Young People, Technology, and Wellbeing Research Facility. Large numbers of initiatives now mobilise technology to support the wellbeing of young Australians. However, amongst communities undertaking this work, there is currently significant duplication and insufficient sharing of research and best practice models. A Research Facility that consolidates existing research, and guides new research and initiatives will improve service delivery to young Australians by: reducing duplication between or ....Young People, Technology, and Wellbeing Research Facility. Large numbers of initiatives now mobilise technology to support the wellbeing of young Australians. However, amongst communities undertaking this work, there is currently significant duplication and insufficient sharing of research and best practice models. A Research Facility that consolidates existing research, and guides new research and initiatives will improve service delivery to young Australians by: reducing duplication between organizations working with young people; providing an accessible interface with research that can help address the community’s concerns about the role of technology in young people’s lives, and inform future policy and programs; and model effective cross-sector knowledge brokering to Australian industry. Read moreRead less
New Media and Public Communication: Mapping Australian User-Created Content in Online Social Networks. Understanding the ways people contribute to and use the Internet for a wide range of purposes is important to Australia's future from both a social and an economic perspective. Effective, evidence-based policy depends on developing a vastly improved understanding of the current level of Australians' online activities and interests. This project provides crucial, detailed baseline data on the so ....New Media and Public Communication: Mapping Australian User-Created Content in Online Social Networks. Understanding the ways people contribute to and use the Internet for a wide range of purposes is important to Australia's future from both a social and an economic perspective. Effective, evidence-based policy depends on developing a vastly improved understanding of the current level of Australians' online activities and interests. This project provides crucial, detailed baseline data on the social, cultural and technological dynamics of Australian online public communication, which can inform further government initiatives to strengthen the country's digital economy and to maximise civic engagement through media participation.Read moreRead less
Redesigning Australian film and television production for Multichannel Environments, 1995-2009. The project has clear national benefits in that it represents a new approach to understanding the difficulties and opportunities confronting Australian situated audio-visual production at a time of profound change. In centering the transformation of the production industry under the impact of structural adjustment to multi-channeling and increasing transnationalization, the study promises new perspect ....Redesigning Australian film and television production for Multichannel Environments, 1995-2009. The project has clear national benefits in that it represents a new approach to understanding the difficulties and opportunities confronting Australian situated audio-visual production at a time of profound change. In centering the transformation of the production industry under the impact of structural adjustment to multi-channeling and increasing transnationalization, the study promises new perspectives on strategic policy and industry priorities which will strengthen the capacity for innovation and international linkages among producers, policy makers and educators. It fits the national priority of 'Frontier technologies for building and transforming Australian industries' related to 'promoting an innovation culture and economy'.Read moreRead less
The uses of romance for new demographics and multimedia platforms: A model of media innovation in international women's fiction publishing. The national benefit of this project is both economic and socio-cultural. Economically, it investigates new ways to produce and distribute Australian creative content for local and export markets. It identifies how branch offices of global firms can be creative offices. Culturally, it develops scenarios for maximizing the acceptance, uptake and use of digita ....The uses of romance for new demographics and multimedia platforms: A model of media innovation in international women's fiction publishing. The national benefit of this project is both economic and socio-cultural. Economically, it investigates new ways to produce and distribute Australian creative content for local and export markets. It identifies how branch offices of global firms can be creative offices. Culturally, it develops scenarios for maximizing the acceptance, uptake and use of digital technologies by both large-scale publishers and young Australians. It investigates agents along the length of the creative value chain - from authors to audiences - to determine the uses of creative fiction, identifying the features that attract / repel users of published fiction in these genres. Finally it extends the capabilities of users to create their own romance content.Read moreRead less
An ethnographic investigation into the everyday work and communication cultures of public transport transit guards: reducing risk and injury. This research improves the safety of public transport for workers and passengers with flow-on benefits at local and national levels. The main health and safety risk transit guards face is attacks upon them, or injury incurred while intervening in assaults they witness. Conventional initiatives have not impacted greatly on injury rates but culture and commu ....An ethnographic investigation into the everyday work and communication cultures of public transport transit guards: reducing risk and injury. This research improves the safety of public transport for workers and passengers with flow-on benefits at local and national levels. The main health and safety risk transit guards face is attacks upon them, or injury incurred while intervening in assaults they witness. Conventional initiatives have not impacted greatly on injury rates but culture and communication change strategies offer potential ways forward. Strategies that reduce incidents confer clear community benefits and competitive advantage. Effective management of such challenges assists with the recruitment and retention of appropriate staff, improving profitability. Benefits include reduced costs of public transport, increased passenger load, and positive environmental impacts.Read moreRead less
Artistic Practice in Australian Videogame Development. The game industry is the largest cultural industry in the world. Its economic growth relies in part on the artistic innovations of non-commercial developers and communities operating beyond the industry’s purview. Policymakers and researchers alike struggle to account for the cultural contexts and creative origins of game development. This project conceptualises and empirically investigates ‘artist-gamemaking’ to generate new knowledge on th ....Artistic Practice in Australian Videogame Development. The game industry is the largest cultural industry in the world. Its economic growth relies in part on the artistic innovations of non-commercial developers and communities operating beyond the industry’s purview. Policymakers and researchers alike struggle to account for the cultural contexts and creative origins of game development. This project conceptualises and empirically investigates ‘artist-gamemaking’ to generate new knowledge on the ambitions, techniques and histories of Australia’s game industry. It develops resources that will enable cultural institutions to better support them. This research is important as it articulates the cultural and economic value of a vital site of creative practice in contemporary Australia.Read moreRead less
Isolation, illness and the Internet: Exploring the possibility of a second life for sufferers of ME. Chronic illnesses affect not only the suffering parties but also the general population by draining the workforce and increasing the burden on our social support systems. This study addresses our national priority of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health by analysing the support structures that are available for those who face isolation resulting from chronic illnesses. It will strengthen this fa ....Isolation, illness and the Internet: Exploring the possibility of a second life for sufferers of ME. Chronic illnesses affect not only the suffering parties but also the general population by draining the workforce and increasing the burden on our social support systems. This study addresses our national priority of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health by analysing the support structures that are available for those who face isolation resulting from chronic illnesses. It will strengthen this fabric by creating and piloting a virtual forum which will have direct, meaningful effects beyond the reaches of the study. The transnational nature of the research will enhance Australia's international profile in the area, forging links and improving information sharing regarding the use of the Internet to manage chronic illnesses.Read moreRead less
Family Internet: theorising domestic Internet consumption, production and use within Australian families. The proposed research interrogates the role of the Internet in Australian domestic contexts, specifically among families with school-aged children. The investigation will inform discussion about ways in which the Internet is becoming integrated within family life, including the relocation of school and work agendas to the domestic sphere.
The significance of the research lies in the growin ....Family Internet: theorising domestic Internet consumption, production and use within Australian families. The proposed research interrogates the role of the Internet in Australian domestic contexts, specifically among families with school-aged children. The investigation will inform discussion about ways in which the Internet is becoming integrated within family life, including the relocation of school and work agendas to the domestic sphere.
The significance of the research lies in the growing sociocultural importance of the Internet and its potential role as a catalyst for, and an enabler of, knowledge creation and management. Age, gender, power, pleasure, competencies and roles relating to Internet use within Australian family settings will all be addressed.
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Online@asia/pacific: A comparative study of online networks in the Asia-Pacific. In the 21st century, the role of the Internet will increasingly become part of everyday life - for individuals, communities, businesses and government agencies. Thus it is imperative that we have a robust comparative understanding of online life in Australia and across the region, and its relation to local life offline. Such an understanding is fundamental to Australia's technology and cultural sectors, thus contrib ....Online@asia/pacific: A comparative study of online networks in the Asia-Pacific. In the 21st century, the role of the Internet will increasingly become part of everyday life - for individuals, communities, businesses and government agencies. Thus it is imperative that we have a robust comparative understanding of online life in Australia and across the region, and its relation to local life offline. Such an understanding is fundamental to Australia's technology and cultural sectors, thus contributing to National Research Priority 3 through one of the strongest currencies in 21st century global market, web 2.0, as well as contributing to the broader long-term project of locating Australia in the region.
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Improved communication with heart patients in the context of the gift economy. Coronary Heart Disease is Australia's biggest killer and a patient's diagnosis is a traumatic event. A majority of patients resists the implications of their disease and fails to follow medical recommendations fully. Humanities research enables increased understanding of, and better communication with, heart patients yet has not been extensively used to understand how patients make sense of their new status. HeartNET, ....Improved communication with heart patients in the context of the gift economy. Coronary Heart Disease is Australia's biggest killer and a patient's diagnosis is a traumatic event. A majority of patients resists the implications of their disease and fails to follow medical recommendations fully. Humanities research enables increased understanding of, and better communication with, heart patients yet has not been extensively used to understand how patients make sense of their new status. HeartNET, a therapeutic website, is used to investigate construction of the self as a heart patient and the research also applies gift economy theory to online interactions which help both self and others. Benefits include patient support and improved health outcomes, reducing human and financial costs to the community and Australia.Read moreRead less