During Researchers’ Night 2025, the staff of the Department of Information Systems conducted workshops titled “Operation InfoVerification” that were presented in the engaging form of a field game. The event introduced participants to the process of verifying information and identifying fake news. The workshops combined elements of adventure, investigation, and logic-based challenges, immersing participants in the fascinating world of fact-checking.
In today’s information society, the ability to critically analyze media content is one of the key components of digital competence. Disinformation, fake news, and narrative manipulation have a real impact on our decisions, opinions, and social attitudes. The “Operation InfoVerification” workshops helped participants understand how to distinguish facts from opinions, recognize disinformation, and use online information consciously. The event blended adventure, puzzles, and investigation in a captivating atmosphere. During the game, participants could explore a variety of information sources — from scientific publications and educational portals to Wikipedia in different languages — allowing them to compare how the same topics are presented in various cultural and linguistic contexts.
Participants took on the roles of “Special Agents” solving puzzles inspired by both historical figures (e.g., Leonardo da Vinci, Nicolaus Copernicus, Jan Matejko, Józef Piłsudski) and fictional characters from literature and pop culture, including fantasy and science fiction worlds (e.g., Batman, Gandalf, Geralt of Rivia, Frodo Baggins, Spock). Their mission was to identify distorted or false information, verify it using reliable sources, and restore the true course of events. Throughout the activity, participants learned about different types of information manipulation, discovered what defines credible sources, and gained skills to recognize fake news.
The event was led by: Dr. Elżbieta Lewańska, Dr. Włodzimierz Lewoniewski, Dr. Milena Stróżyna, Izabela Czumałowska. More information about the Researchers’ Night can be found at nocnaukowcow.pl.
It’s worth mentioning that the workshop’s topic draws on the OpenFact project, which was implemented at the Department of Information Systems. The project involved developing a tool for verifying the credibility of online information sources and detecting fake news using artificial intelligence methods. Project manager: Prof. Witold Abramowicz.