Expert Forum on Disinformation

The forum is being run with the support of the Hunt Laboratory for Intelligence Research at the University of Melbourne and funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

Background

The University of Melbourne is investigating the current strategies and best practice to combat, mitigate and build resilience to disinformation, misinformation, and malign influence (DMMI). As part of the investigation, we are seeking experts (academics and professionals) working in areas related to disinformation, misinformation, and malign influence to contribute their views on:

  • Strategies and best practice for combatting and building resilience to DMMI.
  • Factors, opportunities or challenges impacting on combatting and building resilience to DMMI.
  • Areas/topics for future actionable research on DMMI’s.

The process

To reach a ‘collective view’, we use a modified Delphi process with three distinct phases:

  • Phase 1: Complete a brief online survey identifying 3-5 strategies or best practices for managing and building resilience to disinformation, as well as 3-5 priority questions for actionable research. The Hunt Lab will generate de-identified ‘synthesis statements’ capturing the key themes from Phase 1.
  • Phase 2: Engage in a virtual asynchronous forum to discuss and revise the synthesis statements.
  • Phase 3: The Hunt Lab research team will revise synthesis statements to reflect the discussion and then ask you, via a survey, to indicate your agreement with the statements.

Statements endorsed by a clear majority will form the collective view. This collective view will contribute to a report to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, a training program targeting NGO’s/civil society organisations, and a scholarly publication(s).

Key Dates

  • Phase 1 Survey: August 18th – September 5th
  • Phase 2 Loomio Discussion Forum: September 8th – 18th.
  • Phase 3 Survey: September 22nd – 1st October

Participation is in your own time and will take between three to five hours depending on how involved you wish to be (you can of course, participate as much, or as little, as you wish).

Why you might participate

The forum will be a chance to connect with other experts in the area, share knowledge and learn from diverse perspectives.

Also, by contributing to the collective view, you’ll be helping to develop a report to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, a training program targeting NGO’s/civil society organisations, and a scholarly publication(s).

Expressions of interest

If you would like to participate, use the link at the bottom of this page and provide your contact details and brief background information.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR EOI

Note: Expressions of interest close Monday August 14 11:59pm AEST.