Degree type
PhD, Masters by research
Closing date
1 July 2023
Campus
Launceston
Citizenship requirement
Domestic
About the research project
Online Social Networks have shaped the digital world to such an extent that they have now become an indispensable part of life for most of us. Rapid and extensive adoption of online services is influencing and changing how we access information for decision making. One of the main advantages and attractions of social media is the fact that it is fast and free (mostly). Meanwhile, the ease of producing and distributing news through social media has also simultaneously sharply increased the widespread of fake news. In a recent study, it has been found that nearly 50 percent of traffic taken from Facebook are largely fake, while at the same time, news publishers rely on Facebook for at least 20 percent of their traffic. Fake news threatens multiple spheres of life and can bring devastation not only to economic and political aspects but also peoples' wellbeing and lives.
This project involves developing new deep learning algorithms to learn and discover patterns in online news datasets, that can then be used to detect fake news. This requires developing new Deep Neural Network (DNN) algorithms for natural language processing. DNNs have increasingly been employed to handle AI applications such as natural language processing with some success, however, certain significant issues remain unresolved. Such issues include dataset bias and imbalanced data distribution, optimal DNN parameter set, and Multimodal effect. In this project, you will develop new DNN algorithms to overcome these and possibly other issues for faster, more reliable, and more accurate fake news detection.
Primary Supervisor
Meet Dr Shuxiang XuFunding
Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:
- a living allowance stipend of $31,500 per annum (2023 rate, indexed annually) for 3.5 years
- a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
- a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)
If successful, international applicants will receive a University of Tasmania Fees Offset for up to four years.
As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.
Eligibility
Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.
Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.
Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:
- Applications are open to Domestic/ International/ Onshore applicants
- Applicants must be able to undertake the project on-campus
Selection Criteria
The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.
Application process
- Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
- Contact Dr Shuxiang Xu to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
- In your application:
- Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
- Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
- Apply prior to 1 July 2023.
Full details of the application process can be found under the 'How to apply' section of the Research Degrees website.
Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.
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