The importance of humanities interfaces for research and its social futures

ABSTRACT

This paper reflects upon humanities ‘interfaces’ between academia and society via an analysis of two recent Australian policy moments. First, I reflect on the inaugural Engagement and Impact (E & I) Assessment of university research, undertaken in 2018 by the Australian Research Council (ARC). The EI 2018 points to the rich contribution of humanities interfaces to social function of contemporary research and the pivotal role that communication and media studies play. Second, I discuss the effort over the past 10–15 years to conceptualise and fashion an e-research infrastructure for humanities and social sciences research. Despite leadership in e-research infrastructure in sciences Australia lagged in addressing requirements of humanities and social science. Both cases show the stakes in digital humanities interfaces, which are vital to research and its social futures.

KEYWORDS:

• Research engagement
• research impact
• digital humanities
• social sciences
• communication research
• e-research infrastructure
• research evaluation

Acknowledgments

This paper is a revised version of a paper given at Future-Proofing Open Communication Research at the Academy-Societal Interface, the Australian and New Zealand Communications Association (ANZCA) panel at the 70^th Annual International Communication Association (ICA) virtual conference, 20–26 May 2020. My thanks to Colleen Mills for convening the panel, to Kay Weaver for her comments, as well as the co-panellists, and two reviewers. The paper is broadly informed by my experience as Chair of the Humanities & Creative Arts panel of the inaugural Engagement & Impact exercise. Clearly, my expressed views are my own, not those of the Australian Research Council. Similarly, I draw on my experience as member of the Australian e-Research Infrastructure Council (AeRIC) from 2010–2013, and subsequent work with the Australian Academy of Humanities in advancing policy development in this area; here too, my views are my own.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Disclosure: In July 2020, I was appointed as a Global Advisor to the Institute of Culture and Society, Western Sydney University.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gerard Goggin

Gerard Goggin is Wee Kim Wee Chair in Communication Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is also Professor of Media and Communications at the University of Sydney. A former president of the Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA), he serves as Secretary-General of the International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).