Professor Johnson’s award-winning research adopts a sociotechnical systems perspective that considers how the intersection of technology, people, processes, and data impacts individuals, organizations, and society. He explores how digital technology enables the discovery, creation, and sharing of information, including 

  • In online communities and other social media that support open innovation
  • Through applications of social network analysis, computational linguistics, and computational social science methods to analyze language use, team dynamics, and large voluntary collectives
  • In content moderation, toxic content, and algorithmic content prioritization
  • The role of race, gender, and diversity in algorithms, outcomes, and online experiences
  • Societal impacts of digital technology such as information-limiting environments (echo chambers and filter bubbles), the climate crisis, and ethical use of technology

 His ongoing collaborations encompass questions on 

  • How digital technology supports democracy through the distribution and discovery of digital information—including by enabling self-expression, access to high-quality information, connections with others with similar interests, and the voluntary exchange of goods and services
  • The role of digital technology in healthy youth development, including why and when youth are alternatively benefiting from or harmed by their digital environment
  • How individuals and organizations can benefit from using AI (including genAI and LLM), how to minimize bias and promote fairness in AI/ML deployments, and using LLM for context-aware toxic content identification

Professor Johnson’s research has appeared in top journals of MIS Quarterly; Organization Science; Information Systems Research; Information, Communication & Society; and Information & Organization. He serves as an Associate Editor at ISR and previously as an Associate Editor at MIS Quarterly and a Senior Editor at Information & Organization.

Professor Johnson serves on the executive committee of the Communication, Digital Technology, and Organizations (CTO) division of the Academy of Management and is an Association for Information Systems Distinguished Member, Cum Laude. He is a Faculty Lead, Digital Technology for Democracy Lab at the University of Virginia Karsh Institute of Democracy and a Faculty Affiliate, University of Virginia Thriving Youth in a Digital Environment research initiative.

He has taught numerous undergraduate and graduate courses, including managing AI, race in commerce, systems and strategy, business analytics, social networking, and information technology management. He is active in multiple local community organizations, including serving as a Commissioner on the Charlottesville Economic Development Authority.