PULSE Lab

PULSE Lab

Supporting access to useful scientific knowledge

At the PULSE lab, we seek to bridge the gaps between researchers and other publics. To do this, we 1) study technology like social media and the people who use it, 2) design tools to support researchers doing public outreach, 3) and explore how different publics make sense of research knowledge.

Our projects fall under many umbrellas, but they all follow the same broad goal: promoting scientific knowledge in a way that is understandable, useful, and credible to diverse, overlapping publics.

At the PULSE lab, we seek to embody the following principles:

• Open access. We're a science communication lab, so we publish blog posts of all our projects, and provide access to papers (where legally possible).
• Evolution. None of us are perfect, but our goal is to constantly improve. We seek to foster a culture of feedback, internal peer review, and support in order to make us all better researchers.
• Integrity. We want to do good research! This means seeking impactful questions, following honest research practices, and developing sound methodology.
• Support. This lab is meant to be a place for students to learn how to do research. This can only happen in an environment of inclusivity, empathy, support, and kindness to each other.

People

Projects

Check out the projects and research areas in our lab!

How to get involved

For undergraduate students at the University of Washington, we have four research assistant (RA) levels: co-pilot, contributor, scholar, and leader. Generally, students start out as co-pilots or contributors, but experienced students may be allowed to jump into a scholar role. If interested in working with us, you can fill out this application from to apply. Or, if interested in a research capsteon, please email Spencer Williams directly at sw1918@uw.edu. Make sure to include the following information:

• Your resume/CV
• A list of related classes you've taken
• An overview of your previous research experience (if applying for contributor level or higher)
• Whether you're seeking volunteer or for-credit opportunities.
• Why you want to work at this lab, and sort of project you're interested in. There are lots of great labs at UW, so why this one?

If you're interested in doing a PhD, you should apply directly through the iSchool website. However, you're more than welcome to reach out if you have any questions about our work, lab culture, etc.

Co-pilot (L1)

Are you interested in trying out research, but don't have any background? Co-pilots are members of the lab that can help out whenever they want, without a minimum number of hours per week. They are generally assigned to a specific project, but are free to move between projects if they want. Co-pilots...

• Have no minimum hourly requirement (3 hours expected if for-credit).
• Can attend lab meetings and project group meetings.
• Can help out whenever they want.
• Require no experience with research.
• Are perfect for those who want to try out research in a low-stakes way.
• Can be volunteer, or 1-credit INFO 499.

Contributor (L2)

Contributors are lab members with a longer-term stake in the lab. They are active members of a project team, helping out with data collection, literature review, or analysis. Contributors are expected to devote more hours to the lab, in order to gain the experiences and skills that would be expected from a seasoned lab member. Contributors...

• Have a minimum 6 hour per week requirement.
• Attend lab meetings and group project meetings.
• Have priority over co-pilots in being trained.
• Have opportunities to co-author publications, depending on their level of involvement with research projects.
• Can be volunteer, or 2-credit INFO 499.

Scholar (L3)

Scholars are experienced lab members who can take more responsibility over a project. This role is suitable for experienced students, who have a deep enough knowledge of the project and its requisite research skills to manage meetings and mentor newer students. Scholars...

• Have a minimum 9 hour per week requirement.
• Attend (and sometimes help manage) group project meetings.
• Regularly contribute to data collection, analysis, literature review, and/or writing/communication tasks
• Mentor co-pilots and contributors (with supervision from the project lead, graduate students, or PI), onboarding them to the project.
• Contribute to discussions about new project directions.
• Can be volunteer, or 3-credit INFO 499.

Leader (L4)

A role for students who want to “own” a project, with work approaching the capacity of a 1st-year masters or PhD student. Generally reserved for students with over a year of research experience, who are comfortable taking initiative, mentoring junior students, and managing their team. Can also be a good fit for students doing a research capstone. Leaders...

• Are in charge of planning and managing lab meetings
• Attend lab-wide meetings, and provide project updates
• Regularly contribute to data collection, analysis, literature review, and/or writing/communication tasks
• Mentor co-pilots, contributors, and scholars, helping co-pilots onboard to the project, contributors build their research skills and contribute, and scholars practice managing the larger project.
• Contribute to discussions about new project directions.
• Can be volunteer, or 4-credit INFO 499.

Research capstone

Informatics students in the UW iSchool have the option of completing research capstones, which involve taking on a (usually) 2-quarter commitment to lead a research project (this can be an offshoot of an existing project, or something totally new!). This is another great way to get involved with the lab for graduating informatics students. Research capstone students...

• Have the same general duties and responsibilities as scholars.
• Are eligible to shift to scholar or leader status if they want to continue with their projects, seek publication, etc.

PhD student

PhD students generally have the highest priority for training, resources, funding, etc. I can't admit PhD students directly, but you can take a look at the iSchool's doctorate in information science for information on how to apply. I am also open to co-advising PhD students with faculty from other departments at UW. PhD students...

• Lead large-scale, long-term projects.
• Are a good option for people who want high-level training in research, to become a professor, research scientist, etc.
• Generally take 5-6 years to complete.

Publications

Meta-summaries Effective for Improving Awareness and Understanding of COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Research (2022). Spencer Williams, Joy Lee, Brett Halperin, Joshua M. Liao, Gary Hsieh, Katharina Reinecke. Scientific Reports
Paper | Blog

An HCI Research Agenda for Online Science Communication (2022). Spencer Williams, Ridley Jones, Katharina Reinecke, Gary Hsieh. CSCW 2022: ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Paper | Blog

The Effects of User Comments on Science News Engagement (2021). Spencer Williams, Gary Hsieh. CSCW 2021: ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Paper | Blog