Rose Hubbard awarded BIALL Professional Studies Bursary to study at the Information School

Congratulations to Rose Hubbard who has been awarded a Professional Studies Bursary from BIALL (British and Irish Association of Law Librarians) to study on the MA Library and Information Services Management course.

 
Further information on BIALL bursaries can be found on the BIALL website.

Online Friendships and Sharing in People living with Serious Health Conditions: A Powerful Play and Informal Discussion -Saturday 24 September 2016

You are warmly invited to attend this Saturday's Festival of the Mind event concerned with highlighting the experiences of people with serious health conditions and the support and friendship that can be found in online forums.  Our aims are to:

• Raise awareness of the benefits and risks of online forums for people with serious health conditions  
• To bring to life the human stories of people experiencing serious health conditions who develop friendships in the virtual world
•  To explore how trust and empathy develops within the online world    

The play explores the experiences of women living with breast cancer in a unique on-off performance.  The script is based on the findings of research that analysed threads on the Breast Cancer Care online forum and interviews with forum users.  This event is a collaboration between the Space for Sharing research project and the Dead Earnest theatre company.

There will be an informal discussion afterwards to talk about online sharing, led by Professor Peter Bath from the Space for Sharing project. 

Who is it for?

This event will appeal to anyone interested in viewing an inspiring theatrical performance; but it may appeal especially to people experiencing serious ill-health, their families and friends, and health practitioners from any discipline.

This interesting and inspiring event is free to attend.  No booking is required, just turn up on Saturday 24 September 2016, 11:00am - 1:00pm, Spiegeltent, Barkers Pool (opposite John Lewis), Sheffield City Centre.

Further information can be found on the Festival of the Mind webpage or you can contact    p.a.bath@sheffield.ac.uk or sarah.hargreaves@sheffield.ac.u

Online Friendships and Sharing in People living with Serious Health Conditions: A Powerful Play and Informal Discussion - Saturday 24 September 2016

You are warmly invited to attend this Festival of the Mind event concerned with highlighting the experiences of people with serious health conditions and the support and friendship that can be found in online forums.  Our aims are to:

• Raise awareness of the benefits and risks of online forums for people with serious health conditions  
• To bring to life the human stories of people experiencing serious health conditions who develop friendships in the virtual world
•  To explore how trust and empathy develops within the online world    

The play explores the experiences of women living with breast cancer in a unique on-off performance.  The script is based on the findings of research that analysed threads on the Breast Cancer Care online forum and interviews with forum users.  This event is a collaboration between the Space for Sharing research project and the Dead Earnest theatre company.

There will be an informal discussion afterwards to talk about online sharing, led by Professor Peter Bath from the Space for Sharing project. 

Who is it for?

This event will appeal to anyone interested in viewing an inspiring theatrical performance; but it may appeal especially to people experiencing serious ill-health, their families and friends, and health practitioners from any discipline.

This interesting and inspiring event is free to attend.  No booking is required, just turn up on Saturday 24 September 2016, 11:00am - 1:00pm, Spiegeltent, Barkers Pool.

Further information can be found on the Festival of the Mind webpage or you can contact    p.a.bath@sheffield.ac.uk or sarah.hargreaves@sheffield.ac.uk
 

Teaching Excellence in Social Sciences Award for Dr Briony Birdi

Dr Briony Birdi has been awarded a Faculty 'Teaching Excellence in Social Sciences' award for Outstanding Practice in Learning and Teaching.

Briony will be presented with her certificate by Professor Gill Valentine on 18th October 2016 at an awards event in the Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences, University of Sheffield. 

Congratulations to Briony.

Professor Stephen Pinfield Interviewed by Library Journal

Professor Stephen Pinfield of the Information School has been interviewed by Library Journal. The interview is part of the publications series on Open Access and includes the following questions:

·       What are the forces that brought open access this far?

·       How is open access being implemented in different ways globally?

·       What are the viable alternatives to green and gold models?

·       Do different discipline-based approaches to open access present a challenge?

·       Do subject or institution repositories make open access materials harder to find?

·       What is the future of the version of record?

The interview can be accessed on the Library Journal website  here.

PhD Student Seminar - Educational computer games and their impact on mathematics anxiety in University students

Educational computer games and their impact on mathematics anxiety in University students

Marc Bonne

Friday 16th September, 12 noon, RC-231, Information School, Regents Court

Abstract

Educational computer games have been shown to increase motivation to learn mathematics in university students, however little is known on how they impact on mathematics anxiety, a phenomenon known to reduce motivation to learn and hinder performance in solving mathematics problems. This study aims to compare mathematics anxiety levels in University students before and after playing an online mathematics game. A literature review was carried out identifying the known causes, symptoms and strategies used to reduce mathematics anxiety. A systematic literature review was also developed comparing existing mathematics anxiety scales used in previous research, with one selected to use in the study. Finally, a pre-pilot exploratory usability study was performed to determine which of three games would be suitable for use in the pilot and main study, revealing that timers, reward systems, and feedback used in games affect participant anxiety and confidence the most.

This event is free and there is no need to book in advance

Information School PhD Student Titima Thumbumrung Wins Merit Award at ECKM 2016

Congratulations to Information School PhD student Titima Thumbumrung who recently won a merit award for her paper at the 2016 European Conference on Knowledge Management (ECKM 2016). This is in addition to winning the best poster prize at the European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies (ECRM 2016) in June 2016.

Journal Article by Dr Andrew Cox selected as Outstanding Paper

Congratulations to Dr Andrew Cox whose journal article "Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”” has been selected as the Outstanding Paper in the 2016 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence.

The article was published in Library Review 2015 Vol 64 4 E and was selected for the award by the journal’s editorial team.  The article is being made freely available for one year at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/page/samples/lr and is based on Andrew's Wicked Ways in RDM project. It was co-authored by all the project participants.

A message from Professor Peter Bath, incoming Head of the Information School, for staff and research students

It is almost 26 years ago that I sat in a lecture theatre in the University’s Medical School with about 70 other new students and we were welcomed to the then Department of Information Studies by the Head of Department, Professor Tom Wilson. Tom spoke about library and information science and how the courses we were embarking upon would be the start of our careers in the information profession. I never imagined, sitting there listening to Tom that, over a quarter of a century later, my career would lead to my becoming Head of the Information School and it feels strange that I will, in a couple of weeks time, be standing up in front of a new cohort of students to welcome them to Sheffield and the School.

Although I did not realize it at the time, my journey to becoming Head of School really started that day in September 1990. Following my MSc, I studied for my PhD, under the supervision of Peter Willett. I then worked, first as Research Fellow, then as Lecturer, in Information Science in the Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing. I returned to the Department in 2000 to set up the MSc in Health Informatics. I have been here ever since, although I never really felt I had left. During that time, there have been five Heads of Departments: Micheline Beaulieu, Peter Willett, Sheila Corrall, Phil Levy and, most recently, Val Gillet. They all contributed a great amount to the Department in their time as Head and I feel very humble and privileged to be following in their footsteps.

I would like to give my deepest thanks to Val, for all her hard work as Head of School over the last four years; she has done a fantastic job leading the School. During that time, the School has achieved a great deal under Val’s leadership and we now stand in a very good position. Our student numbers have grown and the research income that has been generated through new projects has increased substantially. Val has overseen the School’s preparations for REF2014, in which we achieved a score of 100% and were ranked top for our research environment. Two new, and highly successful, programmes, the MSc in Data Science and the MA in Library and Information Services Management, have been introduced. There have been changes to staff and, under Val’s leadership, the School has recruited excellent staff to the professional services team and academic staff. These are just a few highlights from Val’s time as Head. She has been a great leader we all owe Val a great deal of thanks for her hard work. I know Val will be a very tough act for me to follow.

Knowing Val as I do, I am sure that she would be the first to say the School’s achievements have only been possible through your support, as colleagues, across the School. Val has been a great leader and she has led a team of great people: I would like to thank you all staff for the work and support you give the School. We are a team and we all work together. Val has led us through challenging times and I know that there will be challenges ahead for us in the next few years. I also know that, with your support and your work, the School is in a strong position to face these challenges. I see the role of Head of School as leading it, and also serving it; I look forward to working with you all and to building on the School’s achievements.

Dr Jo Bates, Dr Andrew Cox, Dr Angela Lin and Dr Paul Reilly appointed as editors for Online Information Review

Congratulations to Dr Jo Bates, Dr Andrew Cox, Dr Angela Lin and Dr Paul Reilly at the Information School have been appointed as editors for the international Online Information Review journal.

The Information School Scores 100% for Overall Student Satisfaction in National Student Survey (NSS) 2016.

The Information School has achieved a score of 100% for Overall Student Satisfaction in this year's National Student Survey (NSS) results.

Dr Elisa Serafinelli to present at the International Disaster Risk Management Conference, Davos, Switzerland - 31 August 2016

Information School Research Associate Dr Elisa Serafinelli will present at the International Disaster Risk Management Conference, Davos, Switzerland on 31st August 2016.

The title of Dr Serafinelli's presentation is: “SPEAK: Social media and crisis communication during cascading disasters”. Her talk will present the findings discussed in the final report of the research project CascEff and outlines the best practices for communication between key agencies and the public during disasters.

Webber and Lau present at IFLA's World Library and Information Congress #WLIC2016

Sheila Webber presented an invited talk on Information Literacy in Europe, MIL and Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the IFLA Information Literacy Section's session at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Columbus, Ohio, USA on 16 August. The powerpoint is embedded below.
Another invited presenter in the session was Dr Jesus Lau, Director, Research Center on Veracruzana University Documentation, México and an alumnus of the Information School's doctoral programme, who talked about the UNESCO Media and information literacy (MIL) assessment guidelines, and MIL in Latin America.

Batool and Webber win in ASIST paper contest

Syeda Batool and Sheila Webber were third place winners in the The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIST) Special Interest Group on International Information Issues (SIG III) International Paper Contest for their paper (based on Batool's doctoral research): Mapping the information literacy situation in primary schools: A case of Pakistan. Syeda Batool (who is Assistant Professor at the University of the Punjab, Lahore) will be awarded a two-year individual membership to ASIST.

PhD student Wasim Ahmed delivers seminar to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Information School PhD student Wasim Ahmed from the Health Informatics Research Group delivered a research seminar to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Government Office in London early this week. The seminar was also broadcast to members from the DWP Office in Sheffield. 

The talk centred on social media analytics based on Wasim’s PhD work and covered applications such as Echosec, Visibrain, NodeXL, and DiscoverText.  Wasim is supervised by Professor Peter Bath, and Dr Gianluca Demartini.