RECENT RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS
Algorithmic Discrimination in Public Service Provision
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory (2025)
As governments increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to make decisions, concerns about algorithmic bias and discrimination have become more common. This study examines a fundamental question of accountability: when discrimination occurs, do citizens hold governments less responsible if an algorithm was involved? Using a large-scale survey experiment (N=2483) in the Netherlands, we found that public organizations are not held to a lower standard when discriminatory outcomes are produced by AI rather than human decision-makers. However, citizens do assign greater responsibility when the algorithm was developed in-house rather than outsourced, highlighting new accountability challenges in the age of algorithmic governance.
Communicating the Evidence in Evidence-Informed Policy
American Review of Public Administration (2026)
Calls for evidence-based policymaking often assume that providing more information will increase public support for policy decisions. But how should governments communicate complex scientific evidence to the public? Using a survey experiment focused on local climate policy, I tested how different approaches to communicating the evidence informing policy decisions influence individuals’ understanding of and support for public policies. The findings show that transparency matters, but how evidence is communicated can be just as important.
Metadata Practices and Open Government Data Usability and Use
Government Information Quarterly (2026)
Why do some open data portals attract substantially more use than others, even when they operate on the same technology platform? Drawing on data from nearly 6,000 datasets across 15 U.S. cities, I examined how seemingly small metadata and documentation choices influence whether the datasets are actually accessed. The results demonstrate that usability is not simply a feature of technology itself, but is shaped by how governments choose to design, document, and govern their digital information resources.
The UX of Bureaucracy: Mapping User Engagement to Citizen Experiences of Administrative Burdens
International Review of Public Administration (2025)
Governments around the world are digitizing public services, but poorly designed digital systems can create new frustrations and barriers for citizens. In this solo-authored conceptual article, I connect administrative burden theory with user experience (UX) research to better understand how citizens experience government services online. The article argues that design decisions are not merely technical choices; they are public value choices that can either reduce or amplify burdens on citizens seeking information, benefits, and services.
Forging Connections: Nonprofits, TikTok, and Authentic Engagement (2024 Best Article Award)
Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs (2024)
As nonprofits expand into newer social media platforms such as TikTok, many face a common challenge in understanding how to engage audiences in spaces that operate differently from Facebook or Twitter/X. Through interviews with nonprofit social media managers and analysis of hundreds of TikToks (microvlogs), this study finds that authentic, community-building content is often more effective than highly strategic messaging. The findings suggest that success on TikTok depends less on traditional organizational communication strategies and more on creating genuine connections with audiences.
ADDITIONAL SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Open Government Data and Democratic Inclusion
Information Polity (2022)
Open government data initiatives are often justified as tools for increasing transparency and citizen participation. But are governments publishing data that citizens actually need and use? In this study, I analyzed more than 2,600 datasets from New York City’s open data portal and found that much of the available data may be more relevant to researchers, businesses, and other professional users than to ordinary (or lay) citizens. The findings raise important questions about democratic inclusion, whose needs are prioritized in open data initiatives, and what it means to design truly citizen-centered transparency efforts.
Social Media and Public Participation in E-Rulemaking
Policy & Internet (2022)
To understand how social media can help citizens influence government decision-making, I examined how individuals and organizations used Twitter to respond to proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations in the United States in late 2018. Using computational text analysis of thousands of tweets, the study shows how social media users mobilized, shared information, and exercised their voice during the rulemaking process. The findings suggest that citizens are not simply passive recipients of government communication online, but actively use digital platforms to shape public policy debates and participation processes.
Engaging Stakeholders on TikTok: A Multi-level Social Media Analysis of Nonprofit Microvlogging
Public Administration (2022)
As new social media platforms emerge, organizations must adapt how they communicate with and engage stakeholders. This study examines how nonprofits navigated the rise of TikTok using a mixed-method analysis of more than 1,100 TikToks from 58 nonprofit organizations. We found that nonprofits were not simply repurposing communication strategies developed for Facebook and Twitter but, instead, increasingly relied on community-building content that emphasized interaction, dialogue, and authenticity. These community-oriented microvlogs generated significantly higher levels of engagement (likes, comments, and views) than traditional information-sharing or calls to action (e.g., fundraising appeals), suggesting that nonprofits must rethink how they connect with audiences in rapidly evolving digital environments. More broadly, the findings challenge long-standing assumptions about effective online engagement and point to the emergence of a new model of stakeholder communication on video-first social media platforms.
All Published Research Here: Google Scholar Page
See all working papers and preprints: Research Gate Profile
My research has been accepted and presented at the following academic conferences:
Public Management Research Conference (PMRC)
International Research Society on Public Management (IRSPM)
American Society for Public Administration (ASPA)
European Group for Public Administration (EGPA)
Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM)
Westcoast Nonprofit Data Conference
Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA)
International Perspectives on Public Policy and Administration
International Open Data Conference
Transatlantic Dialogue
Northeast Conference on Public Administration (NECoPA)