FAQ’s

  • How should I be monitoring social media for misinformation?

    How you monitor is entirely up to you. As active social media users with an interest in Australian politics, you will likely encounter misinformation naturally through your regular browsing. However, if you'd like to proactively seek out misinformation, you might find these strategies helpful:

    • Regular Social Media Use: Simply engage with your social media accounts as you normally would. Given your political interests, it's likely you'll naturally encounter questionable content.

    • Search Hashtags and Topics: Regularly search hashtags or trending topics related to the Australian elections or current political debates. Popular hashtags often attract misinformation, making this an effective method for targeted monitoring.

    • Follow Key Accounts: Follow influential political figures, commentators, news sources, and opinion leaders who frequently post or interact with political content. This can help you catch misinformation as soon as it surfaces.

    • Join Relevant Groups: Engage with community groups, forums, or pages that actively discuss politics or election issues. Groups with strong political affiliations or passionate followings often share or amplify misleading information.

    • Keyword Searches: Periodically perform keyword searches around specific events, candidates, or policies to proactively discover potentially misleading content.

  • Who do I contact if I have questions or need help?

    Getting help is easy. A researcher will be available on Slack 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday. Simply start a conversation with 'Admin' and a researcher will respond promptly.

    Alternatively, you can email hunt-lab@unimelb.edu.au with your query. 

  • What is Slack and how do I use it?

    Slack is a direct messaging application. You can read more about it here.

    It's fairly intuitive and easy to use, with a wealth of support articles available should you need help. Slack can be accessed via your web browser or by downloading the app here. You don't have to download the app, but it is a bit easier than the browser version to use. 

    Click here to go to the login page. Make sure to sign in with email using the Google account provided to you. 

  • What if a social media post links to an external article or website?

    When encountering posts linking to external content, follow these guidelines:

    1. If unsure or in doubt, log both the social media post and the linked article separately, noting your uncertainty. This helps researchers evaluate the relationship between the two pieces of content.

    2. If the social media post simply quotes or repeats misinformation directly from the linked article, focus on logging the linked article itself. The article is the primary source of misinformation.

    3. If you suspect the social media post misrepresents or distorts the external content—that is, the problem falls under the "Disconnection" category—log only the social media post. Categorise the post as "disconnection," highlighting that the problem lies in the post's inaccurate representation of the linked content.

  • What hashtags/topics should I search for?

    Here are several hashtags that are likely to be particularly useful for monitoring misinformation during the Australian federal election, grouped by potential key election issues and misinformation targets:

    General Politics and Election-related:

    • #auspol – General Australian political discussion and debate.
    • #ausvotes / #ausvotes – Commonly used during federal election cycles.
    • #ausvotes – Widely used during elections, good for general monitoring.

    Electoral Integrity and Voting Process

    • #AEC – Australian Electoral Commission, a frequent target of misinformation.
    • #VoterFraud or #VoteRigging – Often used to spread misinformation or conspiracies around election integrity.
    • #PostalVoting or #MailInBallot – A source of misinformation in previous elections.

    Cost of Living and Economy

    • #CostOfLiving – Misinformation may exaggerate or distort economic conditions.
    • #InterestRates – Often politicised and may attract misinformation about economic policies or responsibility.
    • #HousingCrisis – A highly contentious issue frequently targeted for misleading narratives.

    Environment and Energy

    • #ClimateChange – Misinformation around climate science, policy, and party positions.
    • #NetZero – Misinformation about Australia's commitments, economic impacts, or feasibility.
    • #Renewables – Used in debates and misinformation around renewable energy policies.

    Health and Social Issues

    • #Covid19Aus or #CovidVaccine – Common targets for misinformation, particularly regarding public health measures or vaccination.
    • #Medicare – Often misrepresented in terms of policy changes, funding, or privatisation fears.

    Immigration and National Security

    • #BorderSecurity or #Immigration – Targets of misinformation and fear-based narratives.
    • #NationalSecurity – Common in misinformation intended to cause fear or confusion about security threats.

    Economy and Taxes

    • #CostOfLivingCrisis – Misinformation around inflation, government policy effectiveness, and responsibilities.
    • #InterestRates – Often linked to false narratives about government impact or responsibility.
    • #TaxReform – Misinformation on party platforms or false promises regarding taxation.

    General Election Hashtags

    • #auspol – Broad political discussion, high volume of mixed-quality information.
    • #ausvotes2025 or #ausvotes – Election-specific hashtags highly relevant during campaign periods.

    Searching these hashtags strategically can help you actively identify and log misinformation, given their association with contentious issues or misinformation campaigns likely to emerge during the Australian federal election.