Faculty and students in the School of Information and Library Science are known for the interdisciplinary research, and often work with others schools and programs across UNC in a variety of ways to conduct research. Some groups have formal structure and provide financial support, while others are less structured gatherings of collaborators. In general, SILS centers are collections of faculty, staff and/or students aligned on specific scholarly or professional interests. Labs often involve faculty and students working together on co-authored projects. Groups often work on specific projects together and are less structured, but they may also have external fund and/or staff.

Centers

The Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP)

The Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP) creates essential research across multiple fields and methods that’s grounded in a shared commitment to equality and justice.

We’re dedicated to understanding the growing impact of the internet, social media, and other forms of digital information sharing in the context of the people who design, use, and govern them. CITAP explores technology as it’s embedded in societies structured by economics, race, politics, culture, and more.

The Center on Technology Policy (CTP)

UNC’s Center on Technology Policy seeks to craft public policy for a better internet. Utilizing an interdisciplinary academic framework, CTP works to identify knowledge gaps and develop actionable policy frameworks that will enable us to realize the potential benefits of technology while minimizing its harms. By working closely with students and expanding the University’s offerings in technology policy analysis, we seek to cultivate and train the field’s future practitioner.

Labs

Equity in Making (EITM) Lab

The EITM Lab conducts research at the intersection of critical making, inclusion and equity, and information behavior. Led by Dr. Maggie Melo, the EITM Lab develops open-source materials and open-access research for educators, community organizers, and information professionals.

Interactive Information Systems Lab (IISL)

At the IISL, researchers study how people search for information and interpret results, and develop new tools and approaches to help people find what they need faster. Associate Professors Jaime Arguello and Rob Capra lead the lab, which includes doctoral students, as well as some master’s and undergraduate students assisting with research.

Visual Analysis and Communication Lab (VACLab)

VACLab conducts research at the intersection of interactive visualization, human-computer interaction, and machine learning. Led by Dr. David Gotz, the VACLab develops new methods of interactive visualization to support more efficient, effective, and intuitive information analysis and communication. The VACLab also studies how these new methods are used within the context of a wide range of domain application areas, both to learn why existing methods work and to discover new opportunities for scientific advancement.

Yu Lab for Research Synthesis and Informatics

Yu Lab works across disciplines to enhance methods and processes for research synthesis (e.g., systematic reviews & bibliometrics) and innovate User interface (UI) and User experience (UX) of research informatics tools for information access.

Groups

ORG

The Organization Research Group is an interdisciplinary cadre of scholars broadly interested in processes and technologies of classification and representation: philosophically, pragmatically, historically, and socially. All are welcome to our weekly meetings on Zoom. Upcoming readings are announced on our mailing list, which you can join by sending an email with the body subscribe org to listmanager@listserv.unc.edu. Past readings are listed on our website, which is usually a month or two out of date.