The digital transformation is full of challenges for our society and still harbors many mysteries that the scientific community must tackle. My research focuses on communication and media, game studies, journalism and media litercy as well as social phenomena and challenges.

All my research projects have a strong empirical background, using all kinds of social science methods. This is why I also work as a freelancer in empirical media and communication research in cooperation with the consulting and research company Conoscope and others.

Take a look at selected projects!

Current projects

DFG project „Communicative means for accessible survey research“ at the University of Münster (since 2021)
In many areas of society, awareness of accessibility issues has increased significantly in recent years. However, people with impairments and disabilities are still often excluded from publicly funded empirical social research. Neither are the technical possibilities for barrier-free web access offered as standard in online surveys, nor are the questions in the questionnaires simplified or even in plain language. The interests and needs of people with impairments and disabilities are therefore often not taken into account. This exclusion is all the more relevant when plans are made and political decisions are taken on the basis of representative online surveys. Further informations are available at the project’s website.

Monitorstudien.de (forthcomming)
Automatic media clipping to measure communication

conclusio.org (forthcomming)
Journalism science coverage in plain language

Game Studies

Games & V/XR 2020: The potential of games and virtual and digital media technologies for Saxony (2020)
Quantitative online survey of Saxon SMEs (City of Leipzig)

Public television news coverage on video games (2018)
Quantitative content analysis

Virtual game worlds in a dynamic-transactional perspective (2014)
Triagulation of methods: LEGO-think-aloud-technique, quantitative survey, physiological reception measurement (Dissertation)

Transfer processes of video game play (2007)
Online-survey of players in game related online-forums (Masters Thesis)

Communications & Media

Media coverage of green genetic engineering (2012)
Quantitative content analysis (Comstrat Medien & Kontur21 GmbH)

Media usage during the men’s (2010) and women’s (2011) soccer World Cups (2011)
Quantitative online surveys

Web radio usage in Saxony (2012)
Qualitative interviews, desk research and quantitative online survey of web radio users and web radio producer (Sächsische Landesanstalt für Rundfunk und Neue Medien, Kontur21 GmbH)

journalism

Online Self Assessment Tool „Fit For News“ (2020)
Accompanying research and conception (European Center for Journalism and Communication Research/Landkreis Nordsachsen)

Status quo of journalism and communication science education in Germany (2015)
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of study documents of journalism and communication studies programs in Germany

Media coverage of fracking (2013)
Qualitative and quantitative media content analysis

Program history of GDR television (2007)
Qualitative and quantitative content analyses (DFG-Projekt, Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Stiehler)

The future of journalism (2005)
Quantitative online survey of journalists in Germany (Prof. Dr. Michael Haller)

Media Literacy

Advertising practices among children in social media (2021)
Qualitative and quantitative reception and competence study (Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz)

Media and information literacy in rural areas (2020)
Qualitative focus group interviews (value proposition design) with young people and representative population survey in CATI/CAWI design (Landkreis Nordsachsen, Sächsische Anstalt für Rundfunk und Neue Medien, Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Kultus).

Music and emotion (2008)
Qualitative diary survey and active media work with children and young people (Sächsische Landesanstalt für privaten Rundfunk und Neue Medien)

Other Topics

Experiences of discrimination among students and employees at Leipzig University (2016)
quantitative survey (Equal Opportunities Officer of Leipzig University)