[Air-L] PhD positions in social media, digital footprints, cyber-security

[Adam Joinson]

Hello all,

We have eight PhD posts out for advert at the moment that might be of interest to some members of the list:

1) Seven positions at various institutions as part of the CREST project (Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats: www.crestresearch.ac.uk <http://www.crestresearch.ac.uk/>) closing 4th April. Open to UK/EU students who should have a Masters level qualification or equivalent meeting ESRC MRes guidelines.

Link: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ANC672/seven-full-time-phd-studentships-interdisciplinary/ <http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ANC672/seven-full-time-phd-studentships-interdisciplinary/>

For digital media / comms, the following would look to be of most interest:

PhD-4 (LU 3.5yr studentship): Enhancing our Understanding of Digital Traces (David Ellis [LU], Lukasz Piwek [UBath], Paul Taylor [LU])

This PhD will explore how digital footprints from wearable and mobile technologies can be used to infer details about their user. The PhD will (1) explore how data from wearable devices (e.g., movement, location and sleep quality) can predict other psychologically relevant traits (e.g., personality, mood); (2) aim to build a series of computational models that can accurately identify changes in an individual’s everyday behaviour; and (3) consider how, in conjunction with other physiological measures (e.g., heart rate), this data could predict more complex psychological states (e.g., depression). Such understanding could be of value in understanding and mitigating security threats from the leakage of personal data through mobile and wearable technology, as well as in monitoring the well-being of security personnel in stressful and dangerous environments.

PhD-6 (ESRC SWDTC studentship): The Nature of ‘Shadow Security’ and Facilitators of Security Ownership (Adam Joinson [UBath], Debi Ashenden [CU], Stacey Conchie [LU])

This PhD will examine the existence and nature of shadow security—employees’ adoption of alternative security behaviours that are invisible to security professionals—within the security sector. Its focus is to provide a method of helping employees act as a resource for identifying more creative approaches to protective security. Specifically, the PhD will: (1) study what types of ‘shadow security’ employees use; (2) examine whether or not all types of ‘shadow security’ mechanisms are equal; (3) attempt to derive a set of heuristics that describe how ‘shadow security’ mechanisms are constructed by users, and understand any ‘dimensions’ on which these heuristics fail; and, (4) examine how this understanding can be leveraged to improve organisational security.


2) One PhD studentship on behavioural science and cyber-security (http://www.bath.ac.uk/management/phd/pdf/ursa-advert-behavioural-science-and-cyber-security-phd.pdf <http://www.bath.ac.uk/management/phd/pdf/ursa-advert-behavioural-science-and-cyber-security-phd.pdf>). Although the position is open globally, the funding is only sufficient to cover UK/EU fees plus stipend, so candidates would need to cover any shortfall arising from international fees.

Closing date: 29th April 2016

Indicative topics:
-  Digital footprints and understanding individuals

-  Behaviour across social media platforms and ‘typical’ vs. ‘atypical’ users

-  Shaping behaviour in social media

-  Communication, rapport and persuasion in online spaces.

 

Feel free to drop me a line to informally discuss on either my gmail or work email.

Cheers
Adam.


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Adam Joinson
Professor of Information Systems
Information, Decisions and Operations Division
School of Management
East Building Room 3.1
University of Bath
Bath BA2 7AY

01225 383319
E: A.Joinson at bath.ac.uk <mailto:A.Joinson at bath.ac.uk>
W: www.joinson.com <http://www.joinson.com/>
T: @joinson
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