PhD, BA(Hons), Cert.Soc.Stud.
Senior Research Fellow
Department of Information Systems
The University of Melbourne
Room 4.61, ICT Building, 111 Barry St, Carlton, Vic, AustraliaPhone: +61 3 8344 1578
Email: davish@unimelb.edu.au
Jump down this page to: Research Projects : Academic Background : Publications
:
I am currently a Research Only member of staff.
My research interests are in the design and application of new technologies to
support people living with serious illnesses whether
they are based in hospital or at home. I am also interested in the role of
technology in mediating social relationships between distributed family
members, and the role of technology in domestic environments generally. I have
a background in social science research, and a particular fondness for the
application of ethnographic techniques, especially in complex and sensitive
settings.
Ph.D thesis:
My PhD work entitled “The social
management of Computing Artefacts in Nursing Work: An Ethnographic
Account” explores ways in which nurses and hospital
receptionists’ talk about and manage computing artefacts
in their everyday work in a public hospital setting. I employ a range of data
collection techniques (including in-depth observation, semi-structured
interviews, and video-taped interaction) to examine intricate detail of
human-computer interaction in a range of hospital settings including an
Accident and Emergency department, a general orthopaedics
ward and an acute coronary care unit. These ethnographic accounts demonstrate
that computing artefacts have an ambiguous status in
nursing work. The significance of the temporal and spatial application of
computing artefacts suggests a particular discourse:
one concerned with time, efficiency and finance. Nurses, patients and
technology all play a role in constructing this discourse. Major
characteristics of nursing work with computing artefacts
are outlined, ultimately emphasising the hidden,
experiential, tacit, emotional and sophisticated nature of nursing work with
technology.
Current Research Projects:
I am currently working with colleagues in the I.S. department on the
following projects:
1. Cross-Community Information Systems: Understanding Technology-Practice Fit in HealthCare
Health service delivery is being transformed by IT. How will doctors, patients, families, treatment support groups and others interact in this interconnected world? These 'interconnected information systems' can be termed Cross Community Information Systems (CCIS) as they are used by a variety of 'communities of practice' and they need to fit diverse community characteristics and values. This research will deliver case studies of innovative health technologies which aim to assist patients and their caregivers in the managment of their condition.
We are working with Diabetes Australia-Victoria to help support women with type 1 diabetes considering pregnancy, already pregnant or post-pregnancy. This research was funded by an ARC discovery grant.
2. Using Emerging Technologies to Improve Supportive Care for Young Adults
Living with Cancer
Working in collaboration with the OnTrac team at the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre, this project aims to develop innovative strategies for providing supportive care for young people who are living with cancer (YPWC aged 18-25 years), by exploiting existing practices of broadband, internet and mobile telephone use to forge social connectivity between YPWC.
This work was made possible with a grant from the Cancer Council, and
technological support provided by Telstra.
3. Intergenerational Play Across A Distance
The Intergenerational Play project was funded through the Smart Internet
Technology CRC, and explores the use of interactive technology for supporting
communication between members (usually grandparents and grandchildren) from
distributed, extended families.
4. Connected Homes Project
I am currently a member of a group of people working on the Connected Homes
project. The purpose of the project is to understand how communication
technologies are used in the home, and how these technologies connect members
in the home to others in the outside world.
2002
Ph.D Sociology Department,
1992
B.A. (HONS) Sociology, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, 1st
class honours
1991 B.A. Sociology and English Literature (double major), Victoria
University of Wellington, New Zealand.
1989
Cert. Soc.Stud Certificate in Social Studies, Centre
for Continuing Education,
2008-2009 only
Ashkanasy, S., Vetere, F, Davis, H and Shanks, G. (2009) Finding the other 5%: Understanding the role of social networking technology in building personal communities for young adults with cancer. ECSCW 09: European Conference on Computer Supported Co-opeative Work, Vienna, Austria Sept 7-11.
Davis, H, Vetere, F, Gibbs, M and Howard, S
(2008) ‘I wish we could get together” Exploring Intergenerational
Play Across a Distance using a Magic Box’
Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, vol 6, no
2, p191-210.
Vetere, F,
Davis, H, Vetere, F,
Ashkanasy, et al. (2008) Towards Social Connection for Young People With Cancer.
Recent Presentations:
Davis, H. (31 Oct 2008) Towards Social Connection for Young People with Cancer, University of Melbourne Interaction Design Group Seminar
Davis, H. (5 Dec 2008) Individual Representations of Self on MyTrac, HCSNet (ARC Network in Human Communication Science) Summerfest 2008, Sydney
Murray E, Davis H,
Tai SS, Coulter A, Gray A, Haines A. (2001) Randomised controlled trial
of an interactive multimedia decision aid on benign prostatic hypertrophy in
primary care. British Medical Journal. Sep 1;323(7311):493-6.
Murray E, Davis H,
Tai SS, Coulter A, Gray A, Haines A. (2001) Randomised controlled trial of an
interactive multimedia decision aid on hormone replacement therapy in primary
care. British Medical Journal. Sep 1;323(7311):490-3.
Entwhistle V, Watt I, Davis H, Dickson R, Pickard D,
Rosser G. (1998) Developing information materials to present the findings
of technology assessments to consumers: the experience of the NHS Centre
for Reviews and Dissemination. International Journal of Technology
Assessment in Health Care, vol 14:1, p 47-70.
Robinson K, Robinson H, and Davis
H. (1996) The Social Construction of Computing in Nursing
Practice: a Review of the Literature. Journal of Health Informatics,
Issue 2: 179-187
Book Chapters
Davis, H (2001) Field Dressings: The
Management of Self: Practical, Emotional and Theoretical Implications of
Ethnographic Work in a Public Hospital Setting (in) Research as a personal
and personalized process: the emotional nature of qualitative research,
Kathleen R. Gilbert (ed), CRC Press Ltd, USA.
Conference Publications pre 2008
Davis, H., Vetere, F.
Francis, P., Gibbs, M., Howard, S. (2006). Exploring Intergenerational Play Across a Distance Using Cultural Probes. ICIP
conference proceedings.
Vetere, F,
Benda, P., Davis, H.,
Francis, P., Gibbs, M. R., Howard, S., Langdale, G.,
Kay, J., Kummerfeld, B. and Vetere, F. (2005). A special kind of intimacy:
Sustaining sociability with ubiquitous computing for the inter-generational
family. Presented at the Smart Internet Technology CRC Annual
Conference in
Hovendon F, Robinson H and Davis H. (1995) The Software
Maverick: Identity and (Man)ifest
Identity. Proceedings of CRICT Workshop “The Subject(s) of Technology,
Feminism, Constructivism and
Identity”. Brunel Unversity
Davis, H (1994) The
social construction of computing in casualty: an analysis of human and
non-human interaction. Paper presented at the British Sociology Association
Medical Sociology Group Annual Conference,
Davis, H (1994) The social processes of
computing in nursing practice : a clash of cultures?
Paper presented at the conference ‘Breaking old
Boundaries: Building New Forms’ the 5th international conference on
Women, work and computerisation,
Other Publications
Poster Presentations
Davis, H (1995) The
social construction of computing in nursing practice: A clash of cultures?
Poster presented at the conference on Technology, Work and Ecology, 2nd
feminist research conference,
Davis, H (1994) The
social construction of computing in nursing practice: an analysis of human and
non-human interaction. Poster presented at
·
These pages are
maintained by Hilary Davis (davish@unimelb.edu.au), Department of Information Systems.
The opinoins on them do not necessarily reflect those
of the University of
Melbourne. Tel: (613) 8344 1578: (613) 9349 4596. Last update: July 1, 2009.