Research
Even my guinea pigs feel I work hmm… tweet to much!
Postdoctoral Research Assistant at Royal Holloway, University of London
Duration: November 2012 – April 2014
Project: CySeCa Project (Art and Design) in Information Security Group
Research Assistant (funded by The University of Oxford) at City University London
Status: Completed
First research grant awarded by The University of Oxford, through the Oxford e- Research Centre acting as the National Strategic Directorate for e- Social Science (NSDeSS), entitled: Ethics in Research: Web 2.0 Monitoring and Analysis, indicates that I can construct, organize and submit successful funding independently. The research aims to look retrospectively at current web 2.0 monitoring and analysis practice. The research involves an in-depth look at ethical issues experienced; the guidance/opinions of ethical committees and the opinions and restrictions imposed by perceived owners e.g. service providers, web developers and service users. The overarching contribution will be the development of ethical guidance for researchers that carryout web 2.0 monitoring and analysis.
Abstract: http://makaylalewis.co.uk/2012/05/12/ethics-in-research-web-2-0-monitoring-and-analysis/ (updated May 2012)
Research Assistant in Usability at University of Southampton
Status: Completed
Project: Smart Research Framework (SRF): Cloud-based Collaborative Notebook system.
PhD in Human Computer Interaction at City University London
Status: Completed
I joined City University London, Centre for HCI Design in October 2008 to complete a PhD in human-computer interaction (HCI). My research focuses on online social network experiences and challenges from a perspective of users with cerebral palsy. This particular population was chosen because I believe they are not represented within HCI, computer-mediated communication and web accessibility research/industry.
So far, I have spent my PhD looking closely at this population to identify needs and barriers, and I have also tried to raise awareness of motor impairments with City University London and web accessibility community.
My passion for my research is due to a personal connection to disability. As a primary caregiver for a parent with cerebral palsy, a volunteer at user-led organizations directed at people with disabilities and a British Sign Language learner, I feel driven to help and make the web (especially online communication) accessible for everyone.
As of September 2012 I completed my PhD.
Most recent publication:”Cerebral palsy and online social networks” http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1878852
