I am a research associate and junior lecturer at the Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (2023–today). My research focuses on public opinion, polarization, the spread of misinformation, conspiracy theories and conspiracy beliefs, and trust in media. I teach courses in communication science (BSc and MSc), as well as in the Research Master Program Social Sciences for a Digital Society. You can visit my profile at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam here. For inquiries, please send me an e-mail (r.buma@vu.nl).
Peer-reviewed Journal Articles
- Thomeczek, J. P., Zhirnov, A., Scotto di Vettimo, M., Buma, R., Cristea, V., Dolle, M., … & Ruggeri, F. (2025). One model to rule them all? Choosing two-dimensional spaces for European political landscapes with VAA data. Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331681.2025.2469166
- Tai, Y.C., Buma, R., & Desmarais, B.A. (2023). Official yet questionable: Examining misinformation in U.S. state legislators’ tweets. Journal of Information Technology and Politics, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331681.2023.2257682
Conferences
- Buma, R., & Krouwel, A. (2025). Down the Reddit hole: How online conspiracy forums flourish during societal crises [Paper presentation]. CompText 2025, Vienna, Austria.
Essays
- Krouwel, A., Buma, R., & Martin, N. (2024). De herstructurering van het Nederlandse partijenstelstel en het links-conservatieve gat. Beleid en Maatschappij 51(1), 56-65. https://www.doi.org/10.5553/BenM/138900692024051001004
Other Articles
- Krouwel, A., Buma, R. (2023, November 22). Parlementswahl Niederlande analyse [Election Analysis Netherlands]. Institut für Europäische Politik. https://iep-berlin.de/en/projects/future-of-european-integration/eu-election-monitor/netherlands/election-analysis-netherlands/
- Krouwel, A., Buma, R., & Martin, N. (2023, December 5). A landslide victory of a fragmented Dutch right wing. The Progressive Post. https://feps-europe.eu/a-landslide-victory-of-a-fragmented-dutch-right-wing/
Reports
- Krouwel, A.P.M., Buma, R., & Cristea, V. (2021). Loyalisten, twijfelaars en switchers in drie electorale slagvelden. https://home.kieskompas.nl/media/filer_public/03/37/0337fac3-8a2c-4c81-a5e0-0a3179c4c746/kieskompas_rapport_zwevende_kiezers.pdf
Teaching
Here is an overview of courses I am currently teaching of have taught at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam:
- 2025/4 – 2025/6: Bachelor’s Thesis in Communication Science. BSc Communication Science, year 3. Thesis supervision.
- 2025/2 – 2025/6: Social Media Analytics. BSc Communication Science, year 2. Workgroups.
- 2024/10 – 2024/11: Computational Analysis of Digital Communication. MSc Communication Science. Workgroups.
- 2024/10 – 2024/12: Big Data Small Data. MSc Social Sciences for a Digital Society (research), year 1. Workgroups.
- 2024/9 – 2024/10: Quantitative Research Methodology. BSc Communication Science, year 2. Workgroups.
- 2024/6 – 2026/6: Project 2: Strategic Communication. BSc Communication Science, year 1. Workgroups.
- 2024/4 – 2024/6: Bachelor’s Thesis in Communication Science. BSc Communication Science, year 3. Thesis supervision.
- 2023/10 – 2023/11: Computational Analysis of Digital Communication. MSc Communication Science. Workgroups.