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Activity Funded

LabCom - Communication Lab

LabCom - Laboratório de Comunicação

Reference
UID/00661/2025
Project Start Date
2025-01-01
Project End Date
2029-12-31
Principal Investigator
Funding Program
Avaliação UID 2023/2024

Abstract

LabCom is a research unit focused on the study of communication phenomena that pioneered since 1999 digital media research and open access publishing, supporting scientific communication and contributing to a more accessible, transparent, and collaborative research environment. Its research explores the interplay of communication and new media technologies, seeking to evaluate their effects on daily life and understand the various communication phenomena across personal, community, and societal levels. LabCom's research rests on two key ideas: firstly, that the irreversible transformation of society through digital media technologies not only makes social domains more visible but also shapes them; and secondly, that the interplay between contemporary media and communication studies and the object studied itself – society transformed by the media – can have an impact on its configuration and development; that is, that understanding mediatized society is transforming it as well. From these theoretical assumptions arise the following general questions: 1. Identifying the main traits of the mediatization process across various domains 2. Assessing the effects of mediatization on individuals, communities, and broader societal life 3. Exploring the role of media, particularly new media, in shaping individual and collective identities and narratives 4. Investigating how digital society alters the landscape of culture and heritage 5. Examining future challenges for combating disinformation and how emerging technologies can be leveraged to enhance factual reporting and public trust 6. Understanding how artificial intelligence (AI) influences communication processes, and its implications for creativity, ethics, and privacy in digital interactions To investigate these questions, LabCom employs a diverse epistemological approach spanning from philosophy, sociology, media studies and other disciplines. Methodologically, LabCom integrates quantitative, qualitative, and experimental methods, often using methodological triangulation to blend explanation with deeper understanding, integrating theory, experience and practice. LabCom's research is structured around four interdisciplinary thematic axis: Media Studies, Journalism Studies, Strategic Communication, and Culture, Identity and Memory. LabCom aims at producing excellent research in Communication, improving its scientific output, and enhancing the internationalization of its investigation. By incorporating the latest theoretical frameworks and methodological innovations, LabCom aims to stay at the forefront of addressing the most pressing issues in the current Communication and Media Studies landscape. Dedication to explore these complex phenomena not only contributes to academic knowledge and advancing the field, but also shapes practical applications that can affect real-world media practices and policies, thereby bridging the gap between theory, research and societal impact.

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade da Beira Interior Laboratório de Comunicação (LabCom)
  • Universidade da Beira Interior (UBI)

Funding 434.055,67 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

434.055,67 €