The School of Information Management and Systems (SIMS) occupies the social science end of the information technology spectrum. Through teaching and research it advances the organisation, management and use of information and information technology, and enhances our understanding of the impact of information on individuals, institutions and society.
The school's programs focus on the general professional discipline of information management and systems, as well as specialist professions within it including systems analysts, internet and intranet developers, information managers, records managers/archivists, electronic publishers and multimedia practitioners. Many of the academic staff have a high level of professional experience and expertise. The school enjoys close links with the relevant professional bodies and corporations that are leaders in the information field. The activities of the school take place on the Caulfield and Clayton campuses.
Within its academic areas, the school is one of the most active research organisations in Australia. The school has excellent research facilities, and its research is well respected internationally. The school's research program is conducted through the Enterprise Information Research Group (EIRG) and by seven formal research groups: the Decision Support Systems Laboratory; the Knowledge Management Research Group; the Records Continuum Research Group; the Information and Telecommunications Needs Research; and the Centre for Community Networking Research Information Systems Management and e-Business Research. Each group has a large number of research and honours students.
The EIRG's director is Professor Sue McKemmish, and the deputy director is Associate Professor Frada Burstein. The EIRG focuses on research in the areas of enterprise knowledge management, information and telecommunications needs, metadata, e-business, mobile-commerce, e-government, electronic recordkeeping, community networking, information policy and law, information systems development, information systems policy, strategic planning and management, records continuum theory and modelling.
The Decision Support Systems Laboratory, led by Professor David Arnott, is investigating ways to design and implement systems to support management decision-making. The laboratory has projects in the areas of evolutionary development, decision biases, decision specification using influence diagramming, executive information systems, data warehouses, and organisational issues in DSS. The laboratory takes a strong behavioural view of decision support. It has created the Monash DSS Development Method and the Monash EIS Development Method.
The Knowledge Management Research Group, led by Associate Professor Frada Burstein, is a virtual laboratory, a flexible state-of-the-art facility to support research, and research training and teaching in enterprise knowledge management. The group has projects in organisational memory information systems, knowledge reuse, hybrid soft computing techniques for intelligent decision support, adaptive decision support systems, and cognitive overload in decision support systems. It is extending the notion of decision support by adding techniques originating from artificial intelligence such as knowledge bases, neural networks, and genetic algorithms. The laboratory is based at the Caulfield campus of Monash University and serves staff and students on campus and remotely.
The Records Continuum Research Group is led by Professor Sue McKemmish. The scope of the research group includes the full information spectrum, comprising accountability information, knowledge-based information, and infotainment. These are interpreted in terms of attributes (action/ structure, memory, technology and metadata) and dimensions (create, capture, organise and pluralise), which are in a continuous state of interplay.
The directors of the Information and Telecommunication Needs Research group (ITNR) are Professor Don Schauder and Dr Kirsty Williamson. The group explores how people use telecommunications and new media. These new technologies are making new relationships and uses possible and challenging many traditional customs and values. Since 1992, ITNR has researched people's relationships with each other and their new communications environments. The ITNR is documenting the way new information and communication technologies are evolving as they become more responsive to business and social environments, and the adjustments people make or resist. The INTR is now a joint venture of Monash University and Charles Sturt University.
The ISMEB researches technological and organisational/managerial challenges and opportunities related to managing information systems and carrying out e-business.
The Centre for Community Networking Research at Monash is a cooperatively-funded centre whose mission is to develop and implement evaluation frameworks within the environment of emerging community uses of ICTs.
The research focus of the information systems development group (ISD) is on a broad range of issues relating to all aspects of the development of information systems and innovation in teaching methods for teaching ISD as used in studios. The research includes systems on a variety of platforms including web technologies, multimedia systems and mobile informatics. The research of the group also encompasses research relating to education programs focusing on the teaching of all aspects of systems development. The group aims to become one of the leading groups internationally in the area of innovative teaching of information systems.
In addition to the formal research groups, research is also conducted into
information systems strategy, quality management, information systems security,
geographic information systems, information systems education and historical
bibliography.
The first contact point for information on any of the school's programs is the
school office, telephone (03) 9903 2208, fax (03) 9903 2005. Information may
also be requested electronically from info@sims.monash.edu.au or visit the
school office at level 7, Business and Economics building, 26 Sir John Monash
Drive, Caulfield campus. More details about SIM's teaching and research are at
http://www.sims.monash.edu.au.
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