Dr Will Venters

Academic Career Progression

Recent Research Activities

(2010 -2011) Co-Principle Investigator - Physical Science Information Practices. Funded by Research Information Network. Physical sciences, hunting for the exploration of fundamental laws of nature, have played a special role for the natural sciences in the 19th and 20th century. As a discipline they formed an interface between mathematics and other natural sciences, but also between natural sciences, engineering, applied sciences and technological development. Not only have they influenced other sciences, epistemic and social behaviour characterizing this specific scientific community has often functioned as role model for other sciences. For example: the preprint culture developed primarily in high-energy physics (the first exceptional field of large scale and international collaboration) diffused first into physics and triggered (together with the web - another by-product of high-energy physics) the current web-based repository and open access movement. More recent developments as 'web travel in time' (Memento project) or 'life-stream data on information seeking behaviour' (Mesur project) also have their origins in physical science research environments. Such developments make the information seeking, organizing, archiving and communicating capacities of this particular community an interesting case to be studied for possible effective regimes of information processing behaviour when confronted with complex problem solving tasks. This project seeks to explore this behaviour.

(2008-) Investigator for CfHEP Evaluation of the UK Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) in Primary Care (part of NPfIT). In conjunction with the The School of Pharmacy, University of London and the University of Nottingham.  (http://www.haps.bham.ac.uk/publichealth/cfhep/004.shtml) The aim of this research is to evaluate electronic transmission of prescriptions within primary care. The bulk of the evaluation will focus on Phase 3 of the ETP rollout, and then the transition to Phase 4. The initial focus is on the 17 PCTs selected for initial implementation, though we understand the need to be flexible and match the evaluation activity to the speed of rollout. In undertaking the evaluation, the aim is to provide 3 types of evaluations: 1. An assessment and confirmation of the safety of the service established against the background of the prior work practices. 2. Insights into the way the service is initially adopted by GP practices, patients and pharmacies/other dispensers in a way that that can inform the wider rollout of the service 3. An assessment of the wider consequences of the uptake and use of the service for patients, pharmacy, primary care, and the organisational and institutional environment of health care.

(2006-2010) Principle Investigator of Pegasus (Particle Physicists' Engagement with Grid-technologies: A Socio-technical Usability Study): www.pegasusresearch.org.uk: Experimental particle physics has always demanded new technology and this demand has led to many new innovations, of which the Web is perhaps most notable. Currently particle physics is demanding a new form of computer system capable of processing the vast quantity of data which will be produced by a new particle accelerator at CERN (Europe's particle physics laboratory based in Geneva called the Large Hadron Collider - LHC), scheduled to start in 2007. This experiment will produce a staggering 12-14 million gigabytes of data per year and so requires a wholly new form of computer system to process the data. This new system is called a Grid and consists of many distributed computers, storage arrays, and sensors, all working together so that any user can draw on very large amounts of computing power without needing to know about how it works or even where the computers and data are located. The UK's particle physics community has constructed a Grid (called GridPP1) as a pilot demonstrator of this technology. They are now in the process of evaluating this pilot project, and developing a new Grid (GridPP2) ready for the new accelerator where it will be used by a large number of physicists analysing the new data. However implementing new information systems is always difficult. While the pilot projects may prove technically successful, things are often very different when they start to be used to do real work. In particular the users will need to change the way they work in order to accommodate the new system, they will require (or even demand) the new system to be changed in unexpected ways because it doesn't fit with their needs, and furthermore the type of work they do collectively will be changed. This project aims to understand the way particle physicists are constructing their Grid, and how they are introducing it into use. This is relevant for improving the usability of all Grids and for wider information systems research for three reasons; first, particle physicists are very pragmatic in the way they construct technology and tend to employ tools and techniques in different ways to other developers (for example software companies or big firms). Second, particle physicists are distributed across the globe and have for a long time worked together as a "virtual organisation"; something which is of great interest to other scientists as "e-science" leads them to work in similar ways. Third, because the LHC will start in 2007, and so GridPP2 must be ready on time, we will be able to observe the compromises and decisions particle physicists make to construct a usable system to a deadline. This means that the research can provide a relevant juxtaposition to current research on other innovative systems development approaches, for example Open Source Development and Agile Methods.

(2001-2004) Co-investigator on C-SanD (Creating, Sustaining and Disseminating Knowledge for Sustainable Construction): http://www.C-SanD.org: A three year EPSRC funded research project in partnership with the University of Salford and Loughborough University and with a variety of industrial collaborators (AMEC, Davis Langdon, Taylor Woodrow, WS Atkins, Greenwich Council, Hockerton Housing). The construction industry needs to place more emphasis on knowledge issues if it is to achieve its targets of more sustainable processes, materials and products. Within certain projects knowledge about sustainability is being developed continuously, but there is little understanding of the best ways to foster the creation of this knowledge, less about how to capture such knowledge, and even less about how to ensure that knowledge is available quickly and easily to other individuals, companies and projects. Some of this knowledge comes in the form of good practice, standards and enhanced process models, but to make sustainable construction more general across the industry requires the informed understandings by professionals of how these codified elements can be used in practice. Against this background, the aims of the C-SanD project are to develop, test and implement: software tools which allow capture and retrieval of relevant knowledge: to embed these tools in working methods that both enable the creation of new knowledge about sustainable construction – that is allow the reflection upon project experience by the teams drawn from different professional interests and companies- and for accessing and incorporating such knowledge into ongoing activities; such an approach, driven by knowledge, requires architectures for the sharing of knowledge within companies, and also for the controlled sharing of knowledge between companies. To achieve these ends the C-SanD project draws upon the experience of professionals in the partner companies, reflecting their current practices and needs, and sets this alongside current research in construction management, knowledge management, information systems development and allied fields. The project makes use of modelling approaches (problem structuring methods) to interpret the different understandings of key issues (including the varied meanings of sustainability itself), and uses these models to stimulate discussions to provide a robust basis for software design. The resulting prototype processes and software will be used on live projects to both support their sustainability objectives as well as to refine the knowledge processes and the software tools. The tools, methods and architecture produced by C-SanD are intended to be of use to both large companies with more extensive IT structures and smaller specialist sub-contractors who often have a sophisticated knowledge base but a less sophisticated IT structure. As sustainability issues relate to both the construction process and the facility in use, the outputs of the project will be of use to clients, consultants and construction companies.

TWIST (Treasury Workstation Integration Standards Team: http://www.twiststandards.co.uk): An industry group working to develop an open XML standard to enable straight through processing within financial services. This group, led by Shell, includes leading corporate treasuries, fund managers, banks, system suppliers, market infrastructure providers and consultancies. The LSE's involvement in TWIST has led to the recent creation of the TWIST research centre within which I am a co-investigator. The centre aims to undertake research into the role of technical standards in financial services.

Honours and Prizes

• Nomination for the LSE Teaching Excellence Award 2010.

• Major Review Teaching Prize, London School of Economics, 2008.

• Fellow of the RSA - Royal Society for the Arts, Manufacturing and Technology (FRSA).

• Competitive scholarship from the British Council for PhD (all fees plus full stipend) 

• Competitive sponsorship from ICL for BSc

Research Grants

• EPSRC Creativity Greenhouse - SeRTES (£199,705) Co-Investigator. http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/J021601/1

• RIN Physical Science Information Practices (RIN-PSIP) Co-PI. (£19,200)

  • PI: Dr Eric Meyer. Team Members: Grace de la Flor, Monica Bulger, Ralph Schroeder, Dr Marina Jirotka (Co-PI), Dr. Annamaria Carusi, Dr Melissa Terras (Co-PI), Pete Williams, Will Venters (Co-PI), Avgousta Kyriakidou, Dr Sally Wyatt (Co-PI), Andrea Scharnhorst.

  • Lead Institution: Oxford Internet Institute.

  • Collaborators: Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford; LSE Enterprise and Information Systems and Innovation Group, Department of Management at the London School of Economics (LSE); Oxford e-Research Centre, University of Oxford; UCL Centre for Digital Humanities and the Department of Information Studies, University College London;Virtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and Maastricht University.

  • Total grant value £105,000  - LSE component £19,200.12

  • Sept 2010-May 2011

• Evaluation of the electronic prescription service in primary care (NHS CFHEP)

  • Team Members: Nick Barber, The School of Pharmacy, University of London,Sarah Armstrong, Division of Primary Care, University of Nottingham, Tony Avery, Division of Primary Care, University of Nottingham, Tina Brock, The School of Pharmacy, University of London, Tony Cornford, Information Systems and Innovation Group, London School of Economics, Bryony Dean Franklin, Rachel Elliott, The School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Will Venters, London School of Economics, Justin Waring, School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham

• EPSRC £236,000 for Pegasus research project. (PI)

• British Council Sponsorship of PhD, University of Salford (all fees plus full stipend) 

• Active Intranet Plc sponsorship of PhD research activity (sponsorship)

Teaching Experience

• Jointly lecturing the Systems Development course on the LSE's M.Sc. in the Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems (ADMIS). (All ADMIS courses are jointly taught).
• Jointly developing and lecturing the ADMIS M.Sc. course on Knowledge, Organisations and Technology.
• Commissioned to write a Subject Guide on Software Engineering for the University of London's External Programme.
• Supervisor for postgraduate students' dissertations for the ADMIS M.Sc.
• Second-Supervisor of PhD candidate researching the Volunteering Sector.
• Ph.D. Supervisor, LSE.
• Lecturer on Software Engineering as a two day revision course annually at the Singapore Institute of Management, Singapore.
• Lecturer on Computer Networks as a half day revision course annually at the Singapore Institute of Management, Singapore.
• Lecturer on Programming as a one day revision course annually at the Singapore Institute of Management, Singapore.
• Participating in the mLSE project to develop a mobile learning support environment within the department of information systems.
• Chief examiner for the Software Engineering course of the B.Sc. Information Systems and Management degree within the University of London's external programme - a distance learning programme.
• Examiner for the Information systems of the B.Sc. Information Systems and Management degree within the University of London's external programme.
• Lecturer for an Internet Business course for final year undergraduates on the B.Sc. (Hons.) in Business Information Technology at the University of Salford in 2000.
• Teaching on LSE Executive Education.

Additional Academic Activities

• Member of AIS, IFIP 8.2, IFIP 9.5, ACM.
• Member of the NHS Medicines Information Reference Group.
• PhD External Examiner, University of Cambridge.
• PhD Internal Examiner, University of London.
• Associated Editor for the Journal Information Technology and People .
• Guest Editor for Special Issue of Knowledge Management Research & Practice, (2009).
• Member of the Programme Committee for UKAIS 2007 Conference, Manchester.
• Member of the Programme Committee for 5th International Conference on e-Social Science, Cologne.
• Recent Reviewer for:
  • Journal of Strategic Information Systems
  • Management Information Systems Quarterly
  • American Conference on Information Systems
  • Journal of Information Technology
  • Journal of Intelligent Systems
  • Journal of Computing and Information Technology
  • Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
  • International Conference on Information Systems
  • European Conference on Information Systems
  • Information Systems Journal
  • Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems
  • Learning Organisation
  • Information Technology and People
  • Information and Organisation
  • European Journal of Information Systems
  • Organization Studies
  • Computer-Based Medical Systems Conference (CBMS)
• Associate Editor for International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) 2011.
• Joint Founder and Faculty Editor for iSChannel, a journal on the social study of Information Systems, produced, edited and double-blind reviewed by the students of the Information Systems Group. ISSN 2042-5678 (print)
• Warden of Sidney Webb House Hall of Residence, LSE (2005-2010).
• External Reviewer for Hong Kong research grants council (2006).
• Internal Academic Reviewer for a University of London External Programme Subject Guide (2005).
• ICIS Junior Faculty Consortium - Las Vegas (2005)
• Discussant at the International Conference on Information Systems (2005), Las Vegas, NV.
• Chair of a session at the third European conference on Organizational Knowledge, Learning, and Capabilities, Athens, Greece. (2002)
• Participant at the European Conference of Information Systems doctorial consortium in Bled, Slovenia. (2001)
   

Policy activity and Voluntary work

(2006-2011) Member of the board of Trustees of www.YouthNet.org , a registered online charity aimed at creating "a socially inclusive environment" by delivering high-quality information, signposting and frontline emotional support primarily through the internet, but increasingly through mobile phones, digital interactive TV and hand-held devices. The organisation maintains two leading websites www.thesite.org providing advice to young people, and www.do-it.org.uk the UK's only national database of volunteering opportunities. The organisation employs around 35 people and has an annual turnover of around £3 million. I am also a member of the www.TheSite.org  Advisory Group within YouthNet. 

(2005) Member of the UK Government's Russell Commission on Youth Volunteering http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/russellcommission/report/index.html  (Independent advisory group) within the Home Office (Note that this was the main body of commission as the commission itself only consisted of Ian Russell). The Government has allocated £ 50 million over three years to support the implementation of the Commission's recommendations, and with matched contributions and sponsorship will lead to £150 million being spent on the Youth Volunteering recommendations of the commission.

(1999-2005) Chairman of the board of directors of Student Volunteering England www.StudentVolunteering.org.uk: This is a registered national charity to promote voluntary work among Higher Education and Further Education students. Elected chairman in 2002 after three years on the board of directors and extensive previous involvement in student community action and voluntary work. Responsible for major management issues such as CEO recruitment; redundancy; line management of the CEO; representing the organisation to the media, at conferences and events.

Invited Lectures and Presentations.

• Invited Lecture, Warwick WMG, (2012)

• Invited Lecture, High-level Danish Government Deligation, London (2011).

• HfS Research Webinar (2011).

• ITSMA Seminar, Cloud Computing (2010)

• Invited lecture, Leeds University. (2010).

• Invited workshop participant, UK/Korea eScience Workshop, Seoul (2010).

• Invited lecture, GridPP Collaboration meeting, RHUL (2010).

• Invited lecture, GridPP Collaboration meeting, UCL (2009).

• Invited lecture, Manchester Business School (2008).

• Invited lecture, Louisiana State University, USA - Centre for Computation and Technology (2008).

• Invited lecture, Oxford University - Oxford Internet Institute (2007).

• Invited lecture, University of Salford (2007).

• Invited seminar, University College London (2007).

• Invited lecture, 16th GridPP collaboration meeting, QMUL (2006).

• Invited lecture, University of Manchester (2004).

• Invited lecture, Information Systems Institute, University of Salford (2004).

• Invited panel chair in plenary at Second Annual Higher Education and Community Partnership Conference (2003).

• Invited lecture, University of Hull Business School (2003).

• Presentation at the 2003 SSIT (Social Study of IT) workshop, London School of Economics.

• Presentation at GEMISIS Conference, Salford, UK (2000).

Publications