Applications invited for ESRC Scottish Graduate School of Social Science Doctoral Training Centre studentship competition 2016

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Hazel Hall

The Information Science Pathway of the ESRC Scottish Graduate School of Social Science Doctoral Training Centre (SGSSS-DTC) is currently inviting applications for this year’s studentship competition.

Academic staff at each of the pathway member institutions – including those within the Centre for Social Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University – would be pleased to hear from eligible candidates who would like to apply for a PhD place under this scheme. Applications are due for submission to the SGSSS-DTC by Wednesday 17th February (explained below). However, initial contact regarding this opportunity must be made by Monday 11th January 2016. Continue reading →

Who is the ‘typical’ UK information worker? Headline findings of the CILIP/ARA Workforce Mapping Project

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Workforce Mapping Project executive summary

The executive summary is available from the CILIP web site

Last week the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and the Archives and Records Association (ARA) held a launch event in London. Here an executive summary of the Workforce Mapping Project, with which I have been heavily involved over the past 15 months, was presented. The summary distributed at the launch notes key findings of the study.

These include:

The estimated size of the UK workforce in the Library, Archives, Records, Information Management, and Knowledge Management professions is 86,376.
Women dominate the workforce (78.1% of the workforce is female, and 21.9% male), yet earn less than men, and are not so well represented in senior management positions.
The workforce is highly qualified: 61.4% hold postgraduate academic qualifications.
The workforce is ageing: 55.3% of its members are over 45 years of age. (The equivalent figure for the UK workforce as a whole is 41.1%.)
There is low ethnic diversity in the workforce: 96.7% identify as ‘white’.

Continue reading →

Community councils and digital engagement: report on autumn workshops delivered to date

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Dr Bruce Ryan and Peter Cruickshank, both of whom work with me in the Centre for Social Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University, are currently delivering a programme of four workshops on the theme of digital engagement for Community Councils and Registered Tenants Organisations in Scotland.

These workshops are supported by the Scottish Government and the Improvement Service. The main aim of hosting these events is to improve knowledge sharing and networking between community council representatives. They also provide an opportunity to showcase (1) the Scottish Government’s work on Community Empowerment, (2) the Improvement Service’s work on the KnowledgeHub and the national web site for community councils, and (3) how community councils might use digital tools for participatory budgeting. Continue reading →

Creating, building and assessing personal reputation using online information sources: study participants sought

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Frances is ready to hear from potential study participants, especially those under 28 or over 55

One of my PhD students, Frances Ryan, is undertaking doctoral research that is concerned with the role of online information in the creation, building, and assessment of personal reputations. She is currently seeking study participants.

Those who volunteer are asked to make some diary entries about their use of online information over the course of a week. The diary entries can be hand-written or electronic. Paper diaries are provided for those wishing to complete by hand. Continue reading →

Organisational learning and innovation in Scotland: research student Lyndsey Jenkins begins her study

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Lyndsey Jenkins

Welcome to Lyndsey Jenkins who has just joined us as a new research student within the Centre for Social Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University. I am Lyndsey’s Director of Studies, with Professor Robert Raeside, Director of the Employment Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University, as second supervisor. Lyndsey’s study is entitled Enhancing the capacity for workplace learning and innovation in Scotland.

This ESRC-funded research will investigate innovation and best practice in skills development in the workplace in Scotland, drawing comparisons with the rest of the UK and other countries. Lyndsey will explore how employee-led workforce learning can be encouraged to deliver innovation that leads to competitive advantage, employment growth, and increased productivity. The aims of the work are to: Continue reading →

Community councils and digital engagement: free workshops around Scotland this autumn

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Earlier this year I wrote about a workshop on digital engagement for community councillors hosted by Peter Cruickshank and Dr Bruce Ryan, both of whom are my colleagues in the Centre for Social Informatics. This first event at Edinburgh Napier University was a great success, as can be seen in the blogged review of the day and the outcomes report.

Following on from this, we are running another four such events in other locations this autumn in: South Ayrshire (9th October); Moray (30th October); Angus (13th November); and the Borders (20th November). Continue reading →

Introducing Dr Laura Muir, Dr Gemma Webster, and Dr Tom Kane

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Welcome to Dr Laura Muir, Dr Gemma Webster, and Dr Tom Kane, who have all recently joined the School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University. I am looking forward to working with them as members of my research group (the Centre for Social Informatics within the Institute for Informatics and Digital Innovation), and as fellow colleagues within the Information Systems teaching group, which is led by Dr Colin Smith. Continue reading →

A week in Aberdeen at iDocQ and i3 2015 #iDocQ2015 #i3rgu

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Seven weeks of dissemination

When Leo Appleton presents the slides for our joint-authored paper on the value and impact of public library services on citizenship development at the 11th Northumbria International Conference on Performance Measurement in Libraries and Information Services today, this will mark the end of a busy conference season for the staff and research students in the Centre for Social Informatics. Continue reading →

Digital storytelling: an opportunity for libraries to lead in a digital age

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Brian Detlor

The Centre for Social Informatics is currently hosting a visit of Dr Brian Detlor of McMaster University. Yesterday Brian gave a talk on his research and involvement with the Love your city, share your stories (LYCSYS) digital storytelling initiative in Hamilton, Canada. This initiative is led by the Hamilton Public Library, McMaster University Library, and the City of Hamilton.

Brian explained how LYCSYS involves the capture and dissemination of digital stories from Hamilton citizens. The stories relate to significant cultural and historical icons in a wide variety of digital formats, and the use of library resources (for example, photographs, geo-coded digital maps, archival material) to enrich and support the digital stories produced. The initiative is viewed as a critical community-based mechanism by which to promote the City of Hamilton’s cultural identity, and to contribute to the preservation of Hamilton’s history. Continue reading →