Writing &
Research.
A collection of published writing, academic inquiry, and applied research—following the questions that connect information, identity, and power.
Humanities & Social Sciences / 2026
seen?
Volume 09 / 2026
evidence.
Jiarui (Rachel) Lin
Research Portfolio
What shapes what we believe
and what we see?
My writing and research start from one question: how do information, identity, and power shape what people believe and what the world pays attention to? From disinformation on WhatsApp to the politics of Antarctica, I explore it through published articles, university-level research, and competition work.
Ideas in print.
Published papers and commentary on digital communication, international affairs, and the institutions shaping public attention.
01 / PAPER
Political information.
From Algorithmic Filter Bubbles to Socially Mediated Echo Chambers
Single-author research paper · Published October 5, 2026
Why did pro-Bolsonaro disinformation spread so effectively on WhatsApp during Brazil's 2018 presidential election, even without an algorithmically ranked public feed?
Mentored by Dr. Melissa Li of Columbia University, I examined the limits of information disorder, filter-bubble, echo-chamber, and populist communication theories. I proposed socially mediated echo chambers to account for how trust, closed group structures, shared identity, and limited opportunities for correction can reinforce misinformation. The concept also offers a lens for studying Telegram, WeChat, and Discord.
02 / ESSAY
Who goes unheard?
Selective Visibility of Humanitarian Crises in the Age of Algorithms
Published October 9, 2026
Social-media platforms often rank content by engagement rather than human urgency. This essay examines how the result can be selective visibility: some humanitarian crises dominate public attention, while others disappear from view.
Tracing a cycle from low visibility to public indifference, underfunding, and prolonged suffering, I drew on historical cases and seven neglected conflicts across the Global South—including Myanmar, the DRC, Sudan, and Yemen. I explored how institutions, media-literacy education, regulation, and individual action might create a more equitable information landscape.
03 / OPINION
A question of jurisdiction.
Teen Pilot Detained After Unscheduled Landing on Antarctic Island, Raising Questions Over Jurisdiction
Published January 5, 2026
When teenage pilot Ethan Guo was detained by Chilean authorities after landing on King George Island, the incident raised an unusual legal question: whose rules apply to a private traveler in Antarctica?
I examined how the 1959 Antarctic Treaty System—particularly Article VIII—approaches jurisdiction, and why growing aviation and tourism may have outpaced its original assumptions. This piece turned an unfamiliar legal and geopolitical problem into a question that a general audience could engage with.
Questions in depth.
Coursework that moves from theory to evidence, from political identity to responsible social research.
04 / CASE STUDYCase Study of Russian Nationalism: Domestic Mobilization
A timed final-exam essay examining how Russian state elites transform everyday national identity into support for war. Using Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a case, I traced the transition from banal nationalism to hot nationalism.
I brought together theories from Gellner, Anderson, Billig, Renan, Pešić, Feinstein, and Mosse, analyzing the role of media, patriotic rituals, collective memory, and “us versus them” narratives. The essay concluded with proposals concerning independent media and the preservation of grassroots remembrance.
The experience taught me to synthesize competing theories and evidence into a coherent argument under time pressure.
Read the case study
05 / RESEARCH PROPOSALYoung Urban Women's Perceptions of National Pro-Natalist Policies and Fertility Intentions in Shanghai
Our group developed a mixed-methods proposal to investigate how women aged 20–35 in Shanghai perceive China's 2021–2025 pro-natalist policies—and how those perceptions influence fertility intentions.
I led a four-person team that included undergraduate students, and wrote the introduction and ethical considerations. The proposed design combines a survey of 250 women with 20 in-depth interviews, grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Belmont principles of research ethics.
Leading this research reinforced that thoughtful methodology begins with respect for the people behind the data.
Read the research proposalResearch in practice.
Putting structured analysis to work in international debate, team leadership, and financial decision-making.
06 / BACKGROUND GUIDEKeyMUN Background Guide: Ethical Implications of Counterterrorism Measures
As Chair of SOCHUM at KeyMUN, a conference I co-founded, I authored a background guide on the ethical questions raised by counterterrorism measures from 9/11 to the present.
The guide traces the USA PATRIOT Act, Guantánamo, enhanced interrogation, drone strikes, mass surveillance, and AI-based risk flagging. It introduces essential legal concepts, maps stakeholders and country-bloc perspectives, and equips delegates to debate where national security and fundamental human rights meet.
I learned to build a fair, accessible research roadmap around a contested international issue.
Read the background guide
07 / STRATEGY REPORTStudent Investment Challenge: Team Plutus Stock Analysis Report
In this simulated investment competition, our three-school team designed a goal-based portfolio for students saving toward a major expense over 15 years, allocating 90% to equities and 10% to fixed income.
We moved from macroeconomic and sector analysis to company-level research on Alphabet, Coursera, and JPMorgan Chase. I wrote the investment strategy, portfolio allocation and risk assessment, macroeconomic analysis, and conclusion, while also contributing to the JPMorgan section. The simulated portfolio had gained an average of 10.7% as of December 1, 2024.
I learned that a sound investment starts with aligning goals, risk, and macroeconomic context—not simply picking a stock.
Read the stock analysis report