Shankar to Receive ASIS&T Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Scholarship Award

The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Saguna Shankar of the University of British Columbia is the 2020 recipient of the ASIS&T Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Scholarship Award for her dissertation proposal titled, “Caring for Information Practices: An Inquiry into Visions of Data, Digital Technologies, and Migration.” The award’s purpose is to foster research in information science by encouraging and assisting doctoral students in the field with their dissertation research.

The Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Scholarship was established in 1981. Candidates are evaluated on the following criteria: Potential significance of research to the field of information science; Validity of methodology and proposed methods of analysis; originality and creativity; clarity and completeness of the proposal; presentation of a convincing plan for completion in a reasonable amount of time; and evidence of a continuing interest in scholarship, such as, a previous publication record.

Saguna Shankar is a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia’s School of Information in Vancouver, Canada. She holds a master’s degree in library and information studies from the University of British Columbia. Her doctoral research focuses on how understandings of migration are constructed and mediated, as human experiences of migration are transformed into data, information, and stories.

In selecting Saguna Shankar as the 2020 award recipient, the award jury said, “Shankar is a young researcher with an outstanding scholarly track record. Her original and creative dissertation proposal describes a highly compelling project to research the sociotechnical landscape of information practices and more specifically, how the use of data and digital tools are negotiated and how they are reconfiguring information practices and processes of immigration in the contemporary society. The proposed work sets to uncover the issues of identify, equity and inequity, and the role of information tools using ethnographic and participatory methods. It has significant potential to contribute to the research and understanding of information practices and digital technologies in the era of datafication and increasing societal volatility. The topic is of utmost international importance in the present time. The well-crafted, clearly conceptualised and written proposal describes a very thorough, well-thought and solid work plan and a comprehensive methodological foundation that combines a broad array of highly relevant methods to address the research problem and to engage with stakeholders. Besides showing considerable potential to reach novel and significant results with repercussions to future information science research, the proposed work incorporates a comprehensive array of measures to produce high impact outcomes that are directly relevant for the participating communities and broader stakeholder groups.”

Shankar’s dissertation supervisor, Dr. Lisa Nathan, wrote, “Shankar is a young researcher with an outstanding scholarly track record. Her original and creative dissertation proposal describes a highly compelling project to research the sociotechnical landscape of information practices of migrant populations and more specifically, how the use of data and digital tools are negotiated and how they are reconfiguring information practices and processes of immigration in the contemporary society. The proposed work sets to uncover the issues of identify, equity and inequity, and the role of information tools using ethnographic and participatory methods. It has significant potential to contribute to the research and understanding of information practices and digital technologies in the era of datafication and increasing societal volatility. The topic is of utmost international importance in the present time.”

Upon learning of her selection as the 2020 ASIS&T Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Scholarship winner, Ms. Shankar said, “My gratitude goes to the generous contributions of ASIS&T jurors, members, and staff. I am thankful for this support, which will enrich the ways I engage with and learn from partners in my dissertation research. I also continue to appreciate the long-standing guidance and teachings of my colleagues, supervisor, and supervisory committee at the School of Information.”

Ms. Shankar will receive her award at the 2020 meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) which will be held virtually, October 25-29, 2020.