aerial view of the canal and the uOttawa campus

Pol Comm Tech Lab

The Pol Comm Tech Lab is an academic research group focused on exploring the intersections of politics, communication, and technology.

Built around the University Research Chair in Politics, Communication and Technology held by Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, the Pol Comm Tech Lab includes students and researchers from communication studies, political science, law, computer science, and more.

The Pol Comm Tech Lab’s research seeks to shed light on the various ways that digital technologies like social media and artificial intelligence shape political landscapes, journalism, and the media environment.  

Pol comm tech lab logo

The Pol Comm Tech Lab strives  to develop new insights into how communication technology impacts politics and seeks to advance knowledge by developing innovative new methodological and theoretical approaches.

Currently research in the Lab is focused on the following areas:

  • Online influencers in elections: Examines the impact of popular social media personalities on elections globally.

  • Optimizing trustworthy digital contact: A cross-national exploration of the ways digital communication tools can undermine or bolster contact between elected officials and those they represent.

  • Global Journalism Innovation Lab: Policy impact of explanatory journalism. 

  • Political uses of AI: Understanding when and how various AI tools are integrated into political campaigning, and how generative AI tools can be used to circumvent election laws.

The Lab also produces a podcast hosted by Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, Wonks and War Rooms, where political communication theory meets on the ground strategy.  

Find more about the Lab at polcommtech.com .

Team

Elizabeth Dubois

Elizabeth Dubois 

Director / University Research Chair in Politics, Communication and Technology

Join the lab

Undergraduate students may join the Lab through Directed Studies Courses.  

Graduate student supervision can be completed through a MA and PhD in Communication, or MSc and PhD in Digital Transformation and Innovation.  

Postgraduate, Post-Doctoral, and Visiting Fellows may work with the Lab through other opportunities.

Featured news

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Louise Stahl & Elizabeth Dubois

Louise Stahl successfully defended her doctoral thesis

Dr. Louise Stahl successfully defended her PhD in Communication titled “The Credibility Assessment Process of Political Information on WhatsApp in Brazil”.
Dr. Louise Stahl successfully defended her PhD in Communication titled “The Credibility Assessment Process of Political Information on WhatsApp in Brazil”.

June 27, 2025
Vote

A new report examining the impact of influencers on elections

The Pol Comm Tech Lab releases "Influencers and Elections: The many roles content creators play," a new report by Dr. Elizabeth Dubois and Louise Stahl examining the varied roles social media influencers play during elections and how they shape public discourse, engage voters and impact electoral outcomes.
The Pol Comm Tech Lab releases "Influencers and Elections: The many roles content creators play," a new report by Dr. Elizabeth Dubois and Louise Stahl examining the varied roles social media influencers play during elections and how they shape public discourse, engage voters and impact electoral outcomes.

April 10, 2025
Canada

Elizabeth Dubois, Vivek Krishnamurthy and Michael Pal appeared before the Foreign Interference Commission

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, Prof. Vivek Krishnamurthy and Prof. Michael Pal were interviewed by the Foreign Interference Commission as part of their policy consultation hearings, contributing to the development of recommendations to address foreign interference in Canadian democratic processes.
On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Dr. Elizabeth Dubois, Prof. Vivek Krishnamurthy and Prof. Michael Pal were interviewed by the Foreign Interference Commission as part of their policy consultation hearings, contributing to the development of recommendations to address foreign interference in Canadian democratic processes.

October 28, 2024

Contact

For more information on research, publications, current opportunities, or how to get involved, please get in touch with via [email protected] .