The Pheme Project
The Pheme project, as described in the context of the European research initiative, is focused on detecting online rumors and assessing the truthfulness of emerging stories on social media platforms.
Overview
Pheme is a 36-month research project that began in 2014, funded by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). The project aims to analyze content in real-time to determine the accuracy of claims made on social media.
Key Features and Functionality
Veracity Assessment
Pheme combines big data analytics with advanced linguistic and text mining methods to assess the veracity of stories that go viral on social media. It focuses on the fourth ‘V’ of big data analysis: veracity, in addition to volume, variety, and velocity.
Real-Time Analysis
The project analyzes content in real-time, evaluating how accurate claims are as they propagate through social networks. This involves examining the language used, the spread of information through networks, and the spatial and temporal context of the information.
Categorization of Rumors
Pheme identifies and tracks four types of dubious truth or rumors: speculation, controversy, misinformation, and disinformation. This categorization helps in understanding the nature of the spread of information.
Source Authority Evaluation
The project automatically evaluates the authority of sources, giving more weight to credible sources such as news articles from reputable organizations like the BBC compared to unknown sources.
Visualization and Tracking
Novel visualization techniques embedded in the Pheme dashboard help identify and track the spread of rumors and misinformation. This visualization is crucial for stakeholders such as policymakers and corporate decision-makers.
Use Cases
Pheme has been tested in three specific domains:
- Medicine: Tracking the outbreak and spread of contagious diseases.
- Digital Journalism: Improving workflows for breaking stories.
- Climate Science: Filtering the veracity of statements about climate change.
Consortium and Funding
The project is a collaboration between several academic and industrial partners, including the University of Sheffield, University of Warwick, King’s College London, Saarland University, MODUL University Vienna, and companies like Atos, iHub Nairobi, Ontotext, and swissinfo. It was funded by the European Commission with a budget of EUR 2.9 million.
Conclusion
In summary, Pheme is a robust tool designed to combat the spread of misinformation on social media by providing real-time veracity assessments, categorizing rumors, and evaluating source authority, all of which are essential for maintaining the integrity of information in the digital age.