I led the Centre for Social Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University for 13 years between 2009 and 2022. A snapshot of the membership of the group, their research interests, latest PhD completions and recent/forthcoming publications, at the time of my retirement in September 2022 can be seen in version 18 of the Centre for Social informatics flyer published in August 2022.
From its establishment as the Centre for Social Informatics in the late 1990s, the group developed a distinctive body of work that reflected a shared interest in sociotechnical interaction at different levels of organisation, and at different stages in the system life cycle. This work also considered methods to support research in these areas. The group’s staff and research students provided critical perspectives on, as well as analysis of, ICT trajectories, sociotechnical and organisational issues with particular focus on:
- Democratic digital engagement
- e-Government
- Information behaviour and practices
- Information and digital literacy
- Information and knowledge management
- Information policy
- The Information Society
- Online communities
- Technology and policy development
- Work-based and organisational learning
In the last UK assessment of research (REF2021) the group’s research excellence was acknowledged in the assessment made by sub-panel 34. 76% of the group’s submission overall was judged as internationally excellent (3*) or world-leading (4*). The components of Impact and Research Environment attracted high scores: Impact 100% at 3* and 4*; Environment 90% at 3* and 4*.
Hazel Hall 