid TikTok users and consider themselves obsessed with pop culture and politics. Knowledge of local elections and someone who would typically follow 2026 midterms would be huge benefits. Spanish and other language talent is a plus.
- Application deadline: Apply by September 4 at 5 p.m. PST
- Anticipated notification deadline: Applicants will be informed by mid September.
- Questions? Email Nina Lutz, grad student lead, at ninalutz@uw.edu
- Apply via this Google Form