Facilitating collaboration: a doctoral defence in Sweden

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

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.

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Applications invited for PhD studentship: The evolution of social networking and its impact on career management skills

IIDI logoWe are currently advertising a fully-funded PhD studentship hosted by the Centre for Social Informatics, (my research centre within the Institute for Informatics and Digital Innovation) at Edinburgh Napier University. (The actual advert can be found on jobs.ac.uk and the Edinburgh Napier University vacancies web site.)

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Two events for research students in Information Science: research methods training, and iDocQ 2014

Information Science Pathway logoFrom 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).

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ESRC Final Year Conference 2014 reviewed

Conference dinner at the National Museum of Scotland

Conference dinner at the National Museum of Scotland by Kate Cowan, @katecowan

This year’s ESRC final year conference was hosted by the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science. I was pleased join the delegates at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on Friday 25th April as one of the presenters.

The heavy emphasis on research impact, career pathways, and sources of future funding at the conference was well-suited to the needs of the delegates, the majority of whom were doctoral students approaching their final submission dates. I also enjoyed talking to the students about their research and career aspirations in the breaks between sessions, and during the poster display at the drinks reception immediately prior to the conference dinner.

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Applications invited for four funded PhD places to start in October 2014

IIDI logoThe 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.

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Using social media for impact

Esrc_logoTomorrow I’m presenting a workshop on using social media for impact at the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) 2014 Final Year Conference (hash tag #esrcphd). This takes place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), and is hosted by the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science.

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The Circle by Dave Eggers: book review

Over Easter I read The Circle by Dave Eggers. I wouldn’t normally blog about my recreational reading, but there is such a strong overlap between the themes of the novel and my research and teaching interests that I have decided to post my review here.

The Circle by Dave Eggers

The Circle by Dave Eggers

The tale’s main setting is the Silicon Valley campus of a tech company in the not too distant future. The Circle has already gobbled up several other familiar enterprises and, as such, may be conceived as a fictional amalgamation of companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Twitter. Its earnest workforce is involved in numerous innovative projects to make the world a “better” place where communities are safe, and a genuine democracy works for the good of all. Circle technologists work on a bewilderingly wide range of innovations that include, for example, systems to eradicate criminal dangers such as child abduction and to guard against political corruption.

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Appointment to the RCUK Digital Economy theme Programme Advisory Board

Digital Economy logoThe Research Councils UK Digital Economy (DE) theme supports research to realise the transformational impact of digital technologies on aspects of community life, cultural experiences, future society, and the economy.

Over the past couple of years I have enjoyed spending time with staff from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) on work associated with the DE theme. This all started two years ago when I was invited to join the 12-person panel that conducted the 2012 impact review of the DE Theme investment. Soon afterwards I became involved in an additional stream of DE research undertaken under the banner of “digital personhood”: I helped identify the scope of the investment; served as a mentor at the sandpit meeting where project ideas were germinated; and recently participated at the first digital personhood network meeting. I have also been involved in reviewing grant proposals and panel work for the DE theme.

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A professorial lecture on poverty, privacy and the press

tweeters

8 members of the Centre for Social Informatics tweeted the talk – including Frances Ryan, Christine Irving, Leo Appleton & Jan Auernhammer pictured here

It’s rare that all the members of the Centre for Social Informatics (CSI) manage to gather together at the same place at the same time. However, we almost managed it last Thursday when we attended the inaugural professorial lecture of our CSI colleague Dr Alistair Duff. Apart from one PhD student and one researcher (who was at a conference in Finland presenting two papers, including one that I co-authored), there was a full turn-out of the academic staff, researchers, and research students of CSI at the event, all eager to hear what Alistair had to say about The information society and its challenges. Two PhD students made special journeys to attend the event from afar: Leo Appleton caught the train up from Liverpool and Nicole Van Deursen flew in from Spain.

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Between exhibition and contemplation: considering everyday routines on Blipfoto

blipfoto squareThis week my colleague Dr Eve Forrest has been participating at the Helsinki Photomedia conference in Finland. Today Eve is presenting our co-authored paper Between exhibition and contemplation: considering everyday routines on Blipfoto in a session entitled “Non-professional photography: practices and power”.

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