Department of Information Studies

Dissertation Topics List 2001-2002

Important: please note that outside organisations should not be approached directly without first consulting a member of the teaching staff of the Department. If you are unable to identify an appropriate member of staff in relation to a particular project, then please consult Nigel Ford.

New external projects added 28-01-2002. These are projects collaborating with organizations outside the Department.
More external projects added 6 Feb 2002. These are projects collaborating with organizations outside the Department.
More internal projects added 6 Feb 2002.
More projects from Miguel Nunes – addded 19 Feb 2002.
Additional external projects added 18 Feb 2002 [more added 22 Feb].

Below is the original list of projects issued before Christmas…

If you are interested in any of the following dissertation topics please talk to the member of staff listed as the contact, to find out more about what might be involved.

The following are not exhaustive lists of dissertation topics. If you are interested in a particular subject area/idea that does not appear in any of the lists below, please talk to an appropriate member of academic staff about your idea.

COMPUTATIONAL INFORMATICS RESEARCH GROUP

Information Storage and Retrieval (MARK SANDERSON, DANIELA PETRELLI & MICHELINE BEAULIEU)

Within the field of Information Storage and Retrieval, a series of projects are being offered jointly by these three potential supervisors. The projects listed here are all concerned with user testing: a process of studying a piece of existing software and observing how users re-act to it. Generally, in all these projects, no programming skills will be required. The IR group is well equipped to conduct these projects, with video monitoring and editing equipment and in the case of some of the projects money to help recruit subjects. If you are interested in the project please contact either Mark, Daniela, or Miche.

An assessment of a user interface facility for the presentation of a retrieved document set as a browsable rank list which can manipulated in different ways by the searcher. The evaluation experiment is part of a funded project, CLARITY, which is concerned with the development of a cross-language retrieval system.

An investigation into user searching behaviour for exploring concept hierarchies for query expansion. The project builds on previous MA dissertations on context-based searching linked with the CiQuest project.

An investigation into the presentation of concept hierarchies. This would involve comparing different ways of displaying concept hierarchies at the user interface. This study is also linked with the CiQuest project.

Conduct user based experiments for interactive cross language retrieval. The focus is on how users construct queries as well as how they interpret results. The work will contribute to our research group's participation in ICLEF, which is a European initiative for developing methodologies for the evaluation of cross language retrieval systems.

User test BBC audio retrieval system. In the Computer Science Department, there is a search engine that retrieves on current BBC news audio broadcasts. The audio is turned into searchable text thanks to a speech recogniser. The system works well, but has never been user tested. Do you want to conduct such a test?

User test St. Andrews image system: There is a photo library searchable from the Web held in St. Andrews University. They are interested in having someone conduct a user test of the system: examining how well the system serves its clients.

User test multi-media meta search system: there is a project currently running, which will in the next year or so will have built a multi-media metasearch engine (a search will return documents in different media form). The project people have not really thought much about how the search results should be presented to users. So if you can think up some interesting means of presenting documents, there is a project here in examining how users might react to such presentations would be the project.

User test temporal summaries: a research group in the United States built a computer system that summarises a series of documents written over a period of time, into a single summary. The summary hasn't been tested on users yet, so here's a project for you. The summaries have already been built, so we just need someone to conduct a test of these.

User test multi-document summarisation tool: researchers here and in the United States have been examining the issue of summarising search results and have each come up with similar types of multi-document summarisation systems. We would be interested in having someone perform a comparative test of these summaries.

Compare Google site search with in-house search engine: it is possible to search a single large Web site, such as the University of Sheffield’s Web site using either the University’s crappy searching system, or by using a “URL-restricted” Google search. I think it would be interesting to have someone examine with form of searching produces better results.

Extent of geographic queries on the Web? A project will be starting the department in the next few months exploring the utility of geographic information when Web searching. As a precursor to the research, I want someone to examine existing queries to Web search engines to examine the extent to which people submit queries that would benefit from a “geographically aware” search system. Large collections of queries to Web search engines already exist, it would merely be a matter of you examining them.

BARRY EAGLESTONE

Analysis of patterns of creativity in music composition

A quantity of rich data has been collected mainly by observing composers at work. Further qualitative analysis is required, with the aim of identifying how the software that they use can be improved.

An evaluation of computer music software and its support for creativity

There is an abundance of computer software for electroacoustic music composers. The dissertation will provide a systematic review of this software, seeking an appropriate taxonomy.

3. Human aspects relating to the use of ICT within a large organisation.

The dissertation will research issues relating to the use of ICT by employees in BT in Sheffield.

Contact: Bob Mitchell, BT.

4. What are the knowledge needs of a developing Primary Care Trust and how can knowledge services effectively meet these needs?

In April 2002 Rotherham’s three Primary Care Groups will merge to form one Primary Care Trust. This will result in a substantial culture change: There will be a new management structure; Groups of health care professionals and managers who had previously worked for separate organisations will be working together for a single NHS Trust. Primary care practitioners will further develop their role at the forefront of patient care. It is anticipated that the demand for access to current information and knowledge in this new organisation will be considerable. In order to provide a responsive and effective knowledge service we need assistance on a research project evaluating: The types of information and knowledge required by the PCT management to implement new structures and policies. How we can assist groups of staff to build new working relationships and practices by capturing and sharing knowledge, experience and expertise? How we can support primary care practitioners in evidence-based practice and continuing professional development? What areThe most effective way to deliver services? The research is likely to include questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. The results will help inform the development of a knowledge management service for Rotherham PCT.

Proposer: Helen Barlow, Primary Care Knowledge Manager, Rotherham Health Authority. helen.barlow@exs.rotherhm-ha.trent.nhs.uk

5. Evaluation of Consumer Health Information Projects in Hospital and Community Libraries in Rotherham

The Health Information Service based in the Patient’s Library of the Rotherham District General Hospital has a long history of providing health information to patients, carers and the general public. Recently, with funding from the NHS Information for Health programme, a specialist post has been created to extend this service through a new Healthinfo Unit in the hospital’s main concourse. From early in 2002, with funding from local regeneration budgets, a development project will extend and deliver these services through two of Rotherham’s community libraries. Further funding is currently being sought to extend these projects to Rotherham Central Library, a health centre and a supermarket. Assistance is required to: Evaluate the effectiveness of the components of these services, Including, where possible, the identification of actual outcomes, with a view to supporting bids to the Borough Council and the Rotherham health community to mainstream the funding and to extend the most effective services throughout Rotherham.

Proposer: Graham Matthews, Library Services Manager, Rotherham Health Care Library and Information Service. graham.matthews@rgh-tr.trent.nhs.uk

6. Developing and evaluating a video to promote effective use of the Internet for consumer health information

As part of the collaborative development of consumer health information services in Rotherham (see 1 above) it is intended to:Promote the use of Internet resources by the public, and Provide/develop tools to help end users assess the quality of web sites and the information found on them. We have access to professional in-house health promotion video production, with continuous play outlets in 50 GP surgeries and health centres. Assistance is required in developing one or two five minute video programmes covering these areas, to include: Research into patient use/non-use of the Internet, Development, with patient participation, of script/s End user evaluation of the finished product/s.

Proposer: Graham Matthews, Library Services Manager, Rotherham Health Care Library and Information Service. graham.matthews@rgh-tr.trent.nhs.uk

7. Development of National Library of Medicine based classification scheme for consumer health information publications

Rotherham Libraries has a possibly unique collection of approx 3000 published health information books (see 1 above for background) which is soon to be augmented with booklets and other media. At present these are arranged by an outdated scheme based on the NLM main classes. In order for them to be included compatibly on the library’s new Heritage management system along with the stock of the professional health care library assistance is required in: Identifying or devising ways in which the full NLM scheme could be adapted for use with CHI materials; Revising the current scheme in the health information collection, in the context of compatibility with the full scheme and the requirements of the Heritage catalogue; Testing and evaluating the proposed revision on new stock and a robust sample of existing stock; Devising a work plan for the conversion of the existing collection.

Proposer: Graham Matthews, Library Services Manager, Rotherham Health Care Library and Information Service. graham.matthews@rgh-tr.trent.nhs.uk

8. Monitoring enquiries – quantifying a specialist service within the modern health care library

As borrowing of printed material declines, and enquiry work of many types increases in quantity and complexity, the absence is acutely felt in many libraries of a practical management tool for: Defining enquiries; Differentiating them by their nature and the volume of staff and other resources required to deal with them; Comparing the performance of similar libraries. Rotherham Health Care Library serves the whole of the local NHS community and is unable to evidence proposals for developments in staffing levels and structure to address new demands. Assistance is required to: Identify and evaluate existing enquiry monitoring tools in other sectors; Draft a set of definitions and produce a workable instrument to count and differentiate enquires in the day to day setting of a special library and information unit; Test the instrument in contrasting health care libraries in Rotherham and surrounding areas. The development of such a tool may well find acceptance in the wider NHS library community and beyond.

Proposer: Graham Matthews, Library Services Manager, Rotherham Health Care Library and Information Service. graham.matthews@rgh-tr.trent.nhs.uk

9. Bibliotherapy at Wathwood Hospital Secure Unit

Wathwood Hospital, Wath-upon-Dearne, is a regional secure psychiatric unit, catering for a wide range of patients admitted through the court system who may be offenders or in need of high levels of care. The decision has recently been taken to develop bibliotherapy services with appropriate patients. Bibliotherapy covers the use of recommended or prescribed reading of specific titles – usually imaginative literature or personal accounts of mental or emotional conditions – followed by structured discussion involving both library and therapy staff, on a small group basis. In a separate development, it is intended to introduce bibliotherapy with people suffering from depression or anxiety related conditions in the wider community, on the lines of the scheme piloted in Kirklees. It is hoped to proceed with these developments from early in 2002. Assistance is required, from a mature and emotionally robust student, in the evaluation of these services, to: Identify and review appropriate approaches and experiences from elsewhere, If possible, identify outcomes in individual local cases; Develop and test methodologies for assessing the effectiveness of the techniques in use in the two contrasting settings.

Proposer: Jane Fennell, Librarian, Wathwood Hospital, Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham

jf@wathlib.freeserve.co.uk

10. Investigation of information and library use to support education and training needs amongst pre-registration students in nursing and the allied health professions, and undergraduate medical students from Sheffield University and Sheffield Hallam University when on placement in the NHS

The Confederation Library Review Project aims to identify whether the services and resources currently provided by NHS libraries in North Trent (covering the health communities of Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, North Derbyshire and Bassetlaw) are meeting the needs of all staff groups and of students on placement within the NHS. Changes to the way in which education is delivered are putting more emphasis on both self-learning and practical placements, which in turn will impact on local library services. As part of the review project we need assistance in evaluating the resources and services that are needed from local library services by students on placement in the NHS and also how students are using those library services. The research is likely to include questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. The results will help to inform recommendations from the Confederation Library Review Project to the Workforce Development Confederation for the development of library services to support students in the NHS.

Proposed by: Helen Godfrey, Confederation Outreach Librarian, North Trent Workforce Confederation, helen.godfrey@cndrh-tr.trent.nhs.uk

11. Development and evaluation of an educational package to promote use of needs assessment information and evidence in practice

Most health care professionals would like to base their practice on evidence and feel this would help them in improving patient care. However, the original idea that each health care professional should formulate questions; search, appraise and summarise the literature; and apply the evidence to patients has often proved too difficult along side the competing demands of clinical practice. Research indicates that over 90% of GPs believe that learning evidence handling skills is not a high priority, and even when resources are available, doctors rarely search for evidence. However, 72% do often use evidence-based summaries generated by others. Several specific strategies have been shown to change targeted clinical behaviours: discussions with an expert, academic detailing, advice from opinion leaders, targeted audit and feedback, computerised alerts or reminders and local development of evidence based policies. Printed materials are necessary to transmit knowledge, but need further active educational interventions to change practice. The focus of this project is PMS pilot practices in Rotherham. It seeks to help practices use need information held by their practice computer systems to highlight potential problems, and use this analysis to assist in the implementation of research evidence to improve quality of care.

Proposers: Dr Cathy Carmichael, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Helen Barlow, Primary Care Knowledge Manager, Rotherham Health Authority. Cathy.Carmichael@exs.rotherhm-ha.trent.nhs.uk

12. Web-based Learning Resources - Courseware for teaching Object and Object Relational and Web Database Design

Now that we are using Oracle, there is scope for Web-based material to reinforce lectures on developments in object, object relational and Web databases. The dissertation will review develop and evaluate prototype material

13. Multi-database design and engineering methods

14. Use of ontologies in database systems

15. A review of Grid Technologies

16. Evaluation of Helathcare Information Portals

17. Data Quality Strategies

VAL GILLET

I have a number of chemoinformatics projects that are reserved for students on the MSc Chemoinformatics - if anyone else is interested then please contact me. In addition to this I have the following topics,

We are looking into the design and implementation of Training Packages in Chemoinformatics and there is scope for dissertations that are appropriate for IM or IS students.
We have recently acquired a commercially available software package for data mining (appropriate for all kinds of data - not just chemical data) and would like to evaluate its performance.

MIGUEL NUNES

1. Survey, analysis and comparison of XML interoperability standards for web based learning resources.

MARK SANDERSON

Please note that I’m also offering user testing projects listed above. Note, although, at heart I’m a techy geek, I have ensured that these projects require very little or often no programming skills. Technical support will be provide where needed.

Measuring the effectiveness of retrieval systems without users. One of the most labour intensive tasks of IR research is in evaluating how well a search system has performed. I have some ideas that I would like someone to try out on how to make this a lot less expensive to do. This will require someone with some stats knowledge in order to analyse a large set of existing data.

Make a Web search engine run more efficiently. Later this year, the department is going to start involvement in a project that will require us to adapt an existing search system to search a large fraction of the Web. One of the challenges will be to make the engine search as efficiently as possible. A series of well understood methods have been published on how to do this well, and they have already been implemented on our search system. However, they need to be fine tuned for our particular search circumstances and I want to have someone work on this. Some degree (though not much) of programming experience will be required for this. But it is mostly a process of measuring the system in different configurations.

Image retrieval system: I have access to a large collection of images each with an associated text caption, I’d like someone to make this collection searchable and to test it out. A number of existing search engines are installed in the department, the dissertation would be a matter of adapting these systems to search this data. Some programming required here. Although the project might be transformable into something different with much less coding required.

Anaphoric references and IR: a successful Masters project run last year investigated the utility of resolving anaphoric references (‘it’, ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘his’, her’, etc) in a document text, when searching. The project produced very interesting results but could benefit from some further investigation. If you fancy doing a project in this area, there is lots of scope for further work. Some linguistic knowledge and no programming required.

Duplicate detection in reference managers, One of the tasks of a bibliographic reference manager is to locate entries in the system that are duplicates. Duplicate detection is made harder by the possibility of the entries having errors in them. I would like someone to investigate how well one can automatically detect duplicates in such a manager. I have access to a relatively large collection of references and already know which are duplicates, so testing such a system will be relatively straightforward. Knowledge of some programming language needed here, VBScript probably the best one to use.

Using Oracle for IR: the department has a full working copy of the Oracle database system. It is my understanding that although it is a database, Oracle can be used as a search engine as well. I’d like someone to investigate this how well Oracle can do this job. Programming likely to be required.

Investigating simple ways of matching Proper names written in different languages: London is written Londres in French. Sometimes it is necessary to have a computer spot that words like this are the same. There are existing programs that do approximate word matching, I need someone to test their effectiveness in this particular domain.

Can pidgins tell us about expressiveness of IR queries? Someone has already expressed strong interest in this project, but if you have some interest/ideas here I'd be more than happy to discuss some parallel project with you.

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT RESEARCH GROUP

PETER BATH

I have assembled a selection of potential dissertation topics in the area of health information, some of which reflect my own research interests in analysing health data and/or elderly people, and some of which have been developed in collaboration with colleagues in other Departments/ organisations. Some of these involve quantitative and some qualitaitive research, some involve primary data collection, others involve analyses of existing data. If you find the area of health information management/ health informatics interesting but none of the projects appeals to you, please contact me (p.a.bath@shef.ac.uk) and we can discuss other project ideas you might wish to study in this area.

1. Use of statistical methods and Artificial Intelligence techniques for identifying risks of mortality and other health outcomes in older people.

The Nottingham Longitudinal Study of Activity and Ageing is an ongoing study of older people who were interviewed in 1985 and have been foled up since then. A number of dissertations are possible examining factors that increase mortality and other adverse health outcomes among older people. You could use traditional statistical approaches for this work or you could use AI techniques, depending on your interests. This project would involve quantitative analyses of existing dataset, os data collection would not be necessary.

2. Use of Artificial Intelligence techniques for identifying people at risk of self-harm admitted to an Accident and Emrgency Department.

Data have been collected on several hundred patients admitted to a hospital Accident and Emrgency Department, and the researchers there are interested in using Artificial Intelligence techniques, e.g., artificial neural networks, to identify those people who are at most risk of injuring themselves. The proposed dissertation would involve surveying the Artificial Intelligence tools available and selecting one or more to use for these analyses. Get in touch with me if you are interested in this as a possible dissertation. The project would be in collaboartion with Dr. Mason, Department of Psychiatry, School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR).

3. Analysing information relating to the provision of care and provision of information by MacMillan nurses to people who are terminally ill and their carers.

I recently coolaborated in a study of the care that MacMillan nurses give to terminally ill people. One of the findings was that MacMillan nurses provide information during a third of their visits. It would be an interesting study to explore information provision to these patients and their carers in greater depth, e.g., you could identify the types of patient who need information, that stages at which they need this information, etc.. I am also interested in the factors that are related to the persons death. This project would involve quantitative analyses of existing dataset, os data collection would not be necessary..

4. Health information for patients, their families, their carers and the general public.

Over the last few years I have supervised a number of studies examining the use of health information (e.g., identifying information needs, information sources, use of information) by these specific groups of people, e.g., women with breast cancer, people experiencing depression, older people, people from minority ethnic groups, and these have yielded many interesting findings. If you are interested in a particular condition or group of patients I would be pleased to discuss ideas for possible dissertations. Alternatively, if you are interested in doing a dissertation in this area but do not have a definite idea about which patient group or condition, we can have a talk about possibilities. There is scope for quantitative and qualitative research in this area.

5. Evaluation of websites for information for patients, their families and carers.

The World Wide Web has become an important source of health information over the last few years. A number of studies have examined and evaluated web-sites for their information content and design and there have been several dissertations in this area and there is scope for others. If you are interested in evaluating web-sites for specific groups of people I would be pleased to discuss possible dissertations.

6. Survey of employers' needs for health informatics training and education.

The new MSc in Health Informatics is aimed at health care professionals and health service mangers working with information and IT in the health sector. It would be useful to have a better understanding of the sorts of knowledge and skills in health informatics that employers think are desirable.

7. Evaluation of NHSnet/Internet-based Primary Care Training to primary care health professionals in Oxfordshire.

The Institute of Health Sciences (IHS) Library in Oxford provides information in the areas of public health medicine, primary health care, evidence based medicine and statistics – its users are University of Oxford, NHS and health authority staff. Nationally all hospitals, health authorities and GP surgeries are being connected to NHSnet – the National Health Service’s own intranet – allowing them access to local resources and clinical information. Oxford Health Authority commissioned the IHS library to visit all GP surgeries in Oxfordshire (once connected to NHSnet) to provide training on the use of NHSnet and the resources available through it and the wider Internet. The IHS would like the training programme to be evaluated and there is potential for a dissertation to undertake this evaluation, by conducting a literature search, and carrying out a survey by designing and sending out a questionnaire. This study will be in collaboration with the Institute of Health Sciences Library.

8. Transfer of graph-theoretical methods from computational chemistry to pattern identification in Public Health.

An ongoing project is look at ways of using the chemical database searching algorithms developed by the Chemoinformatics research group to analyse datasets in other fields, particularly in Public Health. A program has been developed and is now being used to mine data provided by the Trent Geographical Information Systems (GIS) unit. If you are interested in doing a dissertation linked to this project, which may involve a small amount of programming, but will predominantly be searching the database and analysing the results, come and have a talk about this. This study will be in collaboration with the Trent GIS unit, located in the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR).

9. Analysing information provided by Childhood Bereavement Support Services.

This project will be concerned with one element of a larger national study of Childhood Bereavement Support Services, funded by the Clara Burgess Charitable Trust. As part of this study the research team are sampling the views of bereavement support workers about their reasons for undertaking this work, their expertise and training using a questionnaire. A possible dissertation could involve analysing existing data, or further primary data collection, or analysis of textual data obtained from information leaflets used by the services for children and parents. If you are interested in doing a dissertation in this area, come along and talk with me about it. It will be in collaboration with Professor Sheila Payne, Trent Palliative Care Centre.

10. Assumptions underpinning adult bereavement information leaflets provided by hospices and specialist palliative care units in the UK

In 1999, a large dataset of over 1000 leaflets for patients and their relatives was obtained from hospices and specialist palliative care units in the UK. While analysis of readability and content has been conducted, a more detailed analysis of subsets of information leaflets is required. The 1990’s marked a time of considerable change in relation to theoretical understanding of bereavement and grief. The purpose of the current research is to examine the assumptions underpinning the text used in the bereavement leaflets to determine to what extent it is based on ‘older’ or ‘newer’ conceptualisations of grief and loss. The proposed dissertation would depend upon your interests and skills. Some understanding of discourse analysis will be an advantage. It is likely that the analysis will be conducted on the existing data so no primary data collection will be required. It will be in collaboration with Professor Sheila Payne, Trent Palliative Care Centre.

11. Evaluation of information for the PIES web-site.

In developing a website of information for cancer patients and their families, the Trent Palliative Care Centre is establishing editorial panels who will be responsible for the quality assurance and evaluation of information that could potentially be included on the website. The process of communication between the people within these panels as well as the feedback from the panels to the co-ordinator for this process will undoubtedly be carried out via several mechanisms, with an electronic form being the main one. A dissertation project is possible developing an electronic mechanism to facilitate this process. This may be a separate password protected website linked to the main PIES website, containing feedback forms and email discussion lists enabling such a communication. The content of the project would be to develop some form of electronic mechanism to facilitate the work and communication of the editorial panels. It will be in collaboration with Professor Sam Ahmedzai and Hilde Hjelmeland Ahmedzai, Trent Palliative Care Centre.

NIGEL FORD

1. Information processing for "critical thinking"

This project would seek to investigate information processing in relation to "critical thinking". It is based on previous work that has developed a tentative model. The dissertation would entail in-depth interviews, cognitive style testing and the use of a questionnaire to be developed on the basis of the existing model and interview results.

2. Internet searching and individual differences

This dissertation would build on existing work in the Department by Dave Miller and Nigel Ford relating to differences in the way individuals search for information on the Web. It would entail the use of "think aloud" techniques, in-depth interviews, cognitive style testing and the development of a questionnaire.

3. The role of information seeking in autonomous learning

This project would seek to develop a model of the role of information seeking in the learning process with specific reference to the practice and development of independent or autonomous learning. This will entail the use of a cognitive styles test as well as in-depth interviews.

Please email me to discuss at mailto:n.ford@shef.ac.uk

JONATHAN FOSTER

1. Information Management in the Digital Economy

The development of techniques for effective information management e.g. information audits, information strategies, organizational learning, in the context of enterprise are possible topics.

2. Information Audits

There is the possibility of a specific project carrying out an information audit. To be confirmed. Please contact me for the latest information on this.

3. Information Strategies

I would be interested in discussing the development of an information strategy for a specific organization.

4. Computer-Based Collaborative Group Work

My interest in this area stems from my involvement in a Teaching and Learning Technology Programme project in the Department of Educational Studies. Potential topics include:

Organisational learning and managing institutional change in the adoption of collaborative technologies.

Tutoring in collaborative/cooperative environments and the development of collaborative/cooperative learning methods.

5. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)

If you are interested in use of SSM as a methodology for investigating the development of solutions to organizational problems involving information management and information systems there I would also be interested to hear from you.

Please e-mail me at: j.j.foster@sheffield.ac.uk to arrange an appointment to discuss any of the above topics.

PHIL LEVY

My research interests are principally in the field of educational informatics, defined as “the application of technologies associated with the use and communication of information in contexts of learning and development”. My focus is on learning, information literacy and community in the networked environment; the theory and practice of networked pedagogy and learner support; and, qualitative evaluation methodology, including action research. Contexts that I am interested in include formal education (schools, higher education); information services; community development and regeneration; public and private sector workplaces. If you have project ideas relating to educational informatics questions in any of these areas, I’ll be very happy to discuss them with you. Alternatively, here are some suggestions:

Primary and secondary education

Information literacy in secondary and primary education. There is a wide range of possible topics here. Questions include: how is information literacy being supported in schools, and how does this relate to relevant theoretical developments in the field? How do teachers understand information literacy in different discipline areas and at different educational levels? How do students understand information literacy? How can students with learning difficulties be helped to develop information literacy skills? What are teachers’ views on the Internet in learning and teaching? Projects could focus on schools in Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham.

· Information and communications technology in the classroom. What is the educational impact of using Interactive Whiteboard (IW) technology in the classroom? How might this technology be used to support learning/teaching in the area of information literacy? How can the impact of new ICTs in schools be measured? Two dissertations undertaken last year about IWs in Sheffield schools raise a number of further questions for follow-up studies, and the schools are very keen to work with DIS students again to take this line of inquiry forward. For background information, see http://dis.shef.ac.uk/eirg/projects/wboards.htm

· Home schooling and the Internet. How do home school associations and parents view the educational role of the Internet? What use is being made of the Internet in home schooling?

Higher education/professional development

· Again, I’m interested in information literacy issues, particularly in relation to networked learning, the use of virtual learning environments (VLEs), and participation in on-line learning communities. Projects could look at the question of information literacy from the point of view of learning, teaching or institutional policy. For example: to what extent has the concept of information literacy been taken up by the educational development community in UK H.E.? What is its status within institutional teaching and learning strategies?what might a University policy and strategy for information literacy look like, in the Sheffield context?

VLEs in campus-based learning. How can VLEs such as WebCT be best exploited for campus-based learning? For example, how might WebCT be used to support participation and learning on INF6002 (IM in Organisations)? Such a project would include evaluation research and design of model environment.

Educational informatics: professional development at Masters level. Investigation into international trends, particularly in on-line delivery, to inform feasibility study into the development of such a programme within DIS. What do programmes cover? How is the subject area conceptualised? Who are the programmes targeted at? How are they taught? Which departments (Education? Information Studies? other…) are providing them? Such a project would mainly involve desk research and analysis of programme descriptions, both from publicity (e.g. on the Web) and from papers in the literature, and should conclude with feasibility recommendations.

Critical review, updating and re-design of a Web site on the topic of learner support in the networked environment. The NetLinkS project (based in the Department, 1995-8) created an extensive, heavily-used Web site on the topic of ‘networked learner support’ (http://www.netways.shef.ac.uk). The site is in need of re-focusing and substantial updating in terms of content, plus redesign in terms of usability, so that it can be re-launched (with full credit to the designer!)

Health practitioners learning in an on-line community. There is scope for three projects focusing on aspects of an innovative initiative in on-line professional development on the DIS MSc in Health Informatics: a) an in-depth exploration of the way in which health practitioners go about learning in an on-line community, b) an evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of a new pedagogic strategy based on on-line, collaborative, problem-based learning, c) case study examination of the ‘innovation management’ issues arising from this initiative . These projects are of relevance to DIS but also have wider relevance too in the context of current developments in the NHS. PB, as programme coordinator, may also be involved in supervision of these projects.

Educational roles of information and technology specialists in the networked learning environment. How do these staff perceive their educational roles? Are role-perceptions amongst librarians, for example, changing in the context of ICT-related and other change in HE?

I also have research interests in the broad area of information and knowledge management. For example, last year I supervised dissertations on the use of intranets, and on the design and facilitation of ‘communities of practice’ within the context of knowledge management. If you have interests in these kinds of areas please do come and see me.

More specifically, there is an excellent opportunity this year to work on ‘real-life’ knowledge management related projects in association with The Employment Service (part of the Department for Education and Employment, and based in Sheffield). The Service is reviewing its information/knowledge management policy and strategy, and there will be scope for three complementary projects: a) an information audit (supervised by JF); b) a communications audit (supervised by PL); c) a research-based strategy briefing (supervised by FBL).

Martin White (Visiting Prof in DIS) has suggested a number of topics related to intranets that could be worked up into dissertation topics. If you’re interested in any of these please come to see me in the first instance. As follows:

a) Intranet sites vs web sites

Many commentators refer to intranets as “internal web sites”. Certainly intranets and web sites use the same technology, but just what are the commonalities? The objective of this project would be to develop a set of characteristics that could be used to compare a web site and an intranet.

This is important in a number of respects. First to what extent are content management software applications designed for web sites applicable to intranet? . For example, most web sites use a very centralised publishing model, whereas intranet content contribution is increasingly decentralised across all employees. Second, to what extent are the skills of a web manager relevant to intranet management? Many web design companies try to create intranets, but with limited success. Third, is the information architecture for a web site also suitable for an intranet. i.e. are there different trade-offs between depth and breadth (see http://www.research.microsoft.com/users/marycz/chi.htm )

b Access to external information resources through an intranet

Most commercial information vendors are now adapting their products so that they can be accessed through a customer’s intranet. Some of these vendors are just providing a data feed to an industry standard, whilst others (such as Factiva and Mediapps are providing full integration services. This has a significant impact on the pricing models used by each vendor. The aim of this project is to develop (if possible) a market segmentation model. This could be done either for the business information, or the STM, sectors (depending on the interests of the student) or across both sectors on a comparative basis. It would be useful to have a SWOT analysis of the various business models.

c Intranet usability testing

Over the last couple of years there has been increasing interest in intranet usability. There are two good books on web site usability, Designing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen ( New Riders Publishing, Indianapolis, 1999 ISBN 1-56205-801-X) and Usability for the Web by Tom Brinck, Darren Gergle and Scott D. Wood (Morgan Kaufmann Publishers 2002 ISBN 1-55860-658-0). Both make reference to usability issues for intranets. In theory it should be easier to undertake usability tests within a corporate intranet environment, but in practice the view is perhaps taken by the intranet manager that they are familiar with the requirements of users. This project could either be tackled from the approach of designing an approach to usability testing for an intranet, and/or from a survey of what is being done in practice to ensure usable intranets. Note that this is not a survey of what content is on an intranet, but how it can be accessed.

d Multilingual intranet management

The intranets of global organisations may well have sections in many different languages, and it may be necessary for a user to be able to find information on the same topic in intranet sites in many different languages. The objective of this project is to look at the information access solutions that are available, including search engines and computer translation. This topic is likely to be especially important in organisations with business interests in countries that do not use European alphabets. Of particular interest is the extent to which search engines are truly multi-lingual, in that they can take a work/concept in one language and search simultaneously in all other languages. Are Bayesian-model search engines especially effective in this regard? Some case histories would be of interest, even if they showed that most UK companies impose English as the standard intranet language even when it is not the mother tongue of many employees.

e Intranets in local government

The impetus in the UK towards e-services for the citizen should catalyse the development of intranets as a means of serving information from internal systems onto a web site. Many local authorities in the UK are moving in this direction, but progress is still fairly slow. The aim of this project would be to profile some local authorities (perhaps different in size, or the same) to see what challenges they face, and the prospects for achieving the government targets for 100% delivery of services to the citizen by 200

ANGELA LIN

e-Government initiative

Does the UK government’s eCommerce policy provide the nation with competitive advantage in the global environment?

Critiques of the government’s vision of e-society

eCommerce and eBusiness

Any issues related to e-Commerce and e-Business

Does doing business online allow a company to be global?

Connected to the Internet? What are the potential problems or enabling factors for SMEs to do business online?

Can mobilization impact on individuals’ computer literacy?

Information systems management

Critical analysis of factors that contribute to the failure of IT project(s) in the public sector

The impact on information systems in the emerging economies

Role of information systems in profit making organizations

Role of information systems in the public sector

BRENDAN LOUGHRIDGE

1. The impact of electronic resources on reference book collections in libraries (academic or public). Collection management policies vis-à-vis printed resources.

2. The attitudes to and use (or non-use) of electronic reference works (i.e. dictionaries, encyclopaedias, etc. rather than elecronic journals or databases) by information professionals

3. The information needs and information seeking behaviour of academics in Departments of German (or Spanish or Portuguese), with particular reference to the Internet and electronic resources generally.

4. An investigation careers officers' and advisors' perceptions of library and information services as a career.

5. Current pre-library school trainee schemes ( particularly in academic libraries), the views of managers and trainees

6. The management training and education needs of chief and senior library staff in academic or public libraries. What are these needs and what is currently being done to meet them? What is happening elsewhere, for example in the USA? What could/should departments of library and information studies do to deliver formal programmes aimed at senior management?

7. "The World's Encyclopaedia of Record Music Archive (WERM) A collection of papers relating to the compilation and editing of WERM has been presented to the British Library. The British Library is seeking advice on how this collection might be developed as a resource.

8. Computer-assisted assessment, with particular reference to departments of library and information studies. A survey of current practice and the issues involved.

9. A number of possible topics have been suggested by Sheffield Hallam University Learning Centre

a) Student perceptions of the Learning Centre as a learning environment vs social space? Acceptable behaviour, usage, etc. (With recommendations about how to resolve it!)

b) The SCONUL Advisory Committee on Buildings is looking for some help with creating a briefing paper which deals with environmental control of buildings. The topics which we have in mind are areas such as heating, temperature, humidity, lighting, energy and noise, which might be handled through a review of existing literature and sources of information.

c) Managing user behaviour in libraries - comparing Adsetts, Collegiate and University of Sheffield libraries and the different types of services/use of the buildings plus ways of managing noise and social behaviour to minimise the impact on users as a whole.

MAGGIE McPHERSON

Educational Informatics Topics – Use of Technology to Support Learning

Attitudinal Study of Students Studying Project Management via Distance Learning and On-Campus Mixed-Mode Learning. Objectives: to discover differences and similarities of student perceptions to similar course content delivered in different modes.

What are the Critical Success Factors for e-Learning from the Learner’s Point of View? Objectives: to determine what factors MUST be in place for learner to achieve successful e-Learning.

e-Government Topics – Use of IT for Government

Mapping Access Land in England – How well is/has the consultation process worked?

The Countryside Agency are preparing maps of all open country and registered common land in

England as a statutory duty under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The main elements of the work are:

the production of draft, provisional and conclusive maps of open country and registered common land throughout England;
consultation on draft maps and keeping a comprehensive record of comments, the decisions taken in the light of comments, and the reasons for those decisions;

and

procurement and installation of a computer system, to enable the Agency to manage and publicise access land closures and restrictions.

Objectives: to determine how well the Countryside Agency website supported the above and the effectiveness of the consultation process.

Can Business Strategic Partnership Models be mapped onto an e-Government Strategic Partnership? Objectives: to find out what the benefits, risks and issues for such partnerships might be. Could include an examination of the history of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) / Public/Private Partnerships (PPP), e.g. London Tube, Liverpool, Barnsley.

Are SMARTCARDS a Way of Reintegrating Socially Excluded Citizens into the Digital Society? Objectives: to examine effectiveness of initiatives to encourage socially excluded citizens to participate in the Information Society. Examples; Pathway Project with ICL and Post Office, Rothercard which gives discounts in shops, Citizen Card from Southampton.

Management of IT - Implications of IT/IS for Managers

A Critical Analysis of a Small Scale Project Using Prince 2 Project Management

Methodology. Objectives: to examine the “Surf for Health” project to discover the effectiveness of Prince 2 as a project management tool.

An Examination of the Suitability of a Content Management Solution for the “Surf for Health” Project. Objectives: to study the “Surf for Health” project to discover the suitability of the content for its intended audience.

Evaluation of the Design and Development of the “Surf for Health” website. Objectives: to examine the “Surf for Health” project to evaluate the efficacy of its design and development process..

RICHARD PROCTOR

1. Assistant power? What influence can library/information assistants have on management in public libraries? An exploration of leadership ‘low down.’

2. The impact and potential of electronic information resources in public libraries. To what extent can public libraries follow academic libraries in‘going electronic’? Does the public library’s role as a social environment constrain their electronic development?

3. PCs, public libraries and people. A number of issues have arisen from recent funded research. How can computer anxiety best be overcome? What would most motivate the hangers-back to use ICT in libraries? Do people have difficulty interpreting their needs in terms of the ‘invisible services’ inside a computer?

4. ‘Re-inventing the date-stamp?’ or ‘Have you heard about the library that…’ Innovation in libraries. How effectively are good ideas disseminated and shared? Could be limited to one sector.

5. The library needs of working class people. Why do two thirds of working class people not appear to be using the public library? Is this true of all public libraries? Are there institutional barriers or do working class people simply not need public libraries? See John Pateman http://libr.org/ISC/articles/10-public.html for one strongly held view.

6. School Library Services: Used or Misused? There is strong evidence from teachers that School Library Services are valued yet little research has been done on the value they add to school library collections and exactly how the resources are used in schools. Do they really meet needs or are they just ‘better than nothing’.

7. How well does the public library meet the lifelong learning needs of

a) ethnic minority users, b) disabled people, c) young males?

These are all groups whose participation in formal learning is known to be low. Three dissertations here.

8. Public libraries -the weakest link? An investigation into where people in a community get their information from. What are the information networks? Do they ‘ask a friend’? What are the differences between (say) a poor inner-city community and one in a richer area. What factors determine information networks? Social class? Education? Or what?

9. Measuring the performance of public reference libraries. Anecdotal evidence shows reference enquiries are down in many places Why is this? It may be too simplistic to attribute it to home internet access.

How good are the answers people get? What is the reference library ‘failure rate’?

BOB USHERWOOD

At a recent meeting, the Minister responsible for libraries, Tessa Blackstone, produced a position paper, which introduces a number of topics, which are suitable for exploration. They are as follows

1: Maximising the contribution that public libraries can make to government objectives.

This is concerned with such issues as: Where can libraries make the greatest impact? What are the key outcomes and how might they be delivered? What are the barriers to success?

The DCMS also wants to examine the role of the public library in terms of

2: Providing mediated access to information

3: Providing support for formal education or “learning for a purpose"

4: Helping to improve literacy and fostering a love of reading

5: Helping develop communities and improve their cohesion: This could include some consideration of the ideas explored in Putnam’s Bowling alone and McCabe’s Civic Librarianship.

6: Providing mediated access to ICT and basic ICT skills

1. Information Management in the Digital Economy

Primary and secondary education

Higher education/professional development

Information systems management

Educational Informatics Topics – Use of Technology to Support Learning

e-Government Topics – Use of IT for Government

Management of IT - Implications of IT/IS for Managers

2: Providing mediated access to information

4: Helping to improve literacy and fostering a love of reading

Other topics included