CV
Education
Ph.D., Information Studies, In Progress Supervisor: Karyn Moffatt Ph.D. School of Information Studies McGill University, Montréal, Canada
Dissertation Title: Exploring Personal Financial Information Management Among Young Adults
M.A., Social Anthropology, 2011 Supervisor: Naomi Adelson Ph.D. Department of Anthropology York University, Toronto, Canada
Thesis Title: Crowdsourcing health information: An ethnographic exploration of public and private health information on patientslikeme.com
Scholarships and Awards
Scholarships
External (Federal)
Doctoral Fellowship, 2015-17 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), $40,000 24 months
Internal (University)
Doctoral Fellowship, 2011-12 Tim Casgrain Fellowship in Information Studies, $20000 12 months
Awards
Merit
Best Paper Award ACM Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) Title: Craving, Creating, and Constructing Comfort: Insights and Opportunities for Technology in Hospice 2014 Award Vivi Martin Fellowship in Information Studies $1500, 2012-13 Award John A. Price Fieldwork Award, York University $500, 2010-11 Distinction Vanier College Peer Advising, York University, 2009-10
Travel
Travel Award Dorothy Carruthers Prize in Archival Studies $1000, 2016-17 Travel Award Graduate Excellence Award in Information Studies $485, 2016-17 Travel Award Dorothy Carruthers Prize in Archival Studies $1000, 2015-16 Travel Award Graduate Excellence Award in Arts $2000, 2015-16 Travel Award Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada $502, 2014-15 Travel Award School of Information Studies Award $500, 2013-14 Travel Award Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada $675, 2012-13
Publications
Journal Articles
Ferguson, R., Crist, E., and Moffatt, K. (2017). A framework for negotiating ethics in sensitive settings: Hospice as a case study. Interacting with Computers, Special Issues on Co-Constructing Meaning: Ethics Matter(s) in Design Research, 29(1):10–26. doi: 10.1093/iwc/iww018
Book Chapters
Ferguson, R. (2017). Negotiating Consent, Compensation, and Privacy in Internet Research: PatientsLikeMe.com as a Case Study. In K. Kinder-Kurlanda, K. & M. Zimmer (Eds.), Internet Research Ethics for the Social Age: New Challenges, Cases, and Contexts. Switzerland: Peter Lang.
Refereed Papers in Archival Conference Proceedings
Ferguson, R., Massimi, M. Crist, E., and Moffatt, K. (2014). Craving, Creating, and Constructing Comfort: Insights and Opportunities for Technology in Hospice. Proceedings of the 17th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (CSCW 2014), 1479–1490. [ACM CSCW Best paper award]
Workshop Proceedings
Ferguson, R. (2016). Ethics and the Long-Term Management of Personal Information. Position paper presented at Personal Information Management Workshop 2016 at ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2016), May 7-8, San Jose, California.
Ferguson, R. (2014). Getting Personal: Bereavement Interviewing and Intervening. Position paper presented at Workshop, Co-creating & Identity-Making in CSCW: Revisiting Ethics in Design Research at the ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (CSCW 2014), Feb 16, 2014, Baltimore, Maryland.
Ferguson, R. (2013). An Anthropological Approach to Personal Information Management, Position paper presented at Personal Information Management Workshop 2013: Beyond the Cloud: Rethinking Information Boundaries. Annual Meeting of the Association of Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), Nov 1, Montréal, Québec.
Ferguson, R. (2013). Using the Information Senses Framework to Think About Patient-Centered Biomedical Recordkeeping. Position paper presented at Beyond Formality: Informal Communication In Health Practices Workshop at the ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (CSCW 2013), Feb 24, San Antonio, Texas.
Ferguson, R., Moffatt, K., and Massimi, M. (2013). Formal and informal messages: Early reflections on how context and content influence ICT use at the end-of-life. Position paper presented at Beyond Formality: Informal Communication in Health Practices Workshop at the ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (CSCW 2013) Feb 24, San Antonio, Texas.
Conference Extended Abstracts, Posters, and Demos
Ferguson, R., Massimi, M., Crist, E., and Moffatt, K. (2013). Supporting communication at the end-of-life: Comparing ICT use by families in hospice settings. Poster presentation at the Annual General Meeting of the Graphics, Animation and New media (GRAND) Network of Centers of Excellence, (GRAND 2013), Toronto, Ontario.
Ferguson, R. (2013). The Information Senses of Whole Person Care: A PatientsLIkeMe.com Case Study. Poster presentation at First World Congress on Whole Person Care, Montréal, Québec.
Ferguson, R. (2013). Exploring Emergent Research Ethics and Attitudes Towards Privacy on PatientsLikeMe.com. Poster Presentation at Social Media and Society 2013, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Ferguson, R. (2012). What Does Your Username and Picture Mean/Come From?, Serendipitous Identity Discovery when Data-Mining Personal Health Information, Poster Presentation at SCORE: Serendipity, Chance and Opportunity in Information Discovery Workshop. Montréal, Québec.
Theses
Ferguson, R. D. (Forthcoming). Exploring Personal Financial Information Management Among Young Adults. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). McGill University, Montréal, Quebec.
Ferguson, R. D. (2011). Crowdsourcing health information: An ethnographic exploration of public and private health information on patientslikeme.com. (Unpublished master’s thesis). York University, Toronto, Ontario.
Presentations and Talks
Dorey, J., & Ferguson, R. (2017). Research ethics and protecting your research participants Workshop at Archival Education Research Institute (AERI 2017). Toronto, Ontario.
Ferguson, R. (2017). Exploring the personal financial information management of young adults. Personal Digital Archiving 2017 (Palo Alto, California).
Ferguson, R. (2015). In Interfaces We Trust? Exploring Preservation of Personal Financial Information Among Young Adults. Archival Education Research Institute (AERI 2015). College Park, Maryland.
Ferguson R. (2013). From expectation to reality: an exploration of patients’ perspectives on reciprocity and fair use of data within Patientslikeme.com. 6th Annual Web2.U Symposium. Montréal, Québec.
Ferguson, R. (2009). Campus Friction: An Ethnographic Exploration of Protest in Vari Hall, Playing the Field Conference. Toronto, Ontario.
Research and Teaching
Research
Research Assistant, 2011-17 Accessible Computing Technologies Research Group School of Information Studies, McGill University Montréal, Canada
Project Title: Supporting Social Interaction During Hospice
Description: Staying connected is a primary concern of hospice and palliative care patients and their families, but managing and coordinating interaction to best meet the varying needs and capabilities of patients is challenging. Using a series of in-depth semi-structured interviews, this project explores this space, with the long-term goal of developing new technologies that address both patient and family needs.
Project Title: Digital Paper-Based Communication Systems
Description: Using participatory design, this project explores the potential of digital paper and pens as a platform for blending the aesthetics of handwritten letters with the convenience of e-mail for older adults.
Graduate Assistant, 2010 Department of Anthropology, York University Toronto, Canada
Project Title: Social Implications of Space Exploration and Astrobiology Database
Description: The aim of this project is to create a searchable database of resources dedicated to the social science and humanities research that explores the implications of the space exploration and the search for life on other planets.
Teaching
Teaching Assistant, 2012-17 School of Information Studies, McGill University Montréal, Québec
GLIS 602 Integrating Research and Practice, 2017 GLIS 611 Research Methods and Analysis, 2013, 2014 GLIS 601 Information and Society, 2012, 2013, 2014
Teaching Assistant, 2011-12 Department of Anthropology, York University Toronto, Canada
ANTH 1110 Introduction to Social Anthropology, 2011
Service
Academic Service
Reviewer (Conferences), 2014-17 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) ACM Conference on Computer Human Interactions (CHI)
Doctoral Organizing Subcommittee, 2017 Archival Education Research Institute (AERI) Toronto, Canada
Student Volunteer, 2017 ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Denver, Colorado
Conference Treasurer, 2010 Ethnographic Appetites and Feeding the Senses Conference York University Social Anthropology Graduate’s Association Toronto, Canada
Conference Banquet Coordinator, 2009 Playing the Field Conference York University Social Anthropology Graduate’s Association Toronto, Canada
University and Departmental Service
McGill School of Information Studies Cyclical Program Review, 2017 Doctoral Student Representative
Secretary, 2015 Association of Information Science and Technology Montréal Student’s Chapter Montréal, Canada
Interim Communications Officer, 2014 Association of Information Science and Technology Montréal Student’s Chapter Montréal, Canada
Doctoral Program Representative, 2013 McGill Library and Information Studies Student's Association Montréal, Canada
Association Chair, 2010 York University Social Anthropology Graduate’s Association Toronto, Canada
Association Treasurer, 2009 York University Social Anthropology Graduate’s Association Toronto, Canada
Peer Advisor, 2009 Vanier College, York University Toronto, Canada
Community Service
Vice-President and Communication Officer, 2015-18 Board of Directors Céu do Montréal, Eclectic Centre for the Universal Flowing Light Montréal, Québec
Archival Technician, 2011-13 Reserves Collection Archives gaies du Québec Montréal, Canada
Professional Association and Research Consortium Memberships
Student Member The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP)
Contact
fergusonrobertdouglas [at] gmail [dot] com