Dr Hannah Rudman and Dr Louise Rasmussen in their graduation robes
Congratulations to Louise Rasmussen and Hannah Rudman who were awarded their PhDs at the Edinburgh Napier University graduation ceremony at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh today.
The School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University runs a series of free half day workshops and seminars related to its practice-based Masters degree in Project & Programme Management. On the afternoon of Wednesday 16th September I will be speaking at one such event, drawing on work on information systems project success factors that I recently completed with Dr Robert Irvine.
I’m always excited when we advertise for new staff and research students, particularly when they are in my area. Who will apply? Who will be short-listed for interview? Who will be offered the job? How will the new appointee contribute to teaching of the Information Systems group? What will the new appointee bring to the research in the Centre for Social Informatics?
Iris Buunk and John Mowbray
Welcome to Iris Buunk and John Mowbray, new research students within the Centre for Social Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University. I am the Director of Studies for both students.
Back in March I put out a call from this blog to fellow library and information professionals to contribute to a research project on the use of Google+. Grant Charters, one of my final year project students in 2013/14, had designed a survey to collect data for a project entitled Social platforms as business tools: An investigation into the use of Google+ by librarians for their professional development and in library and information services delivery. Grant was keen to consult with a range of professionals who work in libraries and information services to find out about their use on Google+ to support services delivery and/or for their own professional development.
An invitation to Borås
Yesterday I served as the opponent at a PhD defence at the University of Borås in Sweden. This was my second Nordic PhD examining experience this year, following my March trip to the Åbo Akademi University in the Finnish city of Turku to examine a thesis on social media and public libraries, as reported here.
Dr Ann-Sophie Axellson, Dr Monica Lassi, and Professor Louise Limberg
The PhD candidate on this occasion was Monica Lassi who, until recently, has been working as a lecturer in the Swedish School of Library and Information Science. Monica’s work was supervised by Professor Louise Limberg and Dr Ann-Sofie Axelsson. The broad theme of Monica’s thesis entitled Facilitating collaboration: exploring a socio-technical approach to the design of a collaboratory for Library and Information Science is collaboration in library and information science (LIS) research. The focus is on the potential of designated online spaces – collaboratories – to facilitate and stimulate collaborative work related to the creating, sharing, use and re-use of data collection instruments such as interview guides, questionnaires and observation protocols.
From Wednesday 25th to Friday 27th June the Information Science pathway of ESRC Scottish Graduate School of Social Science information science pathway is hosting three days of activities offered free of charge to PhD students in Information Science and related disciplines (with travel bursaries available to students registered at Scottish universities that are members of the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science).
The Institute for Informatics and Digital Innovation (IIDI) is currently advertising four funded PhD places to start in October 2014. The full advertisement can be found at jobs.ac.uk and on the Edinburgh Napier University vacancies web site. The closing date for applications is 31st May 2014, with interviews expected to take place on 19th June 2014.
Finland experienced a fresh covering of snow last week
I have examined quite a few PhDs over the course of my career, both in English and in French, but until last week I had not had the opportunity to participate in a doctoral defence at a Nordic university. Last week I travelled to Åbo Akademi University in the Finnish city of Turku to serve as the opponent at the PhD defence of a thesis (in English) entitled Social media and public libraries: exploring information activities of library professionals and users.
As a member of the Information Science Pathway of the ESRC Scottish Graduate School of Social Science Doctoral Training Centre (SGS-DTC) Edinburgh Napier University is currently inviting applications for a funded PhD studentship offered through the DTC’s quota competition.
Hazel Hall 