About

The Critical Computational Social Science (C2S2) Lab studies political communication, polarization, and misinformation using computational and mixed methods, guided by critical and social science theory. The lab examines how political information and AI-generated imagery circulate on social media and shape public understanding, and develops open computational tools — including topic modeling and visual analysis packages — to support this kind of research more broadly.

C2S2 is directed by Ayse D. Lokmanoglu, Assistant Professor of Emerging Media Studies at Boston University's College of Communication.

News

• November 2026 — Top Student Paper, Game Studies Division, National Communication Association (NCA):
  Yange, R. (2026, November). Virtual Reality as a Cultural Practice: Identity Performance and Commodification in YouTube Gaming. National Communication Association Annual Convention.
• August 2026 — New publication:
  Edgerly, S., Lokmanoglu, A. D., Dobmeier, C., & Walter, N. (2026). The Meanings of News: How US Adults Think About the Word “News”. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly.
• June 2026 — Top Faculty Paper (3rd Place), ICA Visual Communication Studies Division:
  Crissman, J., Lokmanoglu, A. D., Grabe, M., & Walter, D. (2026, June 5). Tracing Visual Communication’s Cross-Disciplinary Citation Footprint in a Network Analysis From 1975 to 2024. Visual Communication Studies Top Papers Session, International Communication Association, Cape Town, South Africa.

Research

Lab research spans political communication, computational methods, and crisis communication. For the full, continuously updated list of publications and projects, see:

Contact

For inquiries about the lab, collaborations, or joining as a student researcher, please reach out to alokman@bu.edu.