Institute for Information Literacy

The Truth is in the Stacks: Searching for Information Literacy in Conspiracy Theory Research Institutions

Project Team:

  • Dr. Yvonne M. Eadon, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • Stacy Wood, Director of Research and Programs for the Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Description:

This project aims to understand the tenacity of conspiracy theories by investigating where (which institutions) conspiracy theorists conduct their research, and what (if any) information literacy related policies and practices are currently in place at those institutions. Results of this research will provide a basis for designing new information literacy models and interventions specific to the realm of conspiracy theory, rooted in institutions considered trustworthy by researchers of conspiracy theories.