PhD Position in Media Studies - IMAGINE

Raket Webbyrå AB; Bergen; On-site; NOK 486,450 - 594,550; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary NOK 540,500 per year

Supportive research environment

Enrollment in public pension fund

Job summary

A prominent academic institution in Bergen is seeking a PhD candidate for a three-year position in the Department of Information Science and Media Studies. The role involves researching attitudes towards AI in media within the IMAGINE project, focusing on public perceptions and trust in AI technologies. Candidates should hold a relevant Master's degree and demonstrate strong research and collaboration skills. Applications must include several documents, with a deadline of December 10, 2024.

Qualifications

• Master's degree must be in media studies, sociology, social psychology, political science, or equivalent.
• Minimum grade requirement is B or better for both the thesis and degree.
• Interest in research methods is essential.

Responsibilities

• Participate in design and data analysis for surveys about attitudes towards AI.
• Collaborate with the Norwegian Citizen Panel.
• Develop research questions related to media and AI.

Skills

Research methods expertise

Statistical analysis

Collaboration skills

Good written and oral English skills

Education

Master degree in relevant field

Job description

There is a vacancy for a PhD position at the Department of Information Science and Media Studies. The position is for a term of 3 years.

We are looking for a candidate who is interested in researching attitudes towards new media technologies. The position is part of the project Citizen Perceptions of AI in Everyday Media Life (IMAGINE), led by professor Brita Ytre‑Arne. The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway for the period 2025‑2028, and is a collaboration between the University of Bergen (UiB) and the University of Oslo (UiO). IMAGINE explores how people in Norway perceive artificial intelligence (AI), and analyses changes in trust and understandings, at a point in time when AI becomes integrated into everyday media experiences.

The PhD candidate will take part in design and data analysis for original representative surveys and survey‑experiments on attitudes towards AI, carried out in collaboration with the Norwegian Citizen Panel. Relevant research questions can concern mapping of which media people associate with artificial intelligence, exploration of examples from journalism or political communication, understanding attitudes towards different uses of AI in the media, implications for trust and credibility, differences between social groups, or developments in attitudes over time.

The PhD candidate will be part of a dynamic, inclusive and interdisciplinary environment, in the IMAGINE project and in Bergen Media Use Research Group, which emphasizes support for young scholars.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• Master degree in media studies, sociology, social psychology, political science or equivalent foreign education. The degree must be completed by the deadline for the application.
• The minimum requirement for applicants must normally be a B, or better, both for the master thesis and for the master’s degree as a whole.
• An interest in research methods is important, and documented knowledge of methods is an advantage. Experience with analysis of survey data can be an advantage, but is not a requirement.
• Applicants should be motivated to learn statistical analysis and use of relevant software.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and have good collaboration skills.
• Applicants must have good written and oral English skills. It is an advantage to understand Norwegian or another Scandinavian language, but not a requirement.

Personal qualities and interpersonal skills will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also be of relevance when assessing the candidates.

Promising candidates will be invited to an interview.

Candidates are advised to familiarize themselves with the following:

• The project description for IMAGINE, which candidates can obtain by contacting work package [e-mail]
• Ytre‑Arne, B., & Moe, H. (2021). Folk theories of algorithms: Understanding digital irritation. Media, Culture & Society, 43(5), 807-824. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720972314
• Knudsen, E. (2023) Modeling news recommender systems’ conditional effects on selective exposure: evidence from two online experiments, Journal of Communication, 73(2) 138–149, https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqac047
• Knudsen, E., Dahlberg, Iversen, Johannesson & Nygaard (2021) How the public understands news media trust: an open‑ended approach. Journalism, vol 23 (11). https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849211005892

About the PhD position:

About the PhD position

The duration of the PhD position is 3 years. If you have previously been appointed in a recruitment position, a deduction may be made during the appointment period.

About the PhD training

As a PhD research fellow, you will take part in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, UiB. The programme corresponds to a period of three years and leads to the PhD degree. To be eligible for admission you must normally have an educational background corresponding to a master’s degree with a scope of 120 ECTS credits, which builds on a bachelor’s degree with a scope of 180 ECTS credits (normally 2 + 3 years), or an integrated master’s degree with a scope of 300 ECTS credits (5 years). Master’s degrees must normally include an independent work of a minimum of 30 ECTS credits. It is expected that the topic of the master’s degree is connected to the academic field to which you are seeking admission.

We can offer:

• Salary as PhD (code 1017) NOK 540 500, – per year (pay grade 55 according to the state salary scale). Automatic salary increases for up to 4 years with a 3% annual increase
• A good professional and social environment with high quality research and teaching.
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

A brief idea sketch (2-3 pages) for a doctoral project must be included with the application. The sketch must outline potential research questions and analytical frameworks, and contain a progress plan for the various parts of the research. Upon appointment, the successful candidate will prepare a more comprehensive project description in collaboration with the work package leader and project leader, and this will be the basis for admission to the PhD programme. The faculty has drawn up guidelines for writing the project description: https://www.uib.no/en/svf/37882/admission-phd-programme-faculty-social-sciences

Your application must include:

• A brief explanation of the applicant’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• Names and contact details of two reference persons. One of these must be the main supervisor from the master’s thesis or an equivalent thesis
• CV
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor’s and master’s degrees
• A list of your scientific work (publication list)
• Copies of your publications

If you have a master’s degree from a foreign institution, or a 2-year discipline-based master’s degree (or equivalent) in a different subject area than you want to be associated with, you may be asked to submit an overview of the syllabus for the master’s degree you have obtained

The application and attachments with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded to Jobbnorge via the link on this page.

Application deadline: 10 December 2024. The application must be marked: 24/14570

Applications that lack an idea sketch or applications sent by e‑mail will not be considered. Only the attached document will be used as a basis for assessment.