A shared space and a space for sharing

Department of Informatics Researchers will be partners in an ambitious ESRC-funded £1.3 million project entitled "A shared space and a space for sharing" that aims to study the role of empathy and trust in sharing experiences and finding support online.

In this transdisciplinary project, Dr. Nishanth Sastry, a lecturer at the Centre for Telecommunications Research, will be working with social scientists from a diverse range of backgrounds including sociology, political science and international conflicts, philosophy, bio-ethics and health-informatics to shed light on the online behaviour of people affected by natural disasters, terminal disease, addiction and other issues. People in these circumstances are extremely vulnerable, and may seek support that could make the difference between life and death – making it crucial to establish trust and empathy very quickly.  Researchers at the University of Sheffield (lead), University of Birmingham, the University of Lincoln, the University of Nottingham, the University of Edinburgh and King’s College London will work on the project.