Alison Adam

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Alison Adam is a British researcher in the field of Science and Technology Studies, who is particularly known for her work on gender in information systems. She headed the Information Systems Institute of the University of Salford in 2004–6. As of 2015 she is professor of science, technology and society at Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.

Career

Adam was a research fellow at Lancaster University, and a lecturer and senior lecturer in the Department of Computation at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.[1] She was professor of information systems at the University of Salford, where she worked from 2000 until 2012, heading the Information Systems Institute in 2004–6 and then directing the Information Systems, Organisations and Society Research Centre.[1] She has been professor of science, technology and society at Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield since 2012.[2][3]

At Salford, Adam worked on the Gender Research and Information Systems (GRIS) project with Helen Richardson, another faculty member, and four researchers on numerous projects. The European Social Fund awarded grants to investigate the under-representation of women in the UK in the IT sector to allow the group to extend the findings in Adam and Richardson’s 2004 work, which examined the lack of research on gender and information technology.[4] One of the focal points of Adams work has highlighted that while gender has been used as a measure in numerous studies, often directed at a feminist audience, theories on gender itself is lacking. Initiatives which were launched to increase the participation of women and girls in information systems and technology have had little effect. Thus, she proposed that rather than measuring the number of women participating compared to others, studies should focus on evaluating the women themselves in career-stage and life-stage models.[5]

Research interests

Adam's research has primarily been within the area of Science and Technology Studies, including history and sociology of science and technology. Her predominant focus has been the field of information systems. Notable publications in this area include the Artificial Knowing: Gender and the Thinking Machine[6] and Gender, Ethics and Information Technology. The book Gender, Ethics and Information Technology explores the "intersection of two areas; firstly gender and information and communication technologies and secondly, computer ethics."[7] She has recently completed a three-year Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funded research project on online privacy, in collaboration with researchers at Salford, Royal Holloway, University of London, and Cranfield University.[2][8] She has evaluated the part that gender plays in ethics in on-line behavior evaluating the gender divide in hacking,[9] cyberstalking, and pornography to evaluate what gender differences exist in on-line experiences.[10]

In 2010–15 Adam researched the history and sociology of forensic sciences. Her 2015 book, A History of Forensic Science: British Beginnings in the Twentieth Century,[11] charts the history of forensic sciences in the UK, as well as former British colonial states. Her research also considers the way in which historical and modern forensic scientists are presented in the media, including in fiction.[2]

Textiles are another long-standing interest. She states that "there's nothing quite like making a physical artefact. The culture of sharing information about making, on-line, is fascinating."[2] As of 2015, she is engaged in interdisciplinary research on the culture of mending clothes.[2]

Teaching and administration

At the Sheffield Hallam University, Adam teaches cybercrime, digital divide, research methodology, and sociology of forensic sciences.[2] Adam served as deputy chair of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 sub-panel on Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management (UoA 36)[3] and was a member of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 sub-panel on Library and Information Management (UoA 37).[2]

Selected publications

Books

  • A History of Forensic Science: British Beginnings in the Twentieth Century, Routledge; 2015
  • Gender, Ethics and Information Technology, Palgrave Macmillan; 2005
  • Artificial Knowing: Gender and the Thinking Machine, Routledge; 1998; 2006

Research papers

  • Adam A, Howcroft D, Richardson H (2004) A decade of neglect: reflecting on gender and IS New Technology, Work and Employment, 19: 222–240

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Intellect Ltd.: Alison Adam (accessed 13 December 2015)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 REF2014 Panel D (accessed 13 December 2015)
  4. ↑ Trauth 2006, p. xxxvii.
  5. ↑ Griffiths et. al. 2006, pp. 153-154.
  6. ↑ Hine C. (1999) Review: Engaging New Technologies? Work, Employment & Society 13: 741–743  – via JSTOR (subscription required)
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ VOME: VOME team (accessed 14 December 2015)
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Sheffield Hallam University: Research Archive: A history of forensic science: British beginnings in the twentieth century (accessed 13 December 2015)

Bibliography

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