Digital Economy USRG

Web Science Research Week

Avatar photoJanuary 11, 2014
by Lisa Harris

The Web Science Institute and the Doctoral Training Centre at the University of Southampton are running a Web Science Research Week (24-28th February 2014) to influence research into how the web is changing the world and the world is changing the web.

The inaugural research week will undertake a programme of short term projects for which we are inviting nominations for topics.

The aims of the week are:

  • to answer questions and generate insight on relevant issues
  • to build relationships between Web Science partners and supporters from industry and academia
  • to meet students and trainee researchers and participate in their future research directions

Research Project 1: Obtaining Legal Highs from the Web

(Led by Professor Dame Wendy Hall and Lisa Sugiura, with support from partners from the National Crime Agency)

It is possible to buy prescription, lifestyle and recreational drugs online and have them delivered to your door, but this unlicensed and unpoliced trade that poses obvious health risks to consumers, has resulted in the death of young people who obtain legal highs from the Web. There has been very little research undertaken on the availability of these legal highs on the Web; this activity will use Web Observatory techniques to uncover evidence of the practice backed up by interviews with those affected.

WSI Research Week 2014 Outline Programme

Monday 24th February 11am: At University of Southampton. Launch of the Research Week with keynotes, lunch and poster session networking opportunity with our students and staff.
Tuesday 25th-Thursday 27th February. At University of Southampton A programme of Guest Seminars from Industry Partners and meetings to discuss future research directions.
Friday 28th February 11am: At Royal Society, London. Summary presentations from research week projects, closing keynotes and lunch.

Throughout the week, our students will be working on the research projects and delivering presentations at the Royal Society on the Friday. Guests are very welcome to participate and be part of a research group for an hour, half a day or whatever time you can contribute during the week. But even if you are not available during the week, please join the week’s highlight on Friday 28th February at the Royal Society, London.

How you can take part

If you would like to participate, please reply to Claire Wyatt (c.wyatt@soton.ac.uk) and indicate whether you would like to:

1) register a place for the launch on Monday 24th February 2014 at the University of Southampton

2) register a place for the closing event on Friday 28th February 2014 at the Royal Society, London

3) suggest a research project that a team of our students could undertake during the week

4) deliver an industry seminar to the Web Science Institute students and researchers on Tuesday 25th, Wednesday 26th or Thursday 27th February.

Further programme details will be available closer to the event when all the research activities have been allocated.

You can download a copy of the event poster here

Categories: Web Science. Tags: #sotonwsi and #webscience.