With the rise of 'research quality frameworks' and 'impact agendas', university-based internet researchers are increasingly required to position themselves and their research in terms of benefit to local policy and governance structures. This fishbowl brings together researchers from Australia, Canada and the UK to share diverse experiences of research consultancy and collaboration in a range of government, non-government and not-for-profit settings - including school-based 'sext education', digital LGBTQ health outreach, data literacy training and e-safety policy development. Each facilitator will offer a brief case study/provocation exploring the material realities of collaborative and applied interdisciplinary work.
For example: how can researchers move from a space of critique to pragmatic collaboration? How can organisations that primarily see digital technologies as EITHER pathologised and pathologising sources of misinformation and 'toxicity' OR economical delivery systems for expert advice and self-tracking be persuaded to think differently?
As universities are called upon to demonstrate 'real world outcomes', it is likely more academics will be called on to grapple with these questions - consequently we seek to promote skill-sharing and build the foundations of a shared language to promote support and recognition at institutional and national levels, and to forge networks that will help emerging and established scholars deal with opportunities and challenges presented by interdisciplinary collaborations and consultancies.
Facilitators/fish:
Kath Albury, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Jean Burgess, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Paul Byron, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
