A Study of the Phenomenon of Self-Organization in Online Communities in the Fight Against Disinformation, Lies, and Manipulation, Based on the Example of Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian Communities in Europe, No. S-LU-26-6
Project title – A Study of the Phenomenon of Self-Organization in Online Communities in the Fight Against Disinformation, Lies, and Manipulation, Based on the Example of Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian Communities in Europe
Project Value – 99 633 Eur
Project duration – 2026-01-01 2027-12-31
Project number – S-LU-26-6
Project implementer – Mykolas Romeris University
Project partners – Pryazovskiy State Technical University (Ukraine)
Project Leader: Hab.dr. Žaneta Simanavičienė
Project Objective: to investigate the phenomenon of self-organization among digital migrant communities as a mechanism for combating disinformation and manipulation. The study focuses on Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian-speaking online groups that have formed in Lithuania and Ukraine amid full-scale war and mass population displacement.
The project aims to identify the conditions, forms, and factors that promote digital resilience in communities when responding to cyber threats. It analyzes spontaneous, informal user initiatives that lack centralized management.
Project Summary: The project is based on interdisciplinary collaboration between two research teams: Priazovskiy State Technical University (Ukraine) and the Academy of Public Security at Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania). This collaboration ensures synergy between the Ukrainian partners’ practical experience in military operations and information warfare and the Lithuanian partners’ methodological expertise in researching hybrid threats and digital resilience.
Research methods include:
- comparative analysis of informal digital communities in Lithuania and Ukraine;
- automated monitoring of online discussions (using Python-based tools);
- machine learning for identifying patterns of self-organization;
- validation of results through field observation and content analysis.
The project aims to develop open-source software, prepare an anonymized dataset, and provide practical recommendations for civic initiatives and government institutions.
The project is funded from the state budget and is being implemented under the “Lithuania-Ukraine Program,” a priority area supported by the Lithuanian Science Council.