Ph.D. Minor in Social Informatics

Social Informatics (SI) refers to the interdisciplinary study of the design, uses and consequences of information and communication technologies (ICT) that takes into account their interaction with institutional and cultural contexts. Social Informatics research examines the roles of technologies in social and organizational change and the social shaping of ICT. SI work can be labeled as studies of the social impacts of computing, the social analysis of computing, studies of computer-mediated communication (CMC), information policy, and "computers and society." SI research and SI courses are organized within diverse fields, including information systems, telecommunications, journalism, information science, and political science.

SI researchers study the processes, policies and consequences of ICT design, development, and use. One key goal of the field is to shape ICTs and policies relevant to them in order to enhance human communication and lead to more acceptable technological developments at organizational and social levels.

The Ph.D Minor in Social Informatics at Indiana University consists of four courses (12 credits) from two or more departments, usually selected from a list of courses as described below. Please note that a student minoring in SI cannot include classes from his or her home department in the Minor.

Students who complete the Ph.D. Minor in SI at Indiana University must demonstrate proficiency in a set of courses that examine the design, uses, consequences and/or policies of ICT use in social, cultural, or institutional contexts. The SI Ph.D. Minor emphasizes theoretical and methodological issues, as well as substantive issues.

Director and Steering Committee

The SI program is overseen by a Steering Committee that includes Pnina Fichman (School of Library and Information Science) and Eden Medina (School of Informatics and Computing).

Requirements for the Ph.D. Minor in Social Informatics

The student must submit the Social Informatics Minor Application form to the Steering Committee describing the course of study. We recommend submitting the form prior to starting courses to ensure that all courses proposed are approved.

Students must complete 12 hours (usually four courses). These courses should be selected from the courses listed on the RKCSI Courses at Indiana page that are specifically identified as approved for the Ph.D. Minor. Some of the courses on this list (marked with an asterisk) require approval to be included, as their content changes regularly. The courses must be taken from at least two departments or schools other than the student's home academic unit. SI is developing rapidly at IU, and we expect that additional doctoral level courses will be offered each year. Students can propose that their minor include other SI courses that are not included on this list. In this case, the syllabi and other detailed information about the course(s) should be included with the application form.

Form

Click here for a form to complete for the Ph.D. Minor in Social Informatics. This will be signed by Director of the Doctoral Minor Program in Social Informatics when it is approved.