Alison Adam

Alison is Professor of Information Systems and Director of Informatics Research Institute (IRIS) at the University of Salford. IRIS obtained a 6* rating in RAE2001. IRIS has expertise in interpretive information systems research, particularly social inclusion and ICTs and studies of users and technology. IRIS hosts a VR group whose expertise/infrastructure may be drawn upon for the proposed project. Alison is a member of RAE2008 sub-panel 37 (Library and Information Management).

Her research interests include gender and information systems, social inclusion and information systems, and computer ethics with publications across a range of disciplines including computing, AI, science and technology studies, sociology, philosophy and IS bringing a combination of technical and information systems / ethics / social science research to the proposed project. She has researched in gender and IS computing over twenty years with two monographs, an edited book and conference proceedings and many research papers.

Alison researches ways in which technologies may disadvantage the privacy of some social groups, particularly women and children and the ethical issues involved in inscribing privacy protection in the design of information systems. Her publications are used in university teaching internationally. She has supervised nine PhDs to successful completion, including and EPSRC Case award with Astra Zeneca. She has been PI/CI on six ESF projects totalling 660K, researching women in the IT industry, involving 2-4 researchers over four years, several journal and conference papers, project reports and a conference workshop and dissemination to specialist and non-specialist audiences.