Colin Henry, PhD
I'm a political scientist working on problems
at the intersection of political violence and digital communication technologies.
I use computational methods, network analysis, and digital ethnography to answer
questions about political extremism, social media platforms, community structure,
and our relationship to technology. Download my CV (PDF) here.
Current status: I'm a post-doctoral research fellow at George Washington University. I completed my PhD at Vanderbilt University in September 2023.
Dissertation project: Three papers exploring the structural sources of
political extremism in online communities. I argue that community competition, shaped by the architecture
of platform governance, drives community radicalization. I use transformers, network analysis, and digital ethnography to support my argument.
Read more about my dissertation here.
Job market paper (PDF).
Read more about my dissertation here.
Job market paper (PDF).
Peer reviewed publications
Digital Footprints and Data-Security Risks for Political Scientists
PS: Political Science & Politics, Volume 55, Issue 4, October 2022, pp. 804 - 808
with Dr. Cassy Dorff and Dr. Anita GohdesDoes Violence Against Journalists Deter Detailed Reporting? Evidence From Mexico
Journal of Conflict Resolution, September 2022
with Dr. Cassy Dorff and Dr. Sandra LeyWorking papers
Predicting Social Media Platform Intervention in Online Hate Communities (in progress, draft available on request)
with Dr. Sean Long and Dr. Yonatan Lupu
with Dr. Sean Long and Dr. Yonatan Lupu
Discriminate and Indiscriminate Speech in Online Hate Communities (in progress, draft available on request)
with Dr. Sean Long and Dr. Yonatan Lupu
with Dr. Sean Long and Dr. Yonatan Lupu
Community Sorting Across Social Media Platforms
(in progress, draft available on request)
Community Competition and Political Extremism
(job market paper, draft)
Foreign Fighters and Wartime Sexual Violence (under review)
Public writing
"How violence against journalists affects the news"
Political Violence at a Glance, December 2022
with Dr. Cassy Dorff and Dr. Sandra Ley