Topic: An Empirical Analysis of Ethical, High Quality, Open Metadata
About the project: In this funded PhD, you will work under the supervision of two information scientists, Professor Diane Rasmussen Pennington and Dr David Haynes, who are highly regarded as leaders in the areas of metadata and knowledge organisation. You would be based within the world-leading Social Informatics Research Group at Edinburgh Napier University, which Prof Rasmussen Pennington leads. You would explore, identify, define, and observe empirically the currently nebulous but increasingly important concept of ethical quality metadata in online contexts. More specifically, you will study metadata in a particular context to be identified in collaboration with your supervisors, for example social media data, library catalogue discovery metadata, or metadata for institutional knowledge management. You will develop a theoretical framework that positions your analysis of that context, including defining the ethical principles related to ‘openness’ of metadata and how this relates to advancing the sharing of knowledge for the intended users of that data. You will then use that framework to conduct a mixed method data collection and analysis of a sample within the chosen context and conclude with both theoretical and practical implications of your results.
Academic qualifications: A first-class honours degree, or a distinction at master level, or equivalent achievements ideally in the humanities or social sciences with a good fundamental knowledge of relevant information professional skills such as information organisation, metadata standards, and library cataloguing.
English language requirement: IELTS score must be at least 6.5 (with not less than 6.0 in each of the four components). Other, equivalent qualifications will be accepted. Full details of the University’s policy are available at https://www.napier.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/research-degrees/application-process.
Application process: Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the primary supervisor, Professor Diane Rasmussen Pennington, at [email protected] to discuss the content of the project and the fit with their qualifications and skills before preparing an application.
The application must include:
1. Research project outline of 2 pages (list of references excluded) with the details about:
— Background and motivation of the project. The motivation must be supported by relevant literature. You can also discuss the applications you expect for the project results.
— Research questions or objectives.
— Methodology: types of data to be used, approach to data collection, and data analysis methods
— List of references
2. Statement no longer than 1 page describing your motivations and fit with the project.
3. Two academic references (but if you have been out of education for more than three years, you may submit one academic and one professional reference).
4. Recent and complete curriculum vitae.
5. Documents proving your qualifications and your skills.
Links to the reference forms and online application can be found at https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/an-empirical-analysis-of-ethical-high-quality-open-metadata/?p157875.
To be considered, the application must use:
“SCEBE0523” as project code.
The advertised title as project title.
All applications must be received by 21st May 2023 and include the required documents. Applicants who have not been contacted by 1 month later should assume that they have been unsuccessful.