New publication! We present our multi-modal, multi-platform R software for analyzing coordinated networks—designed to remain resilient to ongoing changes in data access and to offer analytical flexibility—in the paper “CooRTweet: A Generalized R Software for Coordinated Network Detection“, now out in Computational Communication Research. Free access here: https://doi.org/10.5117/CCR2025.1.7.RIGH.
Although CooRTweet is a relatively new tool, its development is rooted in earlier academic work and shaped by several key collaborations. Building on the experience of the CooRnet R package for detecting coordinated link sharing on Facebook—developed with Fabio Giglietto and Luca Rossi—and the methodology introduced in our paper It Takes a Village to Manipulate the Media, the project began at the University of Vienna as part of a doctoral research I co-supervised at the Department of Communication. It initially focused on Twitter data for the study Protest and Repression on Social Media, co-authored with Aytalina Kulichkina and Annie Waldherr. The tool later evolved into a more efficient, multi-modal, multi-platform version through collaboration with Paul Balluff.
The paper CooRTweet: A Generalized R Software for Coordinated Network Detection, introduces the tool from a methodological perspective. Built on a minimal and abstract definition of coordination, CooRTweet enables the detection of both explicit and organic coordinated behavior across platforms and content types—including shared texts, images, and combined media. Its architecture is designed to support cross-platform analysis, making it possible to trace coordination not only within a single platform but also across different digital environments, preserving the broader context in which information flows. The tool retains the full context network in which coordinated activity takes place, making it possible to study not only coordination itself but also its influence on the broader communication environment. Another key feature is its flexible threshold settings, which allow researchers to calibrate sensitivity depending on the research context and objectives. The paper also reflects on the importance of developing adaptable tools for social media research in the face of shifting data access.
The tool has been recently integrated into the Horizon project Vera AI project, which I joined after returning to the University of Urbino Carlo Bo (Italy). It now powers the Coordinated Sharing Detection Service for fact-checkers and data journalists (https://coortweet.lab.atc.gr), which I recently had the pleasure of presenting at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) workshop to over 60 professionals, including journalists, data journalists, fact-checkers, disinformation analysts, and NGO officials working to counter misinformation and coordinated inauthentic behavior. The tool will also be the focus of an upcoming workshop for EBU members.
Recently, we used CooRTweet to analyze the CitizenGO organization’s gender-critical and conservative content propagation networks in the paper Mainstreaming and Transnationalization of Anti-Gender Ideas Through Social Media: The Case of CitizenGO.
