David Garcia

Prof. David Garcia is a Professor of Social and Behavioral Data Science at the University of Konstanz, affiliated with the Department of Politics and Public Administration and the Center for Data and Methods. His research focuses on analyzing human behavior through digital traces using complexity science and computational social science methodologies. Previously, he held positions at Graz University of Technology and the Complexity Science Hub Vienna.

• Affiliations: University of Konstanz, Department of Politics and Public Administration, Center for Data and Methods
• Roles: Professor, Principal Investigator of grants like PRODEMINFO (Protecting Democratic Information Space in Europe), and leader of the AG Becerra research group.

His work spans computational analysis of political discourse, misinformation dynamics, emotional expression in social media, and algorithmic impacts on democracy. Key projects include studying congressional speech patterns, suicide-related content detection, and polarization modeling. Garcia’s interdisciplinary approach combines data science with social theory to address societal challenges.

Recent articles focus on topics like honesty perceptions in political communication, AI discourse on Reddit, and emotional responses to crises. He has secured funding for initiatives like the WHAT-IF project simulating democratic information environments.

Grants & Projects:

• PRODEMINFO (2021–2026): Protecting democratic information spaces
• WHAT-IF (2025–2027): Testing information environment impacts on democracy

Labs/Teams: Leads the Social Data Science Lab and collaborates with interdisciplinary networks on digital thinking and computational social science.