Category / Creative, Digital & Cognitive Science

BFX 2015 ACADEMIC CONFERENCE

 

Following from last years successful academic conference  (forming part of the BFX Festival)  will be running  for the second time between the 26th-27th September at Bournemouth University’s  Executive Business Centre.

This year’s theme is ANALOGUE TO POST-DIGITAL.  The BFX Conference is underpinned by a strong belief in the benefits interdisciplinary discourse, and aims to create a platform for these exchanges to take place around the field of digital moving images and related technologies. Contemporary still and moving images and their related practices sit in the interstices of the analogue and digital. The BFX conference invites participants to consider the trajectories of these movements as we engage in a discourse of the ‘post-digital’ in still and moving image.

Embedded within these fields are a range of themes such as: memory and the archive, media archaeology, hybridity, intermedia practices, folksonomies and virtual curatorships, the network, new pedagogues and education design. The conference welcomes approaches that consider the continuities and breaks in technologies and practices, as well as the range of possibilities that may be inspired by thinking about the post-digital.

The conference will also focus upon both academic discourse and artistic practice, and has included artist roundtables as part of their programme.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Prof. Charlie Gere, from the Lancaster Institute for Contemporary Arts and author of Digital Culture(2002), Art, Time and Technology (2006), Non-relational Aesthetics, with Michael Corris (2009), and Community without Community in Digital Culture (2012)as well as co-editor of White Heat Cold Technology (2009), and Art Practice in a Digital Culture (2010), and many papers on questions of technology, media and art.

Dr. David M. Berry, Director of the Sussex Humanities Lab and author of Critical Theory and the Digital, The Philosophy of Software: Code and Mediation in the Digital Age,Copy, Rip, Burn: The Politics of Copyleft and Open Source,the editor of Understanding Digital Humanities and co-editor ofPostdigital Aesthetics: Art, Computation and Design

Prof. Wolfgang Ernst. Professor for Media Theory at the Institut für Musik und Medienwissenschaft at Humboldt University, Berlin, where he co-runs the Media Archaeological Fundus. He is also author of Digital Memory and the Archive (2012), and a compilation of other literature including“Media Archaeography: Method and Machine versus History and Narrative of Media”, and From Media History to Zeitkritik (2013).

CALL FOR PAPERS AND SUBMISSIONS

You can submit your proposals by using this link, and this year you will notice that we have included the 3 new submission options, as an individual paper, as a constituted panel, and as an artist roundtable.

 

Facebook User Interface to suit Saudi Arabian culture

PG research

We would like to invite you to the latest research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Hana AlmakkySaudi_Facebook

 

Title:   Facebook User Interface to suit Saudi Arabian culture

 

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 10th June 2015

Room: P302 LT, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract: Social media has continued growing in Saudi Arabia. Millions of businesses and trades are now using social media for entertainment, advertisement and promoting themselves internationally.

 

Social networking sites, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc., have gained huge popularity at personal as well as professional scale. Therefore, work is being done to evolve the modes of communication over these platforms, extensively.

 

My research explores the effect of Saudi cultures on the design of social media site of Facebook. This talk presents the updated results of the research and proposes a theoretical framework that guides the design of a user interface for Facebook to meet the Saudi’s expectations.

 

We hope to see you there.

WAN speaker event: ‘Inspiring our futures: High profile women at BU’

Research themes, Women's Academic Network

A lunchtime Women’s Academic Network (WAN) event on the 4th June to participate in a panel composed of three senior, high profile BU women proved to be one of our most popular WAN events. This drew in a wide audience of female academics of all ranks from across all the Faculties of the University. We were additionally honoured to have in the audience our VC, Professor John Vinney and the PVC for Global Engagement, Dr Sonal Minocha.

The panel included Sue Sutherland (OBE) Chair of the University Board, Professor Gail Thomas, Dean of the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and Head of Centre Excellence Learning and Professor Christine Maggs, Dean of the Faculty of Science & Technology.  The seminar topic focused on an interactive discussion of career progression, achievements and dealing with potholes, cul-de-sacs, obstacles and speeding highways along the way from the personal and professional perspectives of our three eminent speakers.

Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree opened by the event by welcoming the audience, introducing the speakers and warmly acknowledging all the support provided by panel members and her fellow co-convenors, Associate Professor Dr Heather Savigny and Professor Chris Shiel– not forgetting every member of the WAN community, whose numbers across BU grow weekly. This has helped to make WAN a powerful and exhilarating vehicle for achieving equality in diversity at BU.

The honesty, humour, courage and grit of the speakers in talking so candidly about their road to success was a revelation to the audience who were both moved and liberated to engage fully in discussions with the panel, plying them with questions, comments and sharing their own stories. This was the opportunity to demonstrate that strength in leadership lies in being able to reveal human vulnerabilities and aspirations – a lesson that was deeply inspirational to everyone in the room.

The VC closed the event with his own account – personal, unembellished and moving, staying on to discuss with WAN members his own vision for the future in respect of our shared aims. We, co-convenors, were delighted that the success of this event as another step towards assisting our fellow female colleagues on their paths to progress where the superb examples offered by our outstanding panel received a myriad of compliments from our enthralled WAN participants.

Reminder:  Next WAN event Chaired by VC Professor John Vinney, 7th  July, 5pm   TAG02, Tolpuddle Annexe, Talbot Campus.

 Topic: Getting to the top: A grand plan or serendipity?

Speaker:  Professor Judith Petts, CBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research & Enterprise, University of Southampton

Please note: this is an Open WAN Seminar – all academics, irrespective of gender, are warmly invited to attend.  For full details of, and registration for Event: Prof Judith Petts, PVC Southampton, please see https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/getting-to-the-top-a-grand-plan-or-serendipity-tickets-17003423698

 

Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree, Dr Heather Savigny & Professor Chris Shiel,

WAN Co-convenors

An Overview on the Design and Analysis of Collaborative Decision Making Games

We would like to invite you to the next research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Dr Aida AzadeganCollaborative Decision Making

 

Title:   An Overview on the Design and Analysis of Collaborative Decision Making Games

 

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 27th May 2015

Room: P302 LT, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract: Collaborative games require players to work together on shared activities to achieve a common goal. These games received widespread interest in the past decade, yet little is known on how to design them successfully, as well as how to evaluate or analyse them.

 

This talk will describe a research project that aims to deliver a better understanding of collaborative processes designed in the mechanics of Collaborative Decision Making Games (CDMGs) in which collaboration takes place during the game play process at conscious cognitive level. To follow the aim, Collaboration Engineering (CE), a discipline that has studied collaboration for decades is used as a theoretical guideline to analyse and design CDMGs. At the analysis stage of this research, the primary focus is on understanding how CE is used in the design of the mechanics of CDMGs and within the design stage the goal is to demonstrate a pattern-based approach, developed using CE principles, which is then applied to the design of these games.

 

Potential insights from this research make clear in what contexts CE is relevant and what kind of role it can play both in terms of analysis and the design of CDMGs.

 

 

We hope to see you there.

Seminar on political violence today

The Politics and Media Research Group in FMC has a very stimulating guest speaker lined up for this afternoon (Monday). Dr. Jeffrey Murer is Lecturer on Collective Violence at the University of St. Andrews, in the School of International Relations. He is unusual for an IR specialist in that he draws deeply on ideas from psychoanalysis in his studies of violent political conflict. The title of his talk is “The Politics of Splitting: Anxiety, Loss and the Anti-Semitic, Anti-Roma Violence of Contemporary Hungary”. While focussing on the situation in Hungary, his talk will illustrate how an interdisciplinary, psycho-social approach can be applied to generate insights into violence in many other contexts.

The talk will be in P406. It will start at 5.00 and be followed, until 6.30, by questions and discussion.

All staff and students are welcome.

Paper by BU academics used as example in Dutch university newsletter

Publishing, Research Integritiy

The March 2015 newsletter of the Dutch University of Groningen’s School for Behavioural & Cognitive Neurosciences dedicated two pages to the question: ‘How to pick the right journal?’    The author of the English-language newsletter contribution, Liwen Zhang, offer its readers a brief introduction on journal selection for a scientific manuscript.  The newsletter piece is based on two papers which both share their submission stories and suggestions of journal selection.  We were pleased to see that one of these two papers is by two Bournemouth University professors: Hundley and van Teijlingen.  Their paper which gives advice on one specific aspect of academic publishing is called ‘Getting your paper to the right journal: a case study of an academic paper’ [1].  It was published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing in 2002.

 

 

Reference:

  1.  vanTeijlingen, E., Hundley, V. (2002) Getting your paper to the right journal: a case study of an academic paper, Journal of Advanced Nursing 37(6): 506-511.

CIPPM Co-Director publishes three Reports for the UK Government detailing the IP Implications of 3D Printing

Awarded & submitted bids, Business Engagement, Post-award, Publishing, Research themes

CIPPM Co-Director Dr. Dinusha Mendis together with Dr. Davide Secchi (From April 2015, Associate Professor, University of Southern Denmark) and Dr. Phil Reeves of Econolyst Ltd have published a sequence of three reports on the intellectual property implications of 3D printing resulting from a project commissioned by the UK Intellectual Property Office.  The three reports can be accessed here.

In 2012, the Big Innovation Centre, in their Report ‘Three Dimensional Policy: Why Britain needs a policy framework for 3D Printing’ provided a number of recommendations.  A key recommendation was to review the intellectual property (IP) implications of 3D printing.

In 2013, the UKIPO highlighted the lack of empirical evidence relating to 3D printing and the difficulty in determining whether this emerging technology will have an impact on IP laws.  The aim of the current project was therefore to respond to this limited research.  In doing so, the Studies adopted a legal, quantitative and qualitative approach.

Study I titled ‘A Legal and Empirical Study of Online Platforms and an Analysis of User Behaviour’ explores 17 online platforms dedicated to 3D printing and provides a legal and empirical overview of how the online platforms operate and aims to provide a clearer understanding of ‘how’ the sharing happens.  In this context, Study I provides an understanding of the ‘parameters’ for sharing, e.g. terms and conditions, rules and regulations that apply, together with restrictions and bounds that apply to the user behaviour and file-sharing.  As such, Study I evaluates the extent of this phenomenon amongst users.  In doing so, the research examines the price, downloads, licences, type of physical objects, which are shared and the implications for intellectual property laws and in particular analyses the legal provisions arising from the sharing and the copyright implications relating to software.  As such, Study I presents new findings on the current status of 3D printing relating to online platforms.  

Study II titled ‘The Current Status and Impact of 3D Printing Within the Industrial Sector: An Analysis of Six Case Studies’ explores the status, impact and adoption of 3D printing in the Replacement Parts, Customised Goods and High Value Small Status Goods Industries.

To map the impact that 3D printing technology is having on the UK’s economic and legal landscape, Study II represents six case studies which consider the current and future consequence of 3D printing.  The first two case studies address issues relating to Replacement Parts and consider how 3D printing will affect the supply of aftermarket parts to the consumer.  The two case studies within the Customised Goods theme address how 3D printing enables unique products to be manufactured that are tailored to consumers’ needs, and the IP challenges that arise from this. Finally, the two case studies within the High Value Small Status Goods theme look at the impact that 3D printing is having on consumer products that have a low functional purpose, such as collectible figurines or sculptures.

The third publication – an Executive Summary – brings together the findings and conclusions from the two Studies and provides recommendations.

The Studies concluded that there is no urgency to legislate at present as 3D printing is not a mass phenomenon yet.  It warned that a premature call for legislative and judicial action in the realm of 3D printing could stifle the public interest of “fostering creativity and innovation and the right of manufacturers and content creators to protect their livelihoods”.

However, as 3D printing continues to grow it is important to address the IP issues arising in this area in order to cultivate a climate better suited to tackling impending IP issues more successfully and in a manner, which takes into account the interests of all stakeholders.

As such, the Studies make some important recommendations to Government, the Industry and Intermediaries (online platforms) about how to regulate 3D printing without resorting to legislation.

Recommendations to Government suggest the setting up of a Working Group to review the technology and the IP status particularly the position in relation to the software (Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Files) and the traceability of spare parts. The Reports also suggest that the Government should adopt a ‘wait-and-see’ approach.

The Studies conclude that 65% of users engaged in the activities of 3D printing on online platforms do not license their work, leaving their creations vulnerable and open to infringement whilst losing the ability to claim authorship. The Study therefore recommends that online platforms provide more awareness and understanding of the different types of licences. The Study suggests that this aim can be achieved by explaining the nuances relating to each licence in clear and simple language, rather than simply ‘encouraging’ the user to adopt a particular type of licence. Furthermore, online platforms can assign the most appropriate licence as a default with ‘opt-out’ as an option.

Finally, in relation to Industry, the Study recommends the adoption of new business models and provides a number of suggestions in this regard. The Reports also suggest the licensing of CAD files more widely, thereby opening up doors to a range of outlets selling 3D CAD files. This will avoid locking the manufacturer into an agreement through a system such as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for (spare) parts. Although a one-stop-shop may take away the costs of manufacture, transportation and storage whilst reducing potential infringement of IP laws, it can lead to a monopoly-situation, which should be avoided.

A press release led to the research being picked up by various media outlets including IPP Pro, Pan European Networks, Phys.org, Nanowerk and 3Dprint.com amongst others.

A further write-up of the research was published by the UKIPO following the publication of the reports.  Bournemouth University’s Research Chronicle also presented a feature article in March 2015 on the research and its findings.

Following the publication of the reports, Dr. Dinusha Mendis, the Principal Investigator of the project, was invited by the Australian Government to present the research in March 2015, highlighting the impact of this research in another jurisdiction.  Dr. Mendis also presented the research in March at the University of Tasmania in Australia and the Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne.

The social sciences at BU

Research assessment

In response to an open email invitation, a group of social scientists from across BU met on Tuesday 17 March to discuss prospects for inter-Faculty collaboration. As in previous meetings between FMC and HSS colleagues, it was apparent that there were opportunities for more collaborative work than currently exists, and that there is considerable enthusiasm for developing links. A growing presence of the social sciences in BU, and of BU in the social sciences, was felt to be essential to BU’s development as a university with a rich intellectual community. If you haven’t received the report from this meeting by email, and would like to do so, please email Prof. Barry Richards (brichards@bmth.ac.uk)

Representations of PR – online resource

REF Subjects

Representation of professions and employment takes many forms and is often shaped by books and visual and aural media.

In the public relations field, characters such as Edina in Absolutely Fabulous and the foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It are well known, as are terms like “PR success” and “PR disaster”, even though the events may have little to do with public relations practices or activities.

Apart from one US researcher, Professor Joe Saltzman of the University of Southern California, there has been little investigation of representations of public relations in books and entertainment media.

Working with colleagues in Australia, Sweden and the US, Professor Tom Watson of the Faculty of Media & Communication developed the PRDepiction blog:  https://prdepiction.wordpress.com/​ in 2012.

“We wanted to create a resource that would offer a catalogue of books, films, TV and radio, as well as articles, and encourage interdisciplinary research,” said Professor Watson.

As the blog has a relatively simple structure, additions and amendments can be made quickly. It has just been overhauled with a new look and revisions and more entries.

“PRDepiction has grown over the years and become more international. The latest additions include TV series in Australia and the UK, and a three-book series on a fashion PR guru from Australia,” said Professor Watson.

Additions can be sent to PR Depiction as blog Comments or to twatson@bournemouth.ac.uk. The blog also has a Twitter address, @PRDepiction.

PRDepiction's Twitter logo

Investigating and Visualising the Effects of Environment on Prey Detection Rates: A Key Variable in Human Evolution

PG research

We would like to invite you to the next research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Pete AllenInvestigating and Visualising the Effects of Environment on Prey Detection Rates: A Key Variable in Human Evolution

 

Title: Investigating and Visualising the Effects of Environment on Prey Detection Rates: A Key Variable in Human Evolution.

 

 

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 22 April 2015

Room: P302 LT, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract: This project utilises interactive 3D virtual worlds in order to determine the effect which the composition of the environment has on the ability of humans to detect prey animals within it.

The research focuses on the environments found in Europe prior to the Last Glacial Maximum, during the time period known as Oxygen Isotope Stage 3 (circa 30-55K years ago). By recreating various OIS3 environments virtually, we can investigate the effects of “openness” (degree of forestation), light levels, terrain and many other factors on prey detection rates.

 

Data is collected via experiments in which participants are able to navigate realistic 3D environments to search for prey animals. The search strategies they employ and the effect the environment is having on them can be recorded both from the software itself and via sophisticated eye-tracking technology. This data will inform us of the hunting strategies utilised by early human societies as they reacted to the changing landscape during OIS3.

 

This project makes use of Unreal Engine 4, a technology well suited to the creation of large, complex, interactive virtual worlds. UE4 is mostly associated with large-scale games development projects, but has the flexibility for use in this kind of research, often referred to as serious games.

 

 

We hope to see you there.

CEMP / CEL Research Bulletin April 2015

Funding opportunities, Publishing, REF Subjects, Research assessment

 

               

 

The latest CEMP bulletin, now combined with the Centre for Excellence in Learning, is now available as a PDF  CEMP CEL bulletin April 15  or word doc  CEMP CEL bulletin April 15

The bulletin provides a ‘top 20’ of research funding opportunities related to education, learning and pedagogy research and grouped into the the three BU learning research sub-themes: Media and Digital Literacies, Practitioner Enquiry and (Higher) Education Dynamics.

To follow up any of these opportunities, please contact Julian or Richard in CEMP or Marcellus Mbah in CEL.

Creative Industries Business Briefing – April

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

 

Creative Industries Business Briefing

A digest of useful information for creative industries businesses updated every month. The briefing highlights UK and European funding, support, events and training. Compiled by the KTN in partnership with Innovate UK, Catapults, Tech City, Nesta and Horizon2020.

April 2015 now available.

Creative Business Development Briefing for April 2015 is out now!

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

 

The April edition of our monthly business briefing for the UK’s creative industries is now live! This is a monthly publication that provides a digest of useful information about funding, financing, support and events to assist creative entrepreneurs with their innovation and growth agendas. This month’s edition offers edited highlights of a number of public funding programmes from leading organisations supporting our sector including: Innovate UK, Nesta, British Film Institute, Creative England, Creative Scotland, Horizon 2020 & more.

 Creative Business Development Briefing – April 2015

EU Radar – Societal Challenges – Secure societies – protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens

Funding opportunities

The following EU Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges’ calls are all closing after April 2015. If you are thinking of applying to any of these calls, please contact RKEO Funding Development Team as soon as you are able, so that we can help you with your submission.

The date given is the funder’s deadline with all closing at 17:00 Brussels local time, unless stated otherwise

Secure societies – protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens
Digital security,: Cyber security, privacy and trust – please check the specific topics – 27/8/15
Fight against terrorism and crime – please check the specific topics – 27/8/15
Border security and external security – please check the specific topics – 27/8/15

 

General / Multiple Topics

Horizon 2020 dedicated SME instrument phase 1 and phase 2 –  deadlines – 17/6/15, 17/9/15 and 25/11/15

Please check the specific topics within this call which may meet your research funding needs.

For more information on EU funding opportunities, contact Paul Lynch or Emily Cieciura, in the RKEO Funding Development Team.

Location-based, mobile Augmented Reality Games: Creating Engaging Game Experiences with Tourism Urban Environments

PG research

Location-based, mobile Augmented Reality Games: Creating Engaging Game Experiences with Tourism Urban EnvironmentsWe would like to invite you to the next research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Jessika Weber

Title:          Location-based, mobile Augmented Reality Games: Creating Engaging Game Experiences with Tourism Urban Environments

 

 

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 25 March 2015

Room: Stevenson LT, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract:

Increasing usage of mobile devices has changed the way we perceive and connect with our environment. Location-based Augmented Reality games turn urban spaces into playgrounds in which stories and playfulness unfold their potential and create unique experience based on existing physical and historical elements mediated by mobile technology. Introducing these games into the context of travel and tourism, not much is known by game designers of how to address the requirements of tourists in order to create engaging experiences with the urban physical environment.

This study explores the game experience of tourists with two location-based, mobile AR games during playtests by combining mobile HCI, game design and tourist experience theory in order to understand the interaction with these games in a tourism context. The study applied a triangulation of qualitative methods to develop a theoretical framework for location-based, mobile AR games to create engaging experiences with the tourism urban environment.

 

We hope to see you there.