Dr Allen Foster

BA, MSc, PhD, PGCTHE, FHEA

I am currently Reader in Information Science here at Aberystwyth University and I have expertise in the areas of information management and information behaviour and degrees in Social History, Information Management, along with Fellow Higher Education Academy, I have supervised research students with more than 20 students working on MPhil, PhD, DProf over the years and many more at Master’s level in a variety of related areas with aspects of information, communication access, behaviour and technology,  serendipity, institutional repositories, technological adoption, health and justice systems and knowledge management.  

My contributions to the university and academic life have spanned management and advisory functions and in no particular order include Senior Tutor, Investigative Officer, Chairing Degree Viva Voce Examinations, Head of Department, Director of Postgraduate Studies, PGR Coordinator, Deputy Dean of Social Science, Senate Member and Representative, Online Coordinator, Steering Groups memberships, External examiner roles for research and taught degrees at various universities.  Other external activities include Joint Editor in Chief for the Journal of Information Science, Editorial Board Member for ASLIB: Journal of Information Management, has also included Editorial Board for The Electronic Library and also advisory boards such as the Chilean  Comite Cientifico, Revista Ciencias De La Documentation and research funding panels including AHRC as panellist and then as AHRC member of the Peer Review College, reviewer for HEA, and member of advisory groups and consultancy for libraries and associated committees, International and UK Conference Committee memberships and reviewing, and peer reviewer for a number of journals in the field of information science, information studies and associated areas.  In the world beyond academia experience as an Organist (somewhat out of practice), experience in commercial and charity roles including Administration Controller, Office Manager, Legal Executive, General Manager in an Arts and Education setting, along with experience of positions such as Chair of Board, Director, Computer Officer, Researcher, Consultant with each role bringing with it new perspectives and experience that is useful in academic teaching and research across core areas of the curriculum and in supervisory roles with research students. Finally I like to stay fresh with CPD and have included everything from difficult conversations and voice projection through to suicide awareness and related trauma awareness, along with fun things like game design and simple scripting using Unity.  If it is interesting to me then I will -  time permitting - in all probability say yes whether it is delivering a CPD based conference paper, a workshop, advisory or editorial role, or examining a thesis.