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This year’s iConference was hosted by my former colleagues at Edinburgh Napier University, with on-site sessions for 340 delegates taking place at the University’s Craiglockhart campus between 29th March and 2nd April 2026. I was delighted to join the event to catch up with old colleagues and external work friends, and to learn about new directions in information science research from the next generation of researchers. Continue reading
Tag Archives: David Haynes
All change for Dr Bruce Ryan
After 13 years at Edinburgh Napier University, Dr Bruce Ryan’s role as Senior Research Fellow has come to an end. Last Friday, I joined Bruce for a special meal to mark his last day in paid employment at the University. Amongst the other guests were our (former) colleagues Dr Peter Cruickshank, Dr David Haynes, and Dr Rachel Salzano.
I worked closely with Bruce for over a decade when we were colleagues in the Centre for Social Informatics. Of the many projects on which we collaborated, three stand out: Continue reading
A new recruit and two retirees: news of Dr Rachel Salzano, Dr Peter Cruickshank, and Dr David Haynes
Congratulations to Dr Rachel Salzano, who starts the new academic year 2024/5 with a permanent contract as a lecturer in the Applied Informatics subject group of the School of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University.
Rachel initially took up a fixed-term post within the Group soon after completing her PhD on public libraries, forced migrants, and culture, which I supervised from 2019 within the Centre for Social Informatics alongside Dr David Brazier and Dr Gemma Webster (now a lecturer at Dundee University). It is great news that Rachel‘s contract is now open-ended. Continue reading
Applications invited for a fully-funded PhD studentship on digital literacy skills

The successful candidate will be based at Edinburgh Napier University’s Merchiston campus
Applications are invited for a fully-funded PhD studentship within the Social Informatics Research Group at Edinburgh Napier University. The successful candidate will work with Director of Studies Dr David Haynes on a project entitled Digital literacy skill requirements for new employees and its relation to productivity in the Scottish economy. Continue reading
Centre for Social Informatics ‘all centre’ meeting June 2022

Dr Peter Cruickshank, Dr David Brazier, Dr David Haynes, Dr Hazel Hall, Katherine Stephen, Dr Bruce Ryan, and Dr JP Vargheese pose for a post-meeting selfie
For the first time since 18th December 2019, this week members of my research group gathered for an end of year ‘all centre’ meeting to celebrate our recent research highlights.
Although not everyone could make it on this occasion, those who could enjoyed spending the afternoon of Wednesday 22nd June together. We took it in turns to deliver short personal updates to the rest of the group on our own research. We also read out details sent to us by email from those who could not participate in person, and gave each absent colleague a round of applause. Continue reading
Applications open for 10 fully-funded PhD studentship places within the School of Computing, Edinburgh Napier University

PhD supervisors from the Centre for Social Informatics
The School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University is currently advertising ten fully-funded PhD studentships across a wide range of subjects, from sound technologies to cybersecurity. Amongst these are four proposed by Centre for Social Informatics colleagues: Continue reading
Strong showing from the Centre for Social Informatics at the ASIST 24-hour Global Conference
The two-day ASIST 24-hour Global Conference opens today across all time zones. Five members of the Centre for Social Informatics (CSI) will be presenting their research completed within the Centre in four presentations as part of the the Europe/Africa programme tomorrow (27th April 2022). They are: Continue reading
Four new projects for the Centre for Social Informatics
Congratulations to Centre for Social Informatics colleagues Dr Peter Cruickshank, Dr David Haynes, Dr Bruce Ryan, and Dr Frances Ryan on securing internal Edinburgh Napier University funding for four new research projects. Continue reading
Goodbye 2021, hello 2022
Edinburgh Napier University opened its doors again this morning after the Christmas break. This, however, is metaphorical reopening for me. As record numbers of Covid19 cases are reported in Scotland (and the UK as a whole), I will be continuing my research and PhD supervision activities off-campus from home. Continue reading
Masters graduation day for Social Informatics PhD students John Marshall and Marianne Wilson
Congratulations to Centre for Social Informatics PhD students John Marshall and Marianne Wilson, who will be awarded their MSc(R) degrees by the University of Edinburgh today. John and Marianne undertook this degree as the first funded year of their 1+3 ESRC/Skills Development Scotland doctoral programmes, awarded by the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science.
Study for the MSc(R) degree at the University of Edinburgh comprises core training in social science research methods with modules on research design, data collection, and data analysis, and elective specialist modules specific to individuals’ research interests and needs. Continue reading

