UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1154

Research Mentor Information
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Primary Research Mentor Name: Minhyung Jo
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?: {Empty}
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): mj20bh@fsu.edu
Position Title: Graduate Student
Faculty Advisor Name: Dr. Don Latham
Faculty Advisor's FSU Email: Don.Latham@cci.fsu.edu
FSU College (if applicable): Communication and Information
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: School of Information
Headshot (optional): {Empty}

Additional Research Mentor(s)
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Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above): Seul Lee
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?: Dr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): seul.lee@fsu.edu
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable): Don Latham
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific?: Dr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): Don.Latham@cci.fsu.edu

Overall Project Details
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Title of the Project: AI Memes and Political Bias
Project Keywords: AI memes, memes, political bias
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: No
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 2
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
Open to all majors

Project Location:: On FSU Main Campus
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation?: {Empty}
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s):: Partially Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 10
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work?: Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description:
As AI has rapidly diffused across everyday applications, it is increasingly being used to generate memes. Compared to manual production, AI can create memes much faster and with less effort by drawing on vast online corpora; as a result, AI‑generated memes have grown in popularity. However, AI meme generation can also yield outcomes that users do not anticipate. This risk is especially salient for political memes: generators may produce content that conflicts with a user’s own ideological leanings, and persistent exposure to one‑sided or biased outputs could shape users’ political attitudes and values. Although algorithmic bias in AI has been widely discussed, it remains underexamined in the specific context of meme production. To address this gap, this study will repeatedly generate political memes using four AI meme generators and analyze whether—and in what ways—their outputs exhibit systematic political or ideological bias.

Research Objectives
1) Compare outputs across AI meme generators given the same political prompts: Do the resulting memes skew toward a particular ideological position, or do they reflect a plurality of perspectives?
2) Identify the content elements and formal features (e.g., themes, framings, templates, caption–image pairings) the generators use to express or cue political orientation.

Research Tasks:
1) Data collection: Collecting data from AI meme generators
2) Qualitative content analysis: Open coding and analyzing the outcomes

Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
1) Having an interest in the research and scholarly publication process. 
2) Reliable, timely communication and consistent attendance at scheduled meetings.
3) This project does not require specialized technical skills for data collection or analysis: Training on the open‑coding procedures will be provided in preliminary meetings using several examples.

Mentoring Philosophy:
My approach to mentoring is to build a collegial partnership that advances shared research goals while supporting each mentee’s growth and well‑being.

1) Mutual respect & shared accountability: I aim to move beyond a mentor–mentee dynamic to a collaborative relationship grounded in respect. Roles and expectations will be clearly defined, responsibilities will be upheld, and we will work toward common objectives as a team.
2) Psychologically safe research environment: I strive to create an open, welcoming space where mentees can voice ideas and concerns comfortably. I provide timely, constructive feedback; treat mistakes as opportunities for learning; and offer concrete strategies for preventing and addressing errors.
3) Culturally responsive support: I recognize and respect each mentee’s sociocultural background and tailor guidance to their goals and values. I support their professional development with resources, encouragement, and equitable standards that help them achieve their aims.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):: {Empty}
Please add any additional information here (if applicable)::
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Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable?: Yes
Roundtable times and Zoom links:
12:00 - 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 2 (Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/my/minhyungjo?omn=91227092518)
12:00 - 12:30 p.m., Thursday, September 4 (Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/my/minhyungjo?omn=91227092518)
Recording of the Roundtable session (Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/share/MIPA6yFw0bSdJ0FGP447p-SuwefVDkuScqzXiWm37mIxTij0IzPWeUpvUxAAV5_i.vBaG1kpQBapue0Ro)

Roundtable Info:
- Day: Tuesday, September 2
  Start Time: 12:00
  End Time: 12:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/my/minhyungjo?omn=91227092518
- Day: Thursday, September 4
  Start Time: 12:00
  End Time: 12:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/my/minhyungjo?omn=91227092518
- Day: Friday, September 5
  Start Time: 12:00
  End Time: 12:30
  Zoom Link: (Recording) https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/share/MIPA6yFw0bSdJ0FGP447p-SuwefVDkuScqzXiWm37mIxTij0IzPWeUpvUxAAV5_i.vBaG1kpQBapue0Ro

UROP Program Elements
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Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes
Faculty Advisor Confirmation: Yes

Are you interested in attending in a UROP Research Mentor Workshop Series?: Yes
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Year: 2025