The Department of Information Science at Loughborough University is an active and highly regarded Department, which, since its creation in 1972, has established a national and international reputation in its field. The Department of Information Science is ranked as the top institution in the UK to study Library and Information Management with UCL (Times Good University Guide – June 2009). Excellence in teaching and research is also acknowledged by the award from the QAA of 24/24 and the RAE panel judgement that 85% of the Department’s research is at an international level. The staff are committed to being at the leading edge of the discipline and to providing a first class learning and teaching experience for all students.

Through the AHRC Block Grant Partnership scheme, the Department is pleased to be able to offer a Professional Preparation Masters Studentship for a successful UK/EU postgraduate applicant beginning their programme in October 2012. The Studentship includes UK/EU tuition fees (therefore only applicants with UK/EU fee status are eligible) and a maintenance payment for eligible candidates. The award is subject to AHRC eligibility conditions.

The Department of Information Science will nominate an individual who has been offered a place on the following taught programmes for a Studentship:

MA/MSc Information and Library Management
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dis/studying/pg-ilmph.html

MSc Information and Knowledge Management
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dis/studying/pg-ikmph.html

To download a postgraduate programme application form, please go to: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/essentialinformation/applicationforms/

Please indicate on the relevant place on the application form that you wish to be considered for an AHRC studentship. Send your application to the Department of Information Science, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE113TU, FAO Adrienne Muir.

If you have any queries regarding our taught Masters programmes, call: 01509 223052 or email: dis@lboro.ac.uk

The closing date for applications for AHRC Studentships is 2 March 2012. 

Dr Mark Hepworth

Dr Mark Hepworth specialises in studying people’s information behaviour and researching factors that affect information behaviour. These include, for example, the context of the person as well as individual characteristics. He is particularly interested in the methods and techniques that can be used to understand people’s information behaviour. This knowledge has led to studies that focus on identifying people’s information management capabilities, including information literacy, and how people and organisations can foster and develop information management capabilities. Exploiting various methods to understand people’s information behaviour has also led to an interest in, and the development of, techniques that can be used to identify people’s information needs, in particular participative techniques that enable people to take an active role in the design of, appropriate, people centred information services and products.

Professor Graham Matthews and Dame Lynne Brindley DBE

Loughborough University has awarded Dame Lynne Brindley DBE, Chief Executive of The British Library, the degree of Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon DLitt), for her contribution to the delivery of world-leading digital information and library services for researchers, teachers and students in the UK and globally. Further information is at:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/publicity/news-releases/2011/157_Hon-Degs-winter2011.html

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2011_09_30/caredit.a1100106

In addition, we are offering two Glendonbrook Doctoral Fellowships for outstanding candidates. These awards, funded through the generosity of Lord Glendonbrook, will be made on the same basis as the Graduate School studentships, and may be held in any of the University’s schools. For further details see:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/graduateschool/funding/GSstudentships2012.htm

Applications are now invited from exceptionally well qualified students who want to embark on a full-time research degree programme commencing in Autumn Term 2012.

The Department of Information Science welcomes applications for these scholarships. If you are interested in undertaking a PhD with us, please contact Dr Gill Ragsdell to discuss:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dis/people/gragsdell.htm

Deadline: 31 October 2011

Student community award winners

A student from the Department of Information Science has been honoured by Loughborough University in the 2011 student community awards for his outstanding volunteering contributions. John Isralidis (Right), a graduate from the IMBT programme and currently a PhD student in the Department, received the Hannah Prize for his friendship and support of his neighbour.

The Hannah Community Prize is specifically to recognise students’ acts of kindness or good neighbourliness. The Prize is in memory of a former student, Mr George Alexander Hannah and the financial reward for the winners comes from funds donated to the University in his memory. The assessors felt that John’s friendship with his neighbour was a shining example of the aims of the Hannah Prize.

Caroline Walker, interim Chief Operating Officer at the University presented the certificates and financial prizes in a ceremony that took place at Loughborough Town Hall at the end of May. She commented: “Our student volunteers make outstanding contributions to a diverse range of projects and organisations across the Borough. They always give their time willingly alongside their academic studies. These awards are a way the University can reward them for their efforts and it is always a great pleasure to do so.”

Caroline was joined at the event by Loughborough’s MP, Nicky Morgan, the new Charnwood Borough Council Mayor, Councillor Burnard Burr and other local Councillors, dignitaries and guests.

The Department has also gained a place in the ranking for the top Departments to study Computer Science related Degrees in the UK, from 18th in 2011 to 17th for the year 2012. The movement in ranking position was also largely due to an improvement in entry standards, which improved on last year’s score by 22 points from 318 in 2011, to 340 for the year 2012.

With financial support from the Higher Education Academy and from Loughborough University, it has been possible to offer all 60 places at no charge to delegates. The response has been overwhelming; all 60 places were filled more than a week before the registration deadline, with Information Science and Computer Science PhD students registering from universities all over the country. The conference will be based in the Graduate School in the Stewart Mason Building and the Department of Information Science on the 7th and 8th of July.

Guest speakers, including notable academics, will discuss novel and interesting ways of analysing data, and student-led presentations will share experiences of particular aspects of data analysis. The Conference Organising Committee, chaired by Clare Ravenwood (2nd Year PhD student), has designed the schedule so that the conference will provide both an opportunity to learn about data analysis methods and resources from experts and time to share practice and knowledge between students. For more information please visit www.lboro.ac.uk/r2lu and to stay up-to-date please follow @r2lu on Twitter.