Research Summary

David's research interests are centered around the impact of offline meetings on groups that have formed completely or predominately online, with particular focus on productivity and interpersonal relationships.

David has also conducted research in the area of video surveillance in public libraries, cyberbullying and media richness

Interests

  • Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)
  • Online Communities
  • Virtual Teams
  • Cyberbullying
  • Self-Presentation
  • Small Groups
  • Video Surveillance

Research Projects

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    Stakeholder Participation and the Emergence of Dominant Design in Cyberinfrastructure Systems

    Research Assistant

    This project examines the social processes in the design of cyberinfrastructures, focusing on the role that different stakeholders play in design and development, the ways in which their interests and priorities can be aligned, and the social organization of the development effort.

    More specifically, this project examines the development and evolution of the GENI.net cyberinfrastructures (PlanetLab, ProtoGeni, ORBIT, ORCA). The goal of this research is to develop a framework for understanding how cyberinfrastructure designs emerge and evolve over time (to that end, we are looking into various theoretical approaches beyond the "dominant design" approach that we originally proposed). We are conducting a qualitative study of the interactions between developers, experimenters and other GENI stakeholders, and of their involvement in the design and development processes across its four cyberinfrastructures.

    The long-term goal of our research is to contribute research and practical knowledge to the area of cyberinfrastructure design and large-scale IT development.

    NSF Award OCI-1220269

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    Informal Learning in Online Fan Communities

    Researcher

    Online fan communities provide opportunities for meaningful collaborations and rich learning experiences. In recent years, scholars have begun to explore the learning that takes place in online fandoms. Still, we lack a complete understanding of the skills youth develop through their fan-based activities; the roles that identity, motivation, and emotion play in young people’s informal learning online; and the novice-to-expert trajectories made available in different online fan communities.

    The proposed study will shed light on each of these areas of inquiry through ethnographic investigations of online fan communities currently popular among U.S. teens.

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    Stories of bullying and coping in an online community

    Researcher

    The American Academy of Pediatrics has identified bullying as a serious health risk for adolescents. In today’s age of social media and smartphones, this health risk has taken on new forms and extended its reach. Strategies to reduce the prevalence of and negative consequences associated with both traditional and cyberbullying require knowledge of victims’ lived experiences as well as the coping strategies they employ—both effectively and ineffectively—to respond to their tormentors.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics has identified bullying as a serious health risk for adolescents. In today’s age of social media and smartphones, this health risk has taken on new forms and extended its reach. Strategies to reduce the prevalence of and negative consequences associated with both traditional and cyberbullying require knowledge of victims’ lived experiences as well as the coping strategies they employ—both effectively and ineffectively—to respond to their tormentors.

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    Video Surveillance in Public Libraries

    Researcher

    Libraries have long maintained strong protections for patron privacy and intellectual freedom. However, the increasing prevalence of sophisticated surveillance systems in public libraries potentially threatens these core library commitments.