Our research in journalism, media & communication covers contemporary practices and representations.
There are four key areas which define our research at Strathclyde:
- gender & media
- science, health & environment
- politics, publics & activism
- violence & conflict
Within this, we have particular strengths in the analysis of the UK/Scottish media landscape, and in collaborative, interdisciplinary research which investigates media and communications practices in the context of global challenges including (micro)plastic pollution, gender inequalities and the growth of populism.
Collaborative research
Some of our recent and continuing research partnerships include:
- Expert advice on marine litter and (micro) plastics pollution policy for UNEP, DEFRA, EU (Circular Economy Plan).
- Communications and behaviour change concerning plastic pollution in Bali and East Java with partners including Systemiq and 5 leading Indonesian Universities: Institut Teknologi Bandung, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Universitas of Airlangga and Udayana, and Essa Unggul as well as The Indonesian Institute of Science, The Asian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science
- Understanding social practices and plastics pollution communications in relation to plastic packaging (UK, Spain and Germany) working with chemists and engineers at Brunel University London and the Nextloopp consortium of global brands (Smart Sustainable Plastics Packaging, UKRI).
- Exploring policy options, education and awareness opportunities afforded by remote satellite sensing to identify global plastic waste (CGG Robertson, Mott Macdonald, the European Space Agency)
- A consultancy report for the Scottish Parliament (A Parliament for All: Report of the Parliament’s Gender Sensitive Audit) working with MSPs, Parliamentary Staff, Third Sector and leading academics in the field to provide a gender-sensitive audit of the Parliament’s culture and practices
- A collaborative consultancy with the University of Edinburgh (‘I just didn’t see anyone like me’: women's experiences in Scottish media, creative and cultural industries) exploring the experiences of women in the creative and cultural industries in Scotland. This work was part of the Gender Equal Media Development project, funded through Engender, and helped form the basis for the proposed, Scottish Government-funded, Equal Media and Culture Centre for Scotland
- Collaboration with the University of Exeter and the University of Rome “La Sapienza” on
- The Girlhood Studies Research Network created by the investigators of the AHRC-funded Girls’ Eye View project (2021-24) exploring girlhood in twentieth and twenty-first-century Italian culture.
- Collaborative PhDs with Scottish Football Association
- Scottish Government (Unlocking the Value of Public Sector Data for Public Benefit programme) - HEIs, Private, Public and Third Sectors
- Scottish Government (Unlocking the Value of Public Sector Data for Public Benefit programme) - HEIs, Private, Public and Third Sectors
- Strathclyde Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Human Rights-based Decision Making - Law, Humanities, Computer and Information Sciences, Government and Public Policy, and Economics
- SCDT Social Dimensions of Plastics: Communications, Behaviours and Social Change - an innovative doctoral training centre dedicated to supporting the next generation of interdisciplinary plastics research leaders involving partnerships with business, charities and NGOs.
