Dr. Scott Hale

Associate Professor

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Biography

Scott Hale is an Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. He focuses on developing and applying computational social science methods to understand how digital technologies, particularly large language models and algorithmic systems, shape society. His research examines how individuals discover, evaluate, and use information online, which plays a significant role in important life decisions. Hale is also the Director of Research at Meedan, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing digital literacy and civic engagement through technology. Over the years, he has worked internationally, including in Japan, and is committed to mentoring early-career researchers. In 2022, he received the Teaching Excellence Award from the Social Sciences Division of the University of Oxford for his outstanding contributions to teaching and supervision.

Research Interests

LLM Alignment Bias Bilingualism Machine Learning Applications Natural Language Processing

Experience

Director

2026-01-01 — Present

Oxford Internet Institute • Oxford, UK

Associate Professor

2020-12-01 — Present

Oxford Internet Institute • Oxford, UK

Co-Director, Social Data Science MSc Programme

2019-01-01 — 2020-12-01

Oxford Internet Institute • Oxford, UK

Senior Research Fellow

2018-09-01 — Present

Oxford Internet Institute • Oxford, UK

Director, Social Data Science Programme

2017-02-01 — 2018-12-01

Oxford Internet Institute • Oxford, UK

Senior Data Scientist Research Fellow

2016-06-01 — 2018-08-01

Oxford Internet Institute • Oxford, UK

Data Scientist

2015-01-01 — 2016-01-01

Oxford Internet Institute • Oxford, UK

DPhil Student

2010-10-01 — 2015-01-01

University of Oxford • Oxford, UK

Research Assistant

2010-01-01 — 2014-12-01

University of Oxford • Oxford, UK

MSc Student

2009-10-01 — 2010-08-01

University of Oxford • Oxford, UK

Requirements for University of Oxford

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.7
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:24
Writing
Required:24
Speaking
Required:25
Total
Required:110
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Politics, International Relations, Economics, History, Law, Philosophy or Sociology
Application Checklist
  • Three academic references
  • Official transcripts
  • CV/Resume
  • Statement of Purpose (1,000 words)
  • Two academic essays (2,000 words each)
Specialization Notes

Department of Politics and International Relations - Higher Level English requirement.