Monika Buscher supervises 4 postgraduate research students. If these students have produced research profiles, these are listed below:
Student research profiles
Person
Person
Professor
Monika’s research explores the digital dimension of contemporary ‘mobile lives’. She combines qualitative, often ethnographic studies of everyday practices, social theory and design through mobile, experimental, ‘inventive’ engagement with industry and stakeholders. An analytical orientation to intersecting physical and virtual mobilities, blocked movements and immobilities of people, objects and information drives this work. Monika’s most recent research brings this perspective to the informationalization of large-scale multi-agency emergency response, which raises opportunities and challenges around social media-based public engagement, agile and ‘whole community’ approaches to disaster response, data sharing, data protection and privacy.
I am interested in working with PhD candidates in the areas of sociology, media studies, mobilities research, science and technology studies and have particular research interests in: Mobilities, mobile technology, mobile media Science, technology, responsible research and innovation Digital media and online cultures Design, art, creativity Disaster, crisis, security
Monika Büscher is Professor of Sociology, Director of Research for the Department of Sociology, and Director of the Centre for Mobilities Research at Lancaster University. She co-edits the book series Changing Mobilities.
Monika currently leads research on decarbonising transport, disaster mobilities and ethical, legal and social issues of IT innovation in a range of different projects.
Most recent publications
Chen, L, Buscher, M & Hu, Y 2019, On Liquid Ground: Contesting facts and responsibilities on Weibo during the Shouguang Flood. in Z. Franco, J.J. González & J.H. Canós (eds), Proceedings of the 16th ISCRAM Conference . ISCRAM 2019, ISCRAM, pp. 288-297.
Büscher, M., Escalante, L.M, Alter, H., Easton, C., Kerasidou, X. (2018) isITethical? Responsible Research and Innovation for Disaster Risk Management. In Boersma, K. and Tomaszewski, B. (Eds.) Proceedings of the 17thISCRAM Conference, Rochester, NY, USA, May 2018, pp 254-267.
Rizza, C., Büscher M., and Watson, H. (Eds.) (2017) Special Issue on Working with Data: Ethical Legal and Social Considerations Surrounding the Use of Crisis Data and Information Sharing During a Crisis. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, (6 papers, 90-100 pages). Including introductory article Rizza, C., Büscher M., and Watson, H. Working with Data: Ethical Legal and Social Considerations Surrounding the Use of Crisis Data and Information Sharing During a Crisis. Journal of Contingencies & Crisis Management, 25(1):2-6.
Taylor, D.; Büscher, M.; Murray, L.; Speed, C. and Zamenopoulos, T. (2016) Rules of Thumb: An Experiment in Contextual Transposition. Proceedings of the Design Research Society Conference 2016 50th Anniversary Conference, 27-30th June 2016, Brighton.
Büscher M., Sheller, M. and Tyfield, D. (Eds.) (2016) Special Issue. Mobility Intersections: Social Research, Social Futures (12 papers, 90,000+ works). Including introductory article Büscher, M., Sheller, M., & Tyfield, D. (2016). Mobility intersections: social research, social futures. Mobilities, 11(4), 485–497.
Petersen, K., and Büscher, M. (2016). Mobile work in crisis. Applied Mobilities, 1(2), 176–192.
Collaborations with international groups
Europe
Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, E.1 - Disaster Risk Management Unit
Public Safety Communications Europe (PSCE)
Federation of European Firefighters (FEU)
Australia
Hawke Research Institute, University of South Australia
Digital Ethnography Research Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne
The Australian National University, School of Sociology
Austria
University of Salzburg, Sociology, Graduate School ‘On the Move’
Brazil
Universidade de São Paulo, School of Sociology, School of Architecture
Denmark
Centre for Mobilities and Urban Design (CMUS), Aalborg University
Roskilde University, https://ruc.dk/en/
The Alexandra Institute, Aarhus, Denmark https://alexandra.dk/uk
France
Airbus Defense and Space https://airbusdefenceandspace.com
Germany
Paderborn University, Germany, Faculty for Engineering http://www.cik.uni-paderborn.de/en/teaching/
Technical University Dortmund, Germany, Communication Networks Institute https://www.kn.e-technik.tu-dortmund.de/cms/de/Lehrstuhl/
Siegen University, Media Studies, Science and Technology Studies, DFG-Graduate School ‘Locating Media’, http://www.locatingmedia.uni-siegen.de
Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT, St Augustin, Bonn, Germany https://www.fit.fraunhofer.de/en.html
Nuertingen-Geislingen University, Sustainable Mobilities Programme, Geography https://www.hfwu.de/hochschule/anlaufstellen/fakultaeten/sustainable-mobilities-interessierte/
TÜV SÜD, one of the world's leading technical service organisations http://www.tuv-sud.com/home_com
Greece
KEMEA – think tank for the Greek Ministry of Public Order and Citizen http://www.kemea.gr/el/
Kenya
United States International University,Information Communications Technology http://www.usiu.ac.ke/governance/administrative-units/ict
Norway
Human Geography, University of Oslo http://www.sv.uio.no/iss/english/research/projects/sms/
Poland
Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Sociology http://www.socjologia.uj.edu.pl/en_GB
Krakow University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture http://arch.pk.edu.pl/en/
Romania
Transilvania University of Brasov http://www.unitbv.ro/en/Home.aspx
South Africa
University of Pretoria, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment & Information Technology http://www.up.ac.za/faculty-of-engineering-built-environment-it
Sweden
Uppsala University, Department of Economic History http://www.ekhist.uu.se/research
University of Halmstad, School of Health and Welfare https://www.hh.se/english/academics/healthcare.65442254.html
Switzerland
CloudSigma AG (www.cloudsigma.com) - developers of cloud computing services, Zurich (SME)
Lausanne University, Geography Department, http://igd.unil.ch/dpicard/en/presentation/
IRS (Institut de recherches sociologiques) University of Geneva https://www.unige.ch/sciences-societe/socio/fr/recherche/irs/index/
USA
The international Association for the History of Transport, Traffic and Mobility http://t2m.org
Center for Mobilities Research and Policy, Drexel University http://drexel.edu/coas/academics/departments-centers/mobilities/
Colorado University, Boulder Grand Challenges Earth Lab http://www.colorado.edu/earthlab/
Zambia
University of Zambia, Geography http://naturalsciences.unza.zm/index.php/2013-02-27-09-57-51/2013-03-20-10-31-17/brief-history
Academic collaboration ‘positions’: Books, ... editorial boards
Honorary Doctorate Roskilde University, Denmark
Member of journal editorial boards:
Mobilitieshttp://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rmob20
Applied Mobilitieshttp://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rapm20
Computer Supported Cooperative Workhttp://link.springer.com/journal/10606
Frontiers: Disaster Communicationshttp://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/communication/section/disaster-communications
Conference Chair
International Crisis Response and Management Conference (ISCRAM) – 22-25 May 2015, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway (Programme Chair) http://iscram2015.uia.no
Mobile Utopia: Pasts, Presents, Futures - 2-5 November 2017, Lancaster University, UK (Conference and Programme Chair) http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/t2mc2c/
Member of international advisory board for:
Graduate School ‘On the Move’, University of Salzburg https://www.uni-salzburg.at/index.php?id=205305
Smart Mobility Suburbsproject, Human Geography, University of Oslo, Norway http://www.sv.uio.no/iss/english/research/projects/sms/
EMERGENT EU FP7 Project Emergency Management in the Social Media Generation http://www.fp7-emergent.eu
Smart Society http://www.smart-society-project.eu/
Examples of plenary or keynotes outside of UK
‘Right now you can’t get relational’: A Mobile Utopia of Radically Reflexive Resilience - Mobile Cultures of Disaster Conference, 22 March - 24 March 2017, City West Campus, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia http://www.unisa.edu.au/Calendar/HRI-Event---Mobile-Cultures-of-Disaster-Conference/
Infrastructuring for Mobile Utopia - Living Infrastructures: Beyond Global North and Global South, Volgograd State University, Russia, April 27-28 2017.
Infrastructuring Cosmopolitan Mobile Utopia - Seventh International Conference on The Constructed Environment, 25-26 May 2017, Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology, held at the International Cultural Centre, Krakow, Poland http://constructedenvironment.com/2017-conference/#block-3
Immaterial Immobilities and the Infrastructuring of Mobile Utopia – Material Mobilities C-MUS conference 2016 November 29th-30th 2016, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Further Information
Monika's theoretical orientation builds on phenomenology, pragmatism, ethnomethodology, workplace studies, science and technology studies, feminist theory, non-representational theory. Public sociology, participatory design, computer supported cooperative work, design studies and service design furnish epistemologies and methodologies for engagement with stakeholders.
The book series Changing Mobilities, which I edit together wih Peter Adey, invites contributions that address the empirical realities of changing mobilities and opportunities to inform design, policy and social change.
Please contact me at m.buscher@lancaster.ac.uk
Twitter @mbuscher
The SecInCoRe project identifies data sets, processes, information systems and business models used by first responders and Police authorities to inform the development of a dynamic and secure cloud based ‘common information space’. The main goals of SecInCoRe are:
Bridge: Bridging resources and agencies in large-scale emergency management (2011-2015)
A collaborative design project funded by the EU Commission. We are co-designing a system to support interoperability (both technical and social) in large-scale emergency relief efforts with stakeholders. The system will be a bridge between multiple agencies: It will help to mediate the activities of the command and professional staff, which is where most of the strategic decision making must occur; it will also help to merge the systems and resources from different agencies into a cohesive whole and support collaboration with user generated 'crisis informatics'.
Citizens Transforming Society: Tools for Change (CaTalyST) (2011-2014)
This project will bring together a group of social scientists (sociology; anthropology), computer scientists (mobile computing; web2.0; distributed systems), management scientists (consumer behaviour) and designers (innovation) to develop next generation systems that empower citizens to create bottom-up innovative solutions to 'wicked' societal problems. It will promote cross-disciplinary working across Lancaster University (and beyond) between the School of Computing & Communications, Sociology, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster Environment Centre, and Lancaster Institute for Contemporary Arts.
New Interaction Order (2010-2011)
This pilot project studies the 'new' interaction order from different empirical and analytical perspectives. Drawing on sociology, ethnomethodology, criminology, geography, and design, we are carrying out studies of 'behaviour in public places' in Manchester.
Design for Flexibility and Change within Health Service Providers (DFC)
This project explores how medical practitioners can mobilize local and expert domain knowledge and dovetail it with new design and managerial skills to implement the Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) framework to shape NHS service provision. Designing new health and care service models and facilities requires creative, managerial and/or design skills and this 18 month research project is part of the EPSRC funded innovation centred called HACIRIC (Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre).
Innovative media for a digital economy
In this research cluster, we investigate digital economy practices that are emerging around the capabilities of social, mobile and pervasive technologies. We explore how we can develop new services, new forms of exchange and interaction that benefit the whole of the UK economy.
PalCom, Palpable Computing: A new perspective on Ambient Computing, FP6 IST Future and Emerging Technologies, 2004-7.
As computing technologies become an ever more 'invisible' and powerful part of our mobile lives, it is crucial that people are supported in understanding what these technologies are doing and what they could do for them.
WorkSPACE, Distributed Work Support through Component Based SPAtial Computing Environments, FP5 IST Future and Emerging Technologies, 2000-3.
Mobile workers often generate dynamic configurations of spaces, information, and people - within the office, but also beyond. These practices pose great challenges to the computer as-we-know-it today and open up a range of opportunities for innovative design. Spatial computing environments respond to these challenges. They exploit technical possibilities to support the social and spatial organization of work.
My research explores the digital dimension of contemporary ‘mobile lives’ with a particular focus on:
My work combines social research with design and innovation. It involves close engagement with diverse collaborators from industry and diverse stakeholder organisations. It is interdisciplinary, experimental, engaged ‘public sociology’ designed to explore and shape socio-technical futures.
Cosmin Popan - Utopias of slow cycling. Imagining a bicycle system
Satya Savitzky - ‘Icy Futures’: Carving the Northern Sea Route
Paula Bialski - Becoming Intimately Mobile
Paula's Thesis has been published: Becoming Intimately Mobile. Frankfurt: Peter Lang. Paula now works at Leuphania University
Jen Southern - Comobility: Distance and Proximity on the Move in Locative Art Practice
Jen now works at Lancaster University
Lucy Kimbell - An inventive practice perspective on designing
Lucy works as a an artist, service designer and scholar. http://www.lucykimbell.com
Dr. Sergio Benicio (2009/10): Hypermobility
Dr Jamie O'Brien (2008/9) Honorary Research Fellow - now at EngD Centre in Virtual Environments, Imaging and Visualisation Computer Science Department University College London
Research output: Book/Report/Proceedings › Book
Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Chapter (peer-reviewed)
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Chapter (peer-reviewed)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Press/Media: Research
Press/Media: Research
Press/Media: Research