Experimental research
- Randomised online experiments
- Cross-national survey experiments
CHIRP · Northumbria University
Better health information for a world of crises
CHIRP examines how people consume, process, and share information during crises — from pandemics to climate-driven hazards like floods and heatwaves — including the role social media and digital platforms play in shaping what people believe and do. We also work to strengthen practitioners’ capacity to reach communities effectively.
11countries and regions
5continents
9research approaches
22distinct methods
5research themes
Methodologies
We match the method to the question. Our studies range from randomised experiments and national surveys to large-scale social media analytics, co-design with practitioners, and new theory.
Intervention & implementation research
- Hybrid effectiveness–implementation trials
- Pre- and post-intervention studies
- Baseline and receptivity evaluations
Survey research
- Cross-sectional national surveys
- Theory-driven surveys
Digital, social media & computational analysis
- Large-scale analysis of online conversations
- Social network analysis
- Content analysis of health authority social media
- Information void detection
Content analysis
- Analysis of product and media messaging
Qualitative research
- In-depth interviews with practitioners
- Qualitative studies with older adults
- Ethnographic research
Participatory & co-design approaches
- Co-design of digital health systems
- Co-creation with communities and expert partners
- Expert roundtables and deliberative methods
Evidence synthesis
- Realist reviews
- Narrative and conceptual reviews
Theory & framework development
- Risk Amplification through Media Spread (RAMS) model
- Trust Erosion Framework
Topics & Issues
Misinformation & infodemics
- COVID-19 misinformation
- Corrections and debunking
- Peer-to-peer social corrections
- Information sharing on WhatsApp
- Narrative and belief
- Conflicting health information and trust in science
Outbreaks, hazards & risk communication
- Zika
- Dengue
- COVID-19
- Vaccination uptake
- Crisis communication
- Organisational trust in emergencies
- Expert voices in crisis communication
- Information voids during floods and hurricanes
- Digital participatory disease surveillance
Food & nutrition information
- Conflicting nutrition information
- Nutrition confusion and backlash
- Probiotics
- Food label claims
- Processed foods
- Food insecurity and hoarding
Digital health & vulnerable groups
- Older adults and social technology
- Mobile mental health
- Visual and animated health communication
- Co-created mHealth messaging
- Underserved communities
AI, technology & trust
- AI ethics and accountability in journalism
- Privacy and data protection in AI use
- Public acceptance of AI in healthcare
Footprint
Our research has reached communities in eleven countries and regions across five continents.
Select a location to see the topics and methods studied there.
Publications
Journal articles
2026
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The transparency paradox: an ethnographic investigation of AI ethics and accountability in Nigerian journalism
2021
2019
2018
2015
Book chapters
2023
2021
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Disinformation about COVID-19: impacts, challenges and responses for public health
Public Engagement
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Who do you trust in an emergency? We asked people in places hit by extreme weather
The Conversation
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UNU-CRIS Working Paper No. 12, United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies
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Detecting information voids during floods in the Central European region
UNU-CRIS InsightBrief No. 3, United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies
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Protecting yourself from misinformation in the Russia–Ukraine ‘information war’
Interview, BBC Radio Newcastle
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The Shades of Truth study series: WhatsApp Research Awards for Social Sciences and Misinformation
Visual report
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Understanding the experiences of older adults using technology to stay connected: a facilitator or creator of new vulnerabilities?
British Academy and Leverhulme Trust
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How misinformation affects social determinants of health
Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene blog
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Lessons on tackling misinformation during outbreaks
Global Health Now
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Covid-19: older adults and the risks of misinformation
BMJ Opinion
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How social media is shaping our fears of, and response to, the coronavirus
TIME Magazine
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Why are people faking coronavirus stories?
HuffPost UK
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Identifying and protecting yourself against online misinformation
Northumbria University ‘Together against COVID-19’ series
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The Batsapp Project: a three-episode series on misinformation during the 2018 Nipah outbreak in India
Supported by RSTMH, the European Science Engagement Association and Global Health News. Available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Google Play and Spotify.
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Pseudoscience is taking over social media and putting us all at risk
The Conversation (republished by The Independent, Scroll.in and others)
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Pseudoscience free run: train scientists to interact with public often
Deccan Chronicle
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Pseudoscience, misinformation and the challenges for public health
Interview, CapeTalk Radio, South Africa
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Why dramatic enquiry as a form of public engagement gave me my most enjoyable week as an academic
Fuse Open Science blog
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Dramatic enquiry workshops on food decisions, trust in media and science
With theatre company Cap-a-Pie, for about 90 Year 5 pupils in three Newcastle schools
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Is India ready to handle an epidemic? The frightful truth behind the Nipah outbreak
The Times of India group (The Economic Times)
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India must be more transparent about disease threats
The Conversation (republished by Business Standard, The Independent and others)
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Communication is key during a public health threat like Zika, and India has fallen short
Scroll.in