Welcome
This annual event shines a spotlight on the range of postgraduate research taking place at Bournemouth University across our four Faculties. The Fusion Building will host engaging oral presentations and an impressive poster exhibition. This conference is a celebration of the incredible work being carried out by our postgraduate researchers, and we are proud to provide this platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration, and building connections. Whether you are presenting, exhibiting, or attending, this is a wonderful opportunity to network with fellow PGRs, colleagues from across the university and external visitors.
The conference commences with our poster exhibition followed by a Welcome from Professor Alison Honour, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer, and opening remarks from the Heads of the Doctoral College Dr Fiona Knight and Dr Julia Taylor This year we are delighted to welcome Professor Mary Davis as our conference keynote speaker, introduced by Professor Sarah Bate, Interim Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange.
Professor Mary Davis is Academic Integrity Lead and Professor (Education and Student Experience) at Oxford Brookes University. You can read her biography and keynote abstract on page 3 as she shares her insights into research integrity in the age of AI. We would like to thank those who have contributed to the co-ordination and delivery of the conference this year. Thank you to all of our PGR presenters and poster exhibitors and of course to you for attending and showing your support to our postgraduate research community, helping nurture a positive and encouraging postgraduate research culture here at Bournemouth University.
We hope you find the conference interesting, engaging and inspiring. We look forward to sharing the day with you.
Doctoral College Conference Organisers
Enrica Conrotto, Doctoral College Programme Manager
Arabella Moyse Doctoral College Marketing & Events Coordinator
Zoe Leonard, Postgraduate Research Administrator
Conference programme & abstracts
On page 4 you will discover the conference programme, followed by headline details of each oral presentation presenter and their abstracts. On pages 12 - 36 you can see the posters being exhibited in the Fusion Building, followed by their full poster abstracts.
After the conference you will also be able to check out all of the posters on our virtual poster exhibition webpage.
Share conference highlights on LinkedIn using the hashtags #BUPGRConf24 | #BUDoctoralCollege and tag us @DoctoralCollege - Bournemouth University.
Event feedback
Each year we draw upon your feedback to enhance the conference. To provide feedback on what you are enjoying or what you think could be improved please submit your feedback here.
Keynote biography & abstract
Professor Mary Davis
PhD in Education, MA TESOL, BA(Hons) French and German with Dutch, PFHEA, NTF
Professor (Education and Student Experience)
Oxford Brookes University
Professor Mary Davis is Academic Integrity Lead and Professor (Education and Student Experience) at Oxford Brookes University, UK. Since 2005, she has dedicated her research and practice to academic integrity; recently she was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship for her impact on inclusive academic integrity. As Academic Integrity Lead, she has steered the institutional response to AI by developing a declaration form system to ensure transparency, an AI course for the entire student body to understand ethical principles and apply them to their learning, research and assignments, and a definition of misuse of AI in the academic conduct regulations to ensure clarity in terms of practice. She co-authored the study skills book ‘Referencing and Understanding Plagiarism’ and has written many book chapters and articles on academic integrity. She is a member of the Editorial Board for the International Journal for Educational Integrity, the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Academic Integrity (ICAI), co-chair of the International Day of Action for Academic Integrity, editor of the #IntegrityMatters blog and member of the QAA UK Advisory Group on Academic Integrity.
Research integrity in the age of AI
This session will focus on the requirements for integrity in all areas of research in the context of current use of AI. The presentation will discuss how ethical considerations that all researchers must follow have been impacted by the surge of availability of AI tools. Current academic and research integrity concerns will be examined including transparency, informed consent, data privacy, authentic data collection and accuracy of source use. The presenter will share her work at Oxford Brookes University to develop a course to guide students with ethical decision making in their use of AI, promote transparency of AI use and establish a dividing line between acceptable and unacceptable practice, while keeping a focus on learning and demonstrating knowledge, rather than AI detection. Using a range of AI ethics scenarios, the presenter will invite the audience to reflect on the decisions they are making in their own postgraduate research regarding AI use. In this way, the session aims to raise awareness of current integrity issues and help researchers to develop best practice in ethical decisions using AI.
Academic profile LinkedIn
Conference programme
09:00-10:00 Poster Exhibition (FG06 & FG07)
10:00 Opening Remarks (Share)
Dr Fiona Knight & Dr Julia Taylor
Heads of the Doctoral College
10:05 – 10:15 Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor
Professor Alison Honour
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer
10:15 – 11:15 Session 1 Oral Presentations
10:15 – 10:30 Catherine Beresford (FHSS)
Public involvement in postgraduate research
10:30 – 10:45 Bohan Liu (BUBS)
Female tourist travel constraints and negotiations: Chinese one-child generation study
10:45 – 11:00 Yuchen Zhou (FMC)
To anywhere and anytime: How time travel is realised through cross-cultural adaptation script writing practices
11:00 – 11:15 Jasmine McCain (FST)
Exploring the decision-making processes of ideologically motivated cybercriminals
11:15– 11:30 Comfort Break
11:30 – 12:30 Session 2 Oral Presentations
11:30 – 11:45 Adele McMahon (FHSS)
The rocky path to participant recruitment: Dead-ends, diversions and the joy of reaching your destination
11:45 – 12:00 Ellie Corrick (FMC)
Loss, mourning, and infant mortality: cultural experiences of child and infant deaths across different social classes in the nineteenth century
12:00 – 12:15 Winifred Aina (BUBS)
Green Human Resource management in the Nigerian oil and gas industry: Its implementation, context, challenges and impact on employees’ green attitudes and behaviours
12:15 – 12:30 Victoria Goldenberg (FST)
Halfway down the corridor: Wayfinding in hospitals as a social and embodied experience
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break & Poster Viewings (FG06 & FG07)
13:30 – 13:35 Welcome from the Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange
Professor Sarah Bate
Interim Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange
13:35 – 14:15 Keynote: Research integrity in the age of AI
Professor Mary Davis
Oxford Brookes Business School
14:15 – 15:15 Session 3 Oral Presentations
14:15 – 14:30 Andy Sweetmore (FHSS)
Early-interventions for children and young people who self-harm
14:30 – 14:45 Adina Maglan (FMC)
Inclusive Britain: A comparative study on marginalisation and recognition of Eastern European identities in London and Birmingham public policy
14:45 – 15:00 Madeline Ely (FST)
The neural processing of gender information in illusory faces.
15:00 – 15:15 Fachri Eka Saputra (BUBS)
Exploring guest experiences with service robots in tourism and hospitality: insights from an auto-netnographic analysis of web blogs and social media
15:15 – 15:25 Comfort Break
15:25 – 16:25 Session 4 Oral Presentations
15:25 – 15:40 Eunhee Kim (FST)
Making sense of menopause: Understanding menopause in autistic and non-autistic people
15:40 – 15:55 Emma Hayward (FHSS)
A feminist multi-method qualitative study exploring how hormonal contraception impacts women’s sexual pleasure
15:55 – 16:10 Oghenekevwe Orighoyegha (FMC)
International maritime security instruments: Why is the sea still dangerous
16:10 – 16:25 Wookjun Lee (BUBS)
Tourists’ use of public transportation in urban destinations: An experiential perspective of tourists
16:30 Closing Remarks
Oral presentation abstracts
Adele McMahon (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
The rocky path to participant recruitment: Dead-ends, diversions and the joy of reaching your destination
It is widely recognised that participant recruitment has significant implications, affecting research progress, researcher morale, and course progression; it can be an underestimated and ill-thought-out part of a research project. With an inadequate strategy in place, and limited opportunities for reflection and review. Additionally, there can be further issues to consider if the research is being undertaken with a stigmatised or vulnerable group, a small or difficult to reach population or if the research topic is emotive or sensitive. Although there is no ‘magic wand’ there are steps that can be taken, and considerations made that can alleviate some of these difficulties. The presentation will share learning from the challenges of recruiting participants for a photoelicitation study with young parents exploring their experiences of child protection involvement. Discussing not only the mistakes made but the hard-learned lessons, the ethical and practical considerations, the pitfalls to avoid and steps to achieving success.
Adina Maglan (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Inclusive Britain: A comparative study on marginalisation and recognition of Eastern European identities in London and Birmingham public policy
Since Brexit, Eastern European communities have become more visible in public policy environments which widely used ‘White Other’ as an umbrella ethnic category when referring to Eastern Europeans, an oversimplified approach to identity as argued by scholars (Kalmar, 2023; Balogun, 2023; Turda, 2023; Boatca, 2023) and linked to racism and colonial power hierarchies. This obscures the multilayered East European identities, contributes to their marginalisation, and exacerbates community conflicts.
Pre and post Brexit, these identities have been weaponised in public policy to adversely impact these groups (Lewicki, 2023) and fuel the East/West divide jeopardising democracy as we know it today (Epstein & Jacoby, 2014:8).
The presentation explores issues of ethnicity, identity, and recognition in relation to the Eastern European identities and looks at their inclusion and involvement in UK public policy in London and Birmingham while aiming to propose a framework that can be replicated for other groups (i.e. Black British).
Andy Sweetmore (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Early-interventions for children and young people who self-harm
This research explores early interventions for self-harm among children and young people in educational and primary care settings. Self-harm rates, particularly among young females, have risen significantly in the last decade, and is a strong predictor for suicide. However, there is a lack of consensus on effective treatments, and most young people who self-harm do not seek help from healthcare professionals. A systematic review of literature identified only three relevant studies, indicating a significant gap in high-quality research. Schoolbased interventions show potential, but concerns remain regarding their efficacy and possible adverse effects, such as an increase in clinical symptoms. The presentation highlights the need for further research into intervention methods that considers alternative interventions, and the evolving digital landscape and the mental health challenges today’s youth face. This research is necessary for developing patient-centered, scalable solutions to address this critical public health issue.
Bohan Liu (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Female tourist travel constraints and negotiations: Chinese one-child generation study
This presentation explores the travel constraints and negotiation strategies of Chinese one-child generation women, based on a mixed-method PhD study. Drawing on 35 in-depth interviews, the qualitative findings reveal the complex socio-cultural factors, such as patriarchal beliefs, filial piety, and gender roles, that shape their travel behaviours. A conceptual model has been developed from these insights and will be tested in the second phase of the research. In this presentation, I will share key qualitative findings and discuss the quantitative scale development process used to refine and validate these factors for further testing.
Catherine Beresford (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Public involvement in postgraduate research
This presentation explores the role of public involvement in postgraduate research, illustrated through the lens of my PhD study with individuals affected by advanced liver disease. Public involvement is key to shaping research that reflects the lived experiences and needs of those impacted by the study focus.
Drawing on my experience, I will discuss how public involvement contributors (distinct from the individuals who participated in the study) are involved in shaping the research process at multiple stages, from study design and recruitment to data analysis and dissemination. By integrating public involvement, the study aims to ensure that its outcomes are relevant and practically applicable. This presentation will emphasise the importance of public involvement in relevant research contexts and offer practical strategies for embedding it into postgraduate research.
Ellie Corrick (MRes candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Loss, mourning, and infant mortality: cultural experiences of child and infant deaths across different social classes in the nineteenth century
Infant and child death were inevitable experiences in the nineteenth century. The Victorian fascination with death has been explored extensively by historians, especially the etiquette and social requirements of mourning within the middle and upper classes, and in turn the working classes’ attempts to reach these requirements. However, up until recently, historians have failed to examine the ways in which nineteenth-century death culture acted as an expression of grief and emotion. This thesis explores the cultural behaviours surrounding death to understand the ways in which different social classes expressed and experienced grief, specifically over the loss of children and infants. Ultimately, it is evident that the deaths of infants and children affected families deeply, and the actions taken to memorialise and grieve the loss of their children were reflective of strong emotional bonds, despite the known, high possibilities of death.
Emma Hayward (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
A feminist multi-method qualitative study exploring how hormonal contraception impacts women’s sexual pleasure
Contraception is a vital health and reproductive justice issue. According to Public Health England, not getting pregnant is the most important reproductive health issue for UK women across their lives, with having an enjoyable sex life being the second priority.
Medicine is historically a male-dominated profession, and the medical system was established in a patriarchal fashion. Developments were driven from an androcentric standpoint - ramifications of this still impact the lives of women today. Women’s sexual pleasure is poorly understood, despite evidence that sexual pleasure is vital to a fulfilled quality of life.
To explore how hormonal contraception impacts women’s sexual pleasure, this project will use multi-method qualitative research, analysed through a feminist epistemological and bioethical lens. This will allow women’s voices to be highlighted, acknowledging the importance of understanding their perspective of the world and the nuanced choices they make with regards to their reproductive autonomy.
Eunhee Kim (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Making sense of menopause: Understanding menopause in autistic and non-autistic people
Menopause often brings multiple symptoms and changes, which may be experienced particularly severely by autistic people. One possible reason lies in their menopause representations which could be more negative than those of non-autistic people. This study aims to compare the impact of menopause representations on actual menopause experiences between autistic and non-autistic people. In this longitudinal study, 476 autistic and 425 non-autistic participants completed a self-report questionnaire to collect baseline (N=901) and follow-up (N=310) data, measuring their menopausal symptoms, menopause representations, quality of life, depressive and anxiety symptoms. Serial mediation analyses compared relationships between menopause representations and experiences between the two groups over a month of time. The autistic group consistently experienced more severe menopausal, depressive and anxiety symptoms and quality of life as affected by their menopause representations than the non-autistic group. This study may help autistic and non-autistic people improve health and wellbeing during the menopausal transition.
Fachri Eka Saputra (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Exploring guest experiences with service robots in tourism and hospitality: insights from an auto-netnographic analysis of web blogs and social media
The study aims to thoroughly explore and analyse customer reviews and narratives shared on social media about their experiences with service robots in the tourism and hospitality industry. These reviews and narratives serve as a valuable data source, shedding light on customer experiences with service robots, a topic that has been largely overlooked in previous research. The study investigates how customers share their on-site interactions with service robots through text, images, and videos on social media platforms. The research integrates insights from anthropomorphism theory, value co-creation theory, and auto-netnography to examine customer interactions with service robots, as shared on social media and web blogs in tourism and hospitality contexts. Theoretically, this study offers a framework for future research by demonstrating the potential of auto-netnography to generate rich, immersive data that requires deep reflection and interpretation. Practically, it provides critical insights for the design and development of service robots, ensuring that they align with customer expectations regarding anthropomorphic features and value co-creation. This study contributes to academic and practical discussions by bridging theoretical perspectives with real-world customer experiences, offering a comprehensive understanding of how service robots are perceived and engaged within the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Jasmine McCain (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Exploring the decision-making processes of ideologically motivated cybercriminals
Psychological factors influence the behaviours and cognitions of cybercriminals, including the decision-making processes that lead them to select targets and attack vectors. Cyber-attacks driven by ideological reasons have risen in frequency, in which individuals engage in targeted attacks and information warfare to push social and political agendas. Ideologically motivated threat actors can be categorised as hacktivists, patriotic hackers, and nation-state actors. These attacks are intended to obtain sensitive data and cause significant damage to critical infrastructures and organisational security. Academic researchers and industry professionals acknowledge that understanding the decision-making processes of these attackers can support cybersecurity defences through threat identification modelling and offender profiling. To investigate the decision-making processes of ideologically motivated actors, this research will conduct a qualitative content analysis. Phase 1 will conduct a natural language processing analysis on underground cybercrime forums. Phases 2 and 3 will follow an interview format with industry professionals and ideologically motivated actors.
Madeline Ely (MRes candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
The neural processing of gender information in illusory faces
When people encounter an unfamiliar person or character whose gender is unknown, they often tend to assume the individual is male. This male-default bias affects everyday perceptions and could potentially influence interactions and decisions without our awareness. Here, neural data using a state-of-the-art methodology is used to explore this issue.
This study demonstrates how our brains process gender in illusory faces, when performing an unrelated task. Using machine learning, EEG brainwave data from 24 participants was used to train a classifier on the neural patterns of human face perception. This was tested on another set of 24 participants exposed to illusory (pareidolic) faces. The results show that face-like-objects are processed similarly to male faces, indicating a strong male gender bias.
This study contributes to our understanding of face-gender perception, and how it may link to gender stereotypes and inequalities.
Oghenekevwe Orighoyegha (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
International maritime security instruments: Why is the sea still dangerous
Dangers at sea has traditionally been a major maritime security concern. These dangers threaten national security, economic prosperity, marine environment, and safety of lives and properties.
The sea is a vital resource to the global economy. Hence, the United Nations (UN) and International Maritime Organization (IMO) have instituted several international maritime security instruments to ensure safer seas. They include International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). However, there are gaps in these instruments that means adventures at sea remain perilous.
This research will be conducted using doctrinal and empirical research methods. It seeks to investigate the effectiveness of the current maritime security instruments. It will argue that a harmonised and more robust set of regulatory frameworks are required to ensure safer seas.
Victoria Goldenberg (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Halfway down the corridor: Wayfinding in hospitals as a social and embodied experience
Wayfinding (finding your way from A to B) is a key everyday activity which has been studied extensively, mostly by means laboratory-based research. To date, we have a limited understanding of personal experiences and approaches to everyday wayfinding in the real world. This study aims to enrich the current wayfinding knowledge by conducting a cognitive ethnography, a real-world study with a focus on a cognitive process of wayfinding. We have conducted participant observation, interviews and mobile eye tracking case studies in two large hospitals. Preliminary results suggest that hospital wayfinding is intrinsically influenced by social and cultural factors. As a social experience, involvement of other people is often necessary and sometimes unavoidable (i.e. when using a hospital wheelchair). Wayfinding is also made more complex by the considerations of own and others’ safety, as well as the appreciation that all hospitals have areas with free and restricted access.
Winifred Aina (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Green Human Resource management in the Nigerian oil and gas industry: Its implementation, context, challenges and impact on employees’ green attitudes and behaviours
The exploration and refining activities of the Nigerian oil and gas companies cause substantial environmental challenges with severe societal impacts, enhancing the relevance of GHRM. This study uses institutional, cognitive consistency, and AMO theories to develop a critical understanding of GHRM practices. Semi-structured interviews involving 25–30 participants—HR managers, Health-Safety-Environment (HSE) professionals, and various engineers—provided insights into the implementation, context, challenges, and the impact of GHRM practices on employees’ green attitudes and behaviours within the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Both inductive and deductive data analysis approaches were employed, with thematic analysis identifying key patterns. The findings revealed that 1) external stakeholders influence GHRM practices; 2) aligning personal and organisational values is crucial to overcoming employee resistance; and 3) both extrinsic and intrinsic incentives drive engagement with sustainable practices. These findings offer valuable theoretical and practical implications for fostering a culture of environmental responsibility in the industry.
Wookjun Lee (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Tourists’ use of public transportation in urban destinations: An experiential perspective of tourists
Public transportation is necessary to create a sustainable tourism model. There has been insufficient research on tourists’ use of public transport to tourist destinations compared to research focusing on their choice of transport to destinations. This research aims to analyse tourists’ experiences of using public transport in urban destinations, using social practice theory and motivation theories, to explore how policies and practices can be used to enable better utilisation of public transport by tourists. By using sequential exploratory mixed methods, 15 independent Korean travellers, who experienced the United Kingdom public transport system, have been chosen for the study. The preliminary results show that everyone has different psychological factors when using public transport, including facilities, financial, time, security, hygiene, and environmental factors. Additionally, travelling with a companion can influence their public transport use. Thus, interpreting tourists’ use of transport is necessary to encourage use of public transport to tourists’ destinations.
Yuchen Zhou (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
To anywhere and anytime: How time travel is realised through cross-cultural adaptation script writing practices
Time travel has been a popular subject in both physics and film. Its portrayal in cinema is nearly as long as the film medium itself, paralleling the development of film adaptation as a creative practice. Despite their commonalities, these two fields are often treated as separate research areas. This presentation addresses the overlooked intersection between them by exploring how the concept of time travel is reinterpreted through the practice of cross-cultural adaptation in screenwriting. I argue that, in adapting narratives across cultures, screenwriters function as time travellers, transporting stories to new temporal and spatial contexts. In this presentation, by taking my PhD project, The Tenants, as an example, I will employ a practice-based research method, to demonstrate how the screenwriting process enables a unique form of temporal and spatial storytelling, allowing script writers to travel across different time periods and cultural landscapes.
Poster exhibition
Abdullah Alhumaydani (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Investigating the role of stakeholder involvement in major events: A stakeholder analysis of the Jeddah Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Allaboon (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Residents’ perceived impacts of seasonal entertainment festivals on their quality of life: A case study of Riyadh Season
Abi Wheeler (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Breastfeeding, birth trauma and the lasting impacts on perinatal mental health
Aleksandra Bielat (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Reducing free sugar intakes: The role of sweet taste
Ali Alfurayhi (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Investigating consumers’ privacy concerns in AI-driven marketing and their impact on consumer trust and repurchase intentions in Saudi Arabia
Andrea Frankham-Hughes (MRes candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Who do we think we are? Assessing the skeletal remains, funerary practices and context of the Late Iron Age Durotrigian burials at Weston, on the Island of Portland, Dorset
Anna Charlton (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Understandings of stolen rites: mapping cultural and ethical rights surrounding Indigenous mass graves through a collaborative photo elicitation approach
Anna Preece (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Disordered eating as a barrier to recovery for women with alcohol dependence
Baofu Qu (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Visualising gender futures: exploring gender diversity and inclusivity through creative practice
Brenna van der Westhuizen (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Exploring the views of newly graduated physiotherapists on preceptorship: a scoping review
Caterina Franzon (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Why young adults (18-30 years old) are consuming dairy in the UK? An online questionnaire study to explore reasons for consumption of dairy products
Chinwe Ekwuaju (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
The impact of executive functions on spatial navigation
Chloe Green (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Individuals living with dementia and their experiences of social work mental capacity assessments
Christine Vincent (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Community-based participatory research: Learning to be flexible
Damla Kuleli (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Influence of social anxiety in embodied face perception during affective social interactions in VR
Diego Renato Nunez (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Assessing the impact of public policies on Memorialization
Edgar Susiku (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Graduate competencies, employability and the radiography workforce shortage: A systematic literature review of transnational pre-registration radiography education and training models
Eleanor Jack (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences) Researcher; me, myself, I. The insider/outsider, positionality – why does it matter in research?
Elizabeth Leddy (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences) Does it hurt?
Elliot Sloyan (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Pain neuroscience education: Empowering women during & after pregnancy
Emily Brooks (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences) How might men, with a background of substance use, experience drama projects?
Emily Fisher (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences) How do female-led missing persons groups experience transitional justice processes?
Emily Rosenorn-Lanng (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Game-based Learning in cybersecurity: Enhancing skills through CyGamBIT
Ethan Southall (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Towards a collaborative authoring tool for cultural heritage applications: modelling the development process between curators and developers
Faisal Mohammed Alsubaie (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
The effect of cultural tightness-looseness on tourism destination choice for European tourists: Evidence from Saudi Arabia
Fatima Ahmad Muazu (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Mobile learning technology needs of students with cognitive disabilities: A case for learners in underserved communities
Fiona Vidler (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Corruption and financial constraint impacts upon SME firm productivity in economic crisis and conflict
Frederick McClintock (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Lumbar sitting behaviour of Individuals with low back pain: A preliminary study using extended real-world data
Grace Ebi Omerigwe-Ogbole (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Nigerian diaspora and news media use during crises in the UK
Hanan Mohammed Al-Dammas (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Co-creation of digital storytelling for sustainable place branding: Multiple case studies from Saudi Arabia
Hannah Dover (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Propose an NHS dental monthly payment plan
Jessica Correia (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Anti-depressant medication use in pregnancy – Understanding the decision making process for women and pregnant people.
Julia O’Connor (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Investigating the relationship between ethics, creative process, and narrative in The Dragon’s Scales: a practicebased study
Kamonpa Wangkuanklang (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Agritourism and residents’ quality of life: A narrative literature review
Kathryn Ellis (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
The Creative Difference
Katy Bailey (MRes candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
TikTok usage in the UK and USA: Investigating demographic factors, personality, and user motivation
Leoné Pretorius (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
The effect of a sweet-tasting pentose [L-arabinose] on glycaemic and insulinaemic responses after sugar consumption in a prediabetic population
Lujain Alwehaibi (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
The role of consumer identity in sustainable fashion choice in Saudi Arabia
Lyndsey Bradley (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Understanding stress perceptions in autistic and neurotypical children: an in-depth exploration with a view to improving health and well-being across the lifespan
MacDonald Amaran (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
A socio-legal comparative study on safeguarding for Children on TikTok in the United Kingdom and Nigeria
Matthew Edge (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Single use medical device circularity: Evaluating sustainable supply chain operations within the UK medical device industry
Messiah Anudjo (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Preliminary clinical evaluation (PCE): A transnational scoping review of current radiography practice
Mike O’Sullivan (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Stakeholder perceptions of Artificial Intelligence integration in higher education
Mona Mansour Almasoudi (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
The role of social media in supporting volunteer work during health crises in Saudi Arabia
Nagarjun Ragde (PhD candidate, BU Business School) Economics of Smart Tourism
Natalie Stewart (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Promoting positive and cohesive research cultures across disciplines
Niamh Curtain (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Could modifications made to anaesthetic rooms impact children’s experience of perioperative care?
Nicolae Eduard Ionescu (MRes candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Implications of AI-driven surveillance: A focus on data privacy violations
Pham Luu Thuy Linh (Lily) (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Always look on the dark side of life: the impact of the dark triad traits on sustainable luxury outcomes through the message appeals of luxury brands
Raed Alshammari (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Role of social media in enhancing healthcare reputation in Saudi Arabia: The effect of Twitter (X) for Public Relations professionals
Rosie Equi (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Older people’s experience of social prescribing: reducing pressure in domiciliary care
Shadeepa Karunarathne (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Heterogeneous electrocatalysts for high-performing air-powered batteries
Sharon Waight (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Construing compassionate nursing care - the perspective of nurses working in primary and community care
Siggy Osborne (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Investigating the past to inform the future
Siraj Talal Degnah (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
The role of public relations in crisis management at Saudi Aramco company (Analytical study: Aramco’s communication efforts to confront the climate change crisis)
Sophie Barrett (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
An exploration of the interplay between victim and offender behaviours in sex offences and its potential in aiding crime linkage
Tanya Andrewes (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
The realities of using free online learning as continuous professional development in nursing
Tariq Alshikhy (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
An investigation into the role of soft power applied to sporting mega-events to optimise organisational performance and income generation
Tom Heyes (MRes candidate, BU Business School)
Understanding the effect of communication medium on small group development
Zahra Eskandari (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Beyond “excluded exclusions”? Bridging the knowledge gap between policy stakeholders and (forced) migrant women engagement with physical activity in the South-West of England
Poster abstracts
Abdullah Alhumaydani (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Investigating the role of stakeholder involvement in major events: A stakeholder analysis of the Jeddah Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia
This research explores the role of stakeholder involvement in major sporting events, focusing on the Jeddah Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia. Given the country’s unique cultural and sociopolitical environment, the study critically examines stakeholder theories within Islamic contexts. Using a qualitative approach, it draws on indepth interviews with diverse stakeholders to assess their involvement in event decision-making processes, emphasising a bottom-up approach to foster inclusion, transparency, and community engagement. The research aims to develop a culturally appropriate framework for stakeholder involvement in the organisation, delivery, and legacy of sports events. Findings are expected to underscore the importance of local perspectives in event planning, highlighting how participation can yield long-term benefits for both the event and the community. The study contributes to bridging theory and practice in stakeholder engagement, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to enhance the service sector and promote sports as a key driver of national identity and economic growth.
Abdullah Allaboon (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Residents’ perceived impacts of seasonal entertainment festivals on their quality of life: A case study of Riyadh Season
This study investigates the perceived social and environmental impacts of the Riyadh Season entertainment festival on residents of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It critically evaluates how these perceived impacts influence residents’ quality of life, and their intentions to support its future development. Four key objectives guide this study: first, to assess the environmental and cultural impacts of Riyadh Season; second, to examine how these perceptions affect residents’ intentions to support the festival; third, to evaluate the perceived impact of Riyadh Season on residents’ quality of life, focusing on social and psychological well-being; and fourth, to investigate how changes in quality of life, as influenced by the festival, affect residents’ willingness to support its ongoing development. A mixed-methods approach will be employed, utilizing qualitative interviews to gather in-depth insights, followed by a structured survey to collect quantitative data. Multiple Regression Analysis will be used to analyse the relationships between perceived impacts, quality of life, and support intentions, providing a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing residents’ perspectives. The findings aim to contribute valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders involved in the planning and development of entertainment festivals in urban settings.
Abi Wheeler (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Breastfeeding, birth trauma and the lasting impacts on perinatal mental health
This PhD research investigates the relationship between breastfeeding, birth trauma, and perinatal mental health, aiming to enhance support services for mothers. Study 1, which involved the thematic analysis of 501 mothers’ experiences, has been completed. Two papers have been written: “Mother’s Experiences of Perceived Pressures When Breastfeeding and The Impact on Perinatal Mental Health” (published) and “The Positive Cycle of Breastfeeding – Mental Health Outcomes of Breastfeeding Mothers Following Birth Trauma”. These studies highlight the pressures that breastfeeding mothers face and their mental health implications, as well as the positive impact of successful breastfeeding in improving maternal mental health and strengthening the mother-infant bond. Study 2, currently in the data analysis phase, explores the effects of PTSD symptoms following birth trauma on breastfeeding experiences. Future studies will examine how breastfeeding may serve as a healing tool after trauma and student midwives’ preparedness to support mothers through breastfeeding and birth trauma.
Aleksandra Bielat (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Reducing free sugar intakes: The role of sweet taste
Limiting dietary exposure to sweet taste is a public health suggestion to aid with reducing free sugar consumption, based on the belief that frequent exposure drives free sugar intakes through the development of a “sweet tooth.” However, this suggestion lacks solid evidence, incorrectly labels all sweet foods as harmful, may reduce public vigilance for non-sweet high-sugar foods, and may not be widely accepted due to innate sweet taste liking. This PhD aims to explore the role of sweet taste in free sugar consumption. A 12-week randomised control trial will assess the effect of three taste-based food substitution instructions on free sugar intakes in high-free sugar consumers. Secondary outcomes include intervention adherence and acceptability, dietary and biopsychosocial outcomes, and sweet perceptions and intakes. This research will provide a broad perspective on the effects of taste-based food alternatives to high-sugar foods and their utilisation in public free sugar reduction recommendations.
Ali Alfurayhi (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Investigating consumers’ privacy concerns in AI-driven marketing and their impact on consumer trust and repurchase intentions in Saudi Arabia
This research investigates the impact of privacy concerns on trust and repurchase intentions in AI-driven marketing among younger adults in Saudi Arabia. Focusing on this demographic, the study explores how privacy concerns influence consumers’ trust and willingness to repurchase. It aims to identify practical measures to protect consumer privacy and build trust in AI-driven marketing. A quantitative approach will be used, with data collected through surveys on consumer awareness of data usage, privacy concerns, trust levels, and repurchase intentions. The data will be analyzed using SPSS to provide insights into this group’s views on privacy in AIdriven marketing. The findings are expected to offer practical recommendations to protect consumer information and enhance trust while informing strategies that balance technological innovation with ethical marketing practices, ensuring that consumers’ rights are maintained.
Andrea Frankham-Hughes (MRes candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Who do we think we are? Assessing the skeletal remains, funerary practices and context of the Late Iron Age Durotrigian burials at Weston, on the Island of Portland, Dorset
The ‘tied island’ of Portland is key to understanding life in Dorset before the Roman Conquest (AD 43) but remains largely unexplored. The Weston site, excavated in 2006, found a cemetery containing seventeen individuals with Late Iron Age/ Romano-British grave goods. This research is the first of an Iron Age burial group from the Island excavated under controlled archaeological conditions.
Two unusual burials were found with roosters and iron objects. Four individuals had pottery covered by limestone slabs which may be unique to Portland.
Bioanthropological and funerary analyses will provide further insight into the lifeways of Iron Age Portlanders. Comparison with mainland sites will establish distinctive Island burial practices and how they have changed over time. Isotopic analysis and radiocarbon will indicate origins, diet, and provide dates of the individuals.
Anna Charlton (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Understandings of stolen rites: mapping cultural and ethical rights surrounding Indigenous mass graves through a collaborative photo elicitation approach
The investigation and protection of Indigenous mass graves around the world is a pressing human rights and legal issue. Sites of suspected mass graves at former colonial institutions in Australia and Canada represent a legacy of violent assimilation policy requiring appropriate attention under Bournemouth University’s Mass Grave Protection, Investigation and Engagement project. Indigenous mass graves also raise significant cultural and ethical considerations presenting the need for a sensitive methodological approach to data collection and presentation. Prioritising collaborative engagement with affected communities and stakeholders, this research utilises photo elicitation methods to centre Indigenous-led solutions and perspectives. Further, drawing upon research and knowledge from Indigenous scholars, lawyers and communities, this research respects the protection of Indigenous IP and Knowledge, looking to the collaborative development of a best practice model for investigation and engagement.
This poster outlines the photo elicitation approach in the context of Indigenous mass graves in Western Australia.
Anna Preece (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Disordered eating as a barrier to recovery for women with alcohol dependence
Alcohol dependence and eating disorders commonly co-occur and individuals with alcohol dependence are increasingly vulnerable to binge eating behaviours. This co-morbidity can lead to challenges with recovery and increased psychological and physiological risks. The initial phase of this project will develop comprehensive understanding of the barriers that women face when in recovery through a narrative review. A scoping review will identify any gaps and inconsistencies with the research for interventions offered within alcohol treatment and eating disorders. The development phase of the project will be in collaboration with community treatment settings working with peer experts and professionals. The final phase of the project will be piloting a feasibility study. This project offers a novel and holistic intervention for women in recovery.
Baofu Qu (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Visualising gender futures: exploring gender diversity and inclusivity through creative practice
Contemporary gender discourse remains highly divisive and polarised. Perceptions of gendered roles and rigid binary definitions of gender are transmitted and strengthened through media, culture, and arts. (MacNeill et al 2018). Butler (2023) believes that people can change reality and transform their surroundings to be more open and inclusive. This practice-based PhD employs creative workshops to investigate artistic and imaginative alternatives that explore gender experiences, including non-binary and trans perspectives, to create an open space where individuals feel empowered to present and discuss their gendered experiences. In this presentation I introduce how my creative practice aims to challenge established norms and create a more inclusive community.
Brenna van der Westhuizen (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Exploring the views of newly graduated physiotherapists on preceptorship: a scoping review
Annually, 15% of physiotherapists are leaving the NHS, with nearly half leaving within their first five years of qualification. Newly qualified physiotherapists report encountering challenges transitioning to clinical roles, facing uncertainty and low confidence. Preceptorship aims to support newly qualified practitioners transitioning from being a student to being an autonomous professional. However, literature on preceptorship for physiotherapists indicates that it is not always effective.
Phase one involves a scoping review of literature, mapping out current research on the views of newly graduated physiotherapists on preceptorship. Phase two involves focus group interviews, exploring the perspectives of newly graduated physiotherapists in Dorset, with particular interest on their experiences of preceptorship.
Gaining insight into the perspectives of newly graduated physiotherapists on preceptorship will enhance our ability to provide more effective support for these professionals, potentially leading to improved retention rates within the field.
Caterina Franzon (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Why young adults (18-30 years old) are consuming dairy in the UK? An online questionnaire study to explore reasons for consumption of dairy products
Dairy is a category of products that differ from each other in their production, sensory characteristics, and mode of consumption. Consuming these foods, particularly soft dairy, i.e., milk, yoghurt, fermented dairy, and soft cheese, is associated with benefits for health and the environment, yet young adults (18-30 years old) consume less dairy than recommended.
In 2023, 390 young adults living in the UK completed an online questionnaire exploring reasons for (non) consumption of dairy. Participants were asked about their frequency of consumption of milk, yoghurt and fermented dairy, hard and soft cheese, and plant-based dairy alternatives. They rated from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) statements exploring attitudes towards each category.
Results show that alongside individual factors (e.g., preferences), other aspects (e.g., ingredients, availability) influence dairy consumption differently depending on the dairy category. This study was conducted with the wider perspective of developing strategies to promote consumption of healthy dairy.
Chinwe Ekwuaju (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
The impact of executive functions on spatial navigation
This research project examines how executive functions affects spatial navigation in individuals with hydrocephalus, early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, and a neurotypical group.
Executive functions like mental updating, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility are essential for navigating environments, and these abilities may be compromised in neurological disorders. Spatial navigation, vital for daily activities, is often impaired in these conditions.
Our study aims to identify which aspects of executive function influence navigation and how these processes differ across groups. Comparing performance across these groups will help refine cognitive theories and identify early markers of neurocognitive decline. The approach of integrating cognitive assessments with navigation tasks, provides new insights into how memory and other cognitive processes interact.
Our findings could lead to inform rehabilitation strategies and improve quality of life for individuals affected by neurocognitive disorders.
Chloe Green (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Individuals living with dementia and their experiences of social work mental capacity assessments
This study will look at individuals living with a dementia diagnosis and their experiences of having a social work mental capacity assessment. The study aims to be able to use painting and storytelling to interview these individuals and gather their personal experiences of having a social worker complete a mental capacity assessment with them. The findings will inform a set of guidelines for social workers to improve this area of practice for this service user group.
Christine Vincent (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Community-based participatory research: Learning to be flexible
My research explores whether, why, and how people access (or do not access) diagnostic health services based in the community. Through a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, I have recruited three Community Researchers to help me access the community in greater depth, develop trust within the community, and create a piece of research that is co-produced with and by the people that will be directly affected by its outcomes. My poster explores the journey I have been on with my PhD research, the flexibility and adaptability I have learned to employ, and the benefits I have found in making big changes, even when it feels it might be too late to do so.
Damla Kuleli (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Influence of social anxiety in embodied face perception during affective social interactions in VR
Social anxiety is characterised by intense fear or avoidance of social situations. While several studies have investigated early face perception in social anxiety using static face images, they did not focus on the dynamic and interactive nature of real-life social interactions. This study examines the early face perception in socially anxious individuals by developing dynamic affective social interactions with Virtual Agents (VAs) in Virtual Reality (VR). The VA’s facial expressions- positive, negative and neutral- will be manipulated during the social interaction. Participants’ responses to different facial expressions will be analysed. VR is used for its high believability and immersiveness to generate anxiety during social interactions. The study introduces a multimodal data collection framework to assess biomarker of social anxiety. Analysis will focus on EEG measurements, mainly Event-Related Potentials (ERPs), behavioural and physiological measurements. The study will contribute to the accurate assessment of social anxiety and development of mental health interventions.
Diego Renato Nunez (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Assessing the impact of public policies on memorialization
Transitional justice corresponds to the full range of processes through which a society tries to come to terms with a past of large-scale violence and human right abuses. Here, memorialization is conceptualized as the act of preserving or provoking a memory or transmitted experiences of others, aimed at dignifying the victims and preventing future violence. Since they are a particularly sensitive topic, the memorialization of mass atrocities is often subject to restrictions. Research has shown that despite the initial efforts in investigating these events, initiatives of memorialization over the long term vary heavily between contexts. This research aims to assess the impact of public policies on memory in contexts of transitional justice. Using the UN Human Rights indicator guidance as conceptual and methodological framework, this thesis examines the memorialization of mass atrocities as a possible indicator for assessing transitional justice measures.
Edgar Susiku (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Graduate competencies, employability and the radiography workforce shortage: A systematic literature review of transnational pre-registration radiography education and training models
Workforce shortages in radiography are exacerbated by a lack of standardized education, hindering transnational mobility; this study seeks to analyse current pre-registration programs and develop new training models to enhance skills, employability, and address evolving clinical demands.
A mixed methods systematic review approach was adopted, secondary data was obtained from an EBSCOhost. Forty articles were included representing diverse settings including both low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and high-income countries (HIC). Two themes emerged, including: 1) Factors influencing graduate employability and 2) Radiography education and training programme characteristics.
The study highlights the need for an innovative radiography education model that equips graduates with multimodality skills, diverse competencies, and industry-aligned accreditation to enhance employability, address workforce shortages, and improve patient care.
Implications for practice: Radiography training institutions should develop innovative, multi-modality programs that provide adaptable pathways aligned with evolving regulatory, technological, and clinical trends.
Eleanor Jack (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences) Researcher; me, myself, I. The insider/outsider, positionality – why does it matter in research?
The vase (pictured) demonstrates both the journey and the outcome of my research, highlighting the creative process, thus always up for “review” to the observer or reviewer, not just the researcher. The final piece is unlikely to sit well or resonate comfortably with everybody – like all creative endeavours. Indeed the “review” can change over time for all observers including me, both before, during and after its final creation.
As a qualitative researcher, it is important to be transparent throughout the process as to who I (think) I am, and therefore through what lens I am approaching the research process. An appreciation of ontology, epistemology methodology and methods are predicated upon such self-reflection. There is a need to be accountable for ‘myself’ throughout the process. Crucially to be transparent – not perfect (see the vase cracks?) with the cracks oftentimes painfully and clearly highlighted for all to see. Such reflections require exploration of predisposing values and beliefs with a display of honest critical appraisal skills, perhaps ultimately demonstrating changes of perception and truths by the creative end.
Elizabeth Leddy (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences) Does it hurt?
Pre-hospital clinicians provide patient care in the community and en route to hospital, but personal and systemic barriers prevent some groups from receiving the right care. Nearly half of patients accessing emergency medical care report pain, and the existing literature show disparities in the analgesia received in hospital between patient groups. Women from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds receive sub-standard treatment and outcomes in a variety of healthcare specialties, so it is crucial to understand if these disparities exist in the pre-hospital environment.
The aims of this project are to 1) ascertain if there is a relationship between patient characteristics and prehospital analgesia, and 2) understand the experience of service users with protected characteristics who access the ambulance service for pain.
This will involve a literature review, followed by a service evaluation of a single UK ambulance trusts data, and finally Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement.
Elliot Sloyan (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Pain neuroscience education: Empowering women during & after pregnancy
Chronic postpartum pain has remained unrecognised until recent times. Its prevalence has been correlated with an ever-increasing Western shift towards pharmacological management of labour pain, showcased not least by the current Fentanyl epidemic in the USA.
Antenatal education provides a non-pharmacological alternative to managing perinatal and postnatal pain; however, a lack of consensus exists around the content and optimisation of this education. The exciting new field of pain neuroscience education (PNE) has proven effective in mitigating acute and chronic pain outcomes in similar populations and may provide a solution to the identified problem.
The research will be multi-staged. The first phase involves a scoping review to map the existing contents of antenatal education programmes that target pain. Thereafter, focus groups with multi-disciplinary experts will be held through Delphi methodology, to gather professional consensus around optimisation of a PNE package for this population.
Emily Brooks (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
How might men, with a background of substance use, experience drama projects?
This study uses a multi-methods approach to explore how men in UK prisons with a history of substance use experience drama projects. Drama-based interventions offer a unique space for participants to express themselves, reflect, and engage creatively. In contrast to punitive prison environments, these projects provide an alternative setting where prisoners can explore their personal stories, substance use, and emotions. The research focuses on capturing the raw, personal experiences of participants in the theatre space.
Creative methods such as scripts, freeze-frames, artefacts, journaling, and photovoice are used to document these experiences, going beyond traditional spoken or written data collection. These innovative approaches align with drama’s creative nature, offering participants new ways to communicate their stories. By moving away from standardised data collection, the study honours the voices of those who may prefer non-verbal, creative expression, challenging conventional methods and opening alternative approaches to engage with marginalised groups in prison settings.
Emily Fisher (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
How do female-led missing persons groups experience transitional justice processes?
After conflict, or atrocity, women are often the primary agent in the search for missing loved ones, despite personal, societal and institutional challenges. Although challenges are a common experience, this research aims to enhance the understanding of the needs and experiences of women-led survivor groups, and to explore their interactions with international institutions.
Being at the beginning of my PhD, this poster will explore literature searches currently underway and the questions arising from them. Such searching and thematically exploring will form the basis of my literature review.
The keywords currently being utilised are Women, Transitional Justice Experience, Missing Persons. Current questions include:
- How is the ‘continuum of violence’ experienced by women post-atrocity?
- How does the symbolism of motherhood in activism resonate today compared to the past?
- To what extent are local groups shaping the international human rights agenda, versus being shaped by it?
Emily Rosenorn-Lanng (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Game-based Learning in cybersecurity: Enhancing skills through CyGamBIT CyGamBIT leverages game-based learning (GBL) to engage non-technical audiences, particularly younger learners, with evolving cybersecurity threats. Through immersive, real-world scenarios, users learn to recognise and respond to cyber threats, improving knowledge retention and encouraging behavioural change. Research demonstrates that active, scenario-based learning is more effective than traditional methods for improving educational outcomes and learner engagement (Connolly et al., 2012). CyGamBIT’s interactive, online platform makes cybersecurity education more accessible, while developing practical skills and confidence to handle realworld challenges. The platform’s design showcases the potential of GBL to broaden access to critical cybersecurity education.
Ethan Southall (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Towards a collaborative authoring tool for cultural heritage applications: modelling the development process between curators and developers
Both museums and virtual museums go through a curation process for creating exhibitions, with a variety of collaborative methods available, requiring both cultural heritage professionals and developers working together. Mixed reality has the potential to enhance this process, in the form of a collaborative mixed reality authoring tool. It is important to understand the process of collaborative development of cultural heritage applications so that the authoring tool could be designed to cater for these needs. A user study is presented that analyses the process of delivering three cultural heritage projects by an experienced development company. A model that captures project stages and collaborative aspects with the clients is created and validated, existing bottlenecks are identified and three authoring tool concepts that could improve the process are generated and discussed. The resulting tool is proposed to aid the collaboration process during the prototype and initial design stages of the development process.
Faisal Mohammed Alsubaie (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
The effect of cultural tightness-looseness on tourism destination choice for European tourists: Evidence from Saudi Arabia
Despite the growing recognition of cultural tightness-looseness (CTL) theory, its application in tourism remains unexplored. This study explores European tourists’ perceptions of CTL in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and how these affect the perceived image, destination choice and revisit intention. Using an explanatory mixedmethod approach, the research began with quantitative analysis through WarpPLS on data from 411 tourists collected via three major travel agencies. The study progresses into the qualitative phase, involving interviews with 11 European tourists, to further explore and validate the quantitative findings. The qualitative phase aims to provide deeper insights into the relationships identified in the initial analysis. Quantitatively, the results show that tourists’ perceptions of CTL significantly influence KSA’s destination image, choice, and revisit intentions. Relaxed social norms are identified as key factors shaping tourist experiences. These insights guide DMOs and marketers to align offerings with tourist expectations, enhancing KSA’s competitiveness as a destination.
Fatima Ahmad Muazu (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Mobile learning technology needs of students with cognitive disabilities: A case for learners in underserved communities
In spite of the promise of mobile learning, learners with cognitive disabilities in underserved areas continue to experience inequitable access because their technological needs are often ignored. As a result, this research utilizes data to describe the technological needs for creating mobile learning platforms that cater to the requirements of 25 teachers, special educational needs specialists, and psychologists from various centers in Nigeria. The learners engaged in educational tasks on the Ulesson mobile platform, and their feedback was analysed to identify obstacles and needs for enhancing accessible and effective mobile learning. Focus group conversation and thematic analysis were utilized to gather requirements and create a conceptual model. The findings indicate that the primary disabilities include ADHD, ASD, down syndrome, and dyslexia; and the key obstacles to individualized learning involve matching the disability severity, motivation, adaptive and applicable learning materials, and assessing student engagement with the materials.
Fiona Vidler (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Corruption and financial constraint impacts upon SME firm productivity in economic crisis and conflict Do economic destabilisation factors link to conflict even war? Only now in the explosive mid2020s are finance economists breaking the silence, raising this critical question. The author proposed early 2022, a ‘turning point’ notion of 2019 - thirty years after the Berlin Wall fell, seventy years after NATO formed; pre-Covid 2020; before ‘Zeitenwende’ 240222 - seeking missing descriptive and empirical regression evidence beyond speculation for predictive indicators: financial constraint and bribery incidence within financialisation, competitivity and corruption. Findings demonstrate significant negative heterogenous effects across 27 Eastern European countries upon SME firm productivity outcomes with co-operative alliances adding business transformation value.
Frederick McClintock (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Lumbar sitting behaviour of Individuals with low back pain: A preliminary study using extended real-world data Low back pain (LBP) affects 619 million people globally and is often provoked by sitting. Current analysis methods limit task variability and do not capture real-world behaviours. This study used accelerometers to provide a novel in-vivo method for assessing lumbar sitting behaviour throughout a whole day. The threestage design included: 1) verification of a sitting detection algorithm, 2) through day data collection from six participants with low back pain, measuring lumbar flexion and evaluating user acceptability, and 3) applying the method to two LBP patients to measure provocative sitting postures. Focus group discussions confirmed the acceptability of the data collection methods. Novel histograms and amplitude probability distribution functions revealed unique, varied sitting behaviours. One patient exhibited two frequent postures, with pain provoked at 62% flexion, the second patient had a single posture, with pain at 86% flexion. This approach provides individualised insights into provocative sitting behaviour otherwise inaccessible.
Grace Ebi Omerigwe-Ogbole (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Nigerian diaspora and news media use during crises in the UK
The Nigerian diaspora represents a dispersed community of black and minority ethnic (BAME) individuals across the globe. In the UK, they constitute the 7th largest non-British population numbering about 312,000 people. However, limited research exists on how this community engages with news media during crises, especially in relation to staying informed, managing crises, and maintaining connections. This study investigates information dynamics that foster the interactions of diasporic Nigerians with news media, their experiences of crises and impacts of crisis communication during COVID lockdown and UK’s cost-of -living crisis. Using media effects theory and risk communication framework, the study analyses data from 48 diasporic Nigerians through FGDs and in-depth interviews. To understand their challenges with mediated crisis communication and offer strategies to enhance crisis response, in view of SDG 3. Insights aim to support public health, emergency management policies and media organisations towards more targeted communication for this community.
Hanan Mohammed Al_Dammas (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Co-creation of digital storytelling for sustainable place branding: Multiple case studies from Saudi Arabia
Storytelling is a widely used mean to enhance learning among individuals and communities through the transformation of people experiences and lives. As a response, making sense of life can be possible through storytelling practices. Therefore, adopting this practice as a strategy for promoting place branding has been recently growing. This study aims to investigate the extent in which collective storytelling among the community can promote sustainable place branding in Saudi Arabia.
Data will be collected from residents, tourists, expatriates, nomads, social media content creators, and small business owners in Saudi Arabia. The semi-structured interview is used as a qualitative data collection method to elicit practitioners’ perceptions and experiences of living in the place. Interview’s guideline will be developed based on the proposed conceptual framework. A range of 25 participants will be invited using purposeful and snowballing sampling techniques to participate in interviews. Data analysis will be conducted using reflexive thematic analysis for Braun et al. (2023).
This study strives for a deep understanding of community contributions to collective place branding current practices.
Hannah Dover (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Propose an NHS dental monthly payment plan
In the United Kingdom, NHS dental services are available to the whole population and NHS dental charges are divided into three bands with Units of Dental Activity (UDA) assigned to each band. Many have utilised NHS dentistry because NHS charges are significantly cheaper than that of private dental costs and the service is free for children, those with exemptions, for women during pregnancy and one year after a child’s birth.
Historically, NHS dental services have struggled to see half of the population due to contractual limitations and recurrent underfunding. In recent years, Brexit and Covid-19 have both exposed weaknesses in the sector such as staff shortages and a lack of appropriate commissioning, demonstrating poor clinical governance. The current system is no longer fit for purpose and the public is being failed by the system.
Jessica Correia (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Anti-depressant medication use in pregnancy – Understanding the decision making process for women and pregnant people.
The aim of maternity care is to maintain the physical health of both mum and baby, poor mental health has been shown to negatively impact obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Therefore, consideration of mental health is vital to providing comprehensive maternity care. The decision to continue, adjust or discontinue medication in pregnancy is challenging. There are many factors that influence the decision-making process. To determine if there is a gap in service provision, it is important to understand how women currently make this complex decision.
Participants will be invited to attend interviews to explore their personal experience regarding medication use in pregnancy, the support/services they accessed to make this decision and what they felt may have been lacking regarding the support they received, if anything. Following this, a thematic analysis of the reoccurring themes will be produced to support an analysis of current care provisions and suggestions for service level improvements.
Julia O’Connor (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Investigating the relationship between ethics, creative process, and narrative in The Dragon’s Scales: a practicebased study
This practice-based research project investigates the relationships between ethics, creativity, and narrative output through the writing of a Young Adult fantasy novel, The Dragon’s Scales. Engaging with the field of Narrative Ethics and drawing on writers’ practical experiences, I examine how ethical considerations shape storytelling, character development, and world-building.
Utilising Skains’ Practitioner Model of Creative Cognition, this research investigates my creative process and output through a reflexive approach, analysing how creative cognition is impacted by ethics and, in turn, causes ethics to materialise, enabling a deeper understanding of how ethics and creativity interact during the writing process.
The novel itself is presented as a research artefact, with ethics both embedded and embodied in the narrative. Reading this artefact alongside the exegesis, which critically explores how ethics feeds into and out of the creative process, the thesis as a whole will demonstrate how ethical considerations impact narrative.
Kamonpa Wangkuanklang (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Agritourism and residents’ quality of life: A narrative literature review
Agritourism integrates agricultural and tourism activities with the primary objective of being a useful tool for rural development. This study conducts a narrative literature review to explore dimensions of quality-of-life improvements from the perspective of local agritourism communities and highlight several emerging themes in the scope of agritourism. The analysis shows that residents can benefit from developing agritourism to enhance their economic, cultural, and environmental quality of life. Agritourism generates higher income and encourages locals to maintain cultural traditions and preserve farm practices. Emerging themes suggest a deeper understanding of agritourism stakeholders, technology implementation, key elements of agritourism development, and quality-of-life evaluation. In addition to identifying gaps in the literature, this review highlights new areas of knowledge study for future research in this field.
Kathryn Ellis (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
The Creative Difference
The advertising industry lags behind when advancing representation and inclusion, due in part to a limited understanding of the dimensions of diversity that can make a meaningful difference to creativity. This poster maps the multifaceted dimensions of identity and cognitive diversity that can drive innovative campaign development. It aims to provide actionable insights for composing teams that maximise creative potential.
Katy Bailey (MRes candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
TikTok usage in the UK and USA: Investigating demographic factors, personality, and user motivation
This research aimed to address the need for studies on TikTok usage in non-student samples from Western countries by exploring to what extent demographic factors, personality traits, and motivations predict TikTok usage. A sample of 361 participants from the UK and USA, aged 18-68, reported their TikTok activity in hours spent and times opened during the past week, analysed across three time periods: day-time, night-time, and total. Participants also completed assessments of the Big Five personality traits (Rammstedt & John, 2007) and motivations for use (Scherr & Wang, 2021). Hierarchical regression analysis revealed age was the most significant demographic predictor, openness the most significant personality trait, and escapist addiction the most significant motivational factor. These findings contribute to understanding social media behaviour and have methodological implications for future research alongside practical applications for marketing and mental health support providers (Günlü et al., 2023; Tian et al., 2022).
Leoné Pretorius (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
The effect of a sweet-tasting pentose [L-arabinose] on glycaemic and insulinaemic responses after sugar consumption in a prediabetic population
L-arabinose, a naturally sweet compound, may help reduce blood sugar spikes after eating sugar by blocking the enzyme sucrase, which breaks down sugar in the small intestine. This study tested the effects of L-arabinose on blood sugar and insulin levels in people with prediabetes. Eighteen participants (average age 73, BMI 27.5 kg/ m2) completed a trial where they drank either a sugar solution with L-arabinose or without. Blood samples were taken before and after consumption to measure glucose and insulin levels. Results showed that L-arabinose significantly reduced and delayed the peak levels of both glucose and insulin compared to the sugar solution only. The total insulin response was also lowered by 25%. This suggests that L-arabinose may help manage blood sugar and insulin spikes in people with prediabetic symptoms.
Lujain Alwehaibi (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
The role of consumer identity in sustainable fashion choice in Saudi Arabia
This research explores how consumer identity influences sustainable fashion choices in Saudi Arabia. This study uses qualitative methods to examine these dynamics, providing insights into how consumer identity, peer influence, and social norms impact the adoption of sustainable fashion. The findings will contribute to understanding consumer behaviour in a non-Western context, offering practical recommendations for policymakers and sustainable fashion brands in Saudi Arabia.
Lyndsey Bradley (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Understanding stress perceptions in autistic and neurotypical children: an in-depth exploration with a view to improving health and well-being across the lifespan
Childhood stress can cause poorer mental and physical health outcomes. Autistic children may be particularly susceptible to stress leading to higher risks of depression and lower life expectancy. Stress interventions are often informed by caregivers reporting on their child by-proxy, although studies suggest children from about 8 years old can explain stress. This mixed-methods research involves three studies examining how autistic children aged 8-11 years old understand stress. Study one is a systematic literature review mapping stress understanding and identifying tools for studies two and three. Study two entails a questionnaire assessment of relationships between autistic traits and stress understanding in children and caregivers. Study three involves interviews exploring stress understanding in autistic children and caregivers. This research advances knowledge regarding autistic children’s understanding of stress. Wider impact informs interventions tailored to this population and the greatest benefit of reducing the negative effects of stress to improve health and well-being.
MacDonald Amaran (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
A socio-legal comparative study on safeguarding for Children on TikTok in the United Kingdom and Nigeria
Social media was conceptualised, first introduced in Tokyo Japan via an online platform Matise, sometime in 1994 (Aichner et al 2019). The internet has evolved, with users increasing, most companies are reaching out to customers including children on social media apps such as TikTok. Studies show TikTok is an important marketing tool on social media (Zhang et al 2023). Children are in a state of development, a piece of information can quickly become a point of view. This research seeks to investigate the various harms children are exposed to on social media platforms such as TikTok, including disinformation, misinformation, sextortion, bullying, body shaming, insomnia mental health, wellbeing among others and whether this is moral panic. Explore potential educational opportunities to assist parents’ navigation of children’s engagement on TikTok and to understand how existing legislations and regulations may be improved on to support parents in safeguarding children’s TikTok use.
Matthew Edge (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Single use medical device circularity: Evaluating sustainable supply chain operations within the UK medical device industry
Current research suggests the UK healthcare system experiences critical and enduring regulatory and budgetary challenges, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. One solution considers reprocessing Single Use Medical Devices (SUMDs), currently performed across US, Europe and Asia to potentially offer cost-savings and environmental sustainability.
Conducting concurrent literature reviews identified research gaps thereby leading to the formulation of primary research questions. Semi-structured interviews with logistic specialists discussed and explored potential reprocessing opportunities, challenges, and limitations within their existing supply chains. Following primary and secondary research outcomes, a cause-and-effect model attempts to identify causal relationships and issues across social, economic and environmental factors. In order to operationalise this model, survey questionnaires are proposed to wider industry with results to be statistically validated. This research intends establishing a transferable model for medical device manufacturers and industry for SUMD sustainability, behaviours and approaches potentially implemented in event of change and reprocessing adoption.
Messiah Anudjo (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Preliminary clinical evaluation (PCE): A transnational scoping review of current radiography practice
Radiographer preliminary clinical evaluation (PCE) has gained recognition globally; however, knowledge about the current state and scope of practice transnationally remain unclear. Thus, this scoping review explored the current state and scope of PCE practice from the international perspective.
Literature search was completed via EBSCOhost, Web of Science, radiography websites and google scholar for journal articles and policy documents. Data charting followed a predefined eligibility criteria and themes were developed using inductive narrative analysis.
Thirty-one peer reviewed articles and 5 policy documents were included with over 60% emanating from the UK and Australia. About 60% focused on projectional radiography. Themes developed include: scope of PCE practice, implementation; PCE proficiency; factors influencing PCE participation and performance.
Radiographers are competent at providing PCE however, unclear scope of practice, commenting format, noncompliance with practice implementation and paucity of evidence within cross-sectional imaging remain major challenges.
Mike O’Sullivan (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Stakeholder perceptions of Artificial Intelligence integration in higher education
This study will explore stakeholder perceptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration in higher education (HE) at three newer English universities. It will examine the views of students, academic staff, administrative personnel, and marketers regarding AI’s role in student recruitment, course delivery, assessment, and university branding. Using a qualitative case study approach, semi-structured interviews will be conducted to assess AI’s influence on the student experience and its potential to reshape institutional operations and marketing strategies. By doing so, it will provide insights into how AI might shape stakeholder expectations and contribute to competitive differentiation in an increasingly marketised HE environment. The research aims to highlight how perceptions, rather than technical capabilities, will drive the success of AI adoption in HE. The findings will provide insights for universities on aligning AI strategies with stakeholder needs to enhance institutional identity and competitive differentiation in a marketised HE environment and contribute to academic understanding of HE brands and branding.
Mona Mansour Almasoudi (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
The role of social media in supporting volunteer work during health crises in Saudi Arabia
This study explores the role of social media in supporting volunteering during health crises in Saudi Arabia, focusing on strategies by the Ministry of Health to mobilize healthcare practitioners during COVID-19. Using Discourse Analysis Theory and Volunteer Functionalist Theory, the research employs a concurrent mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data.
For the quantitative component, a content analysis of the Ministry’s social media posts from 2020 to 2022 will examine linguistic, visual, and interactive elements to assess how messages align with cultural values and volunteer mobilization strategies. The qualitative component includes semi-structured interviews with 15 to 25 healthcare practitioners, exploring their motivations and perceptions of social media messages.
This study aims to address gaps in understanding the cultural and motivational factors influencing volunteerism in Saudi Arabia, offering practical insights for developing effective communication strategies to enhance volunteer recruitment and retention in future health crises.
Nagarjun Ragde (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Economics of Smart Tourism
Global geopolitical uncertainty, environmental risks, and economic volatility demand contemporary strategic and holistic approach to be adopted by tourism destinations. Proliferation of information and communication technologies are providing promising solutions in this direction. Smart tourism (ST) emerged by integrating modern technologies and intelligence at the destination. Different stakeholders are networked together through digital infrastructure. Providing innovative services, products and procedures towards maximizing performance and optimizing values. More destinations are adopting smartness, making ST destinations the new norm for coming years. The study aims to understand ST from economic viewpoint. To incorporate smartness for maximizing economic benefits, economic indicators and Smart Tourism Economic Framework will be developed using comprehensive literature review and collecting expert interviews. To discern an economic gap between ST and non-ST destinations, a comparative analysis of multiple case studies will be undertaken. A model to assess the economy wide impact of ST will be developed using Computable General Equilibrium approach.
Natalie Stewart (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Promoting positive and cohesive research cultures across disciplines
The research culture and environment in which PhD students undertake their degree is inherently important to researcher experience, wellbeing, and outcomes. However, there are consistently reported higher levels of dissatisfaction with this aspect of the research degree journey. This has resulted in increased scrutiny and greater attention being placed on understanding and improving research culture for this often-overlooked population of students.
Putting the student voice at the centre of the research, this study considers the current student experience of research culture, the desired ideal, and key factors influencing research culture from different perspectives. A series of semi-structured interviews were undertaken with BU PhD students, and recursive abstraction was used to analyse the data collected.
This poster focuses on two key findings from the research, firstly the fundamental role that PhD students play in developing strong research cultures, and secondly, the role and impact supervisors have in fostering healthy research cultures.
Niamh Curtain (MRes candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Could modifications made to anaesthetic rooms impact children’s experience of perioperative care?
Emergence delirium is a temporary condition of agitation and disorientation following anaesthesia, often causing behavioural changes, distress and prolonged recovery in children. Preoperative anxiety is a recognised factor contributing to this. While modifications to clinical environments can reduce anxiety, limited research exists on their implementation within anaesthetic rooms.
The aims of this study are to investigate if modifying anaesthetic rooms impacts children’s perioperative experience and explore the feasibility of integrating such modifications into clinical practice.
The research will begin with a scoping review of literature to identify environmental modifications used to reduce children’s anxiety in clinical settings. Next a mixed-methods study may be employed to evaluate the perioperative experience of children receiving general anaesthesia. Finally, the feasibility of implementing these interventions will be explored.
Gaining insights into the potential impact of a low-stimulation environment in anaesthetic rooms could enhance the understanding of how clinical setting modifications influence children’s perioperative anxiety.
Nicolae Eduard Ionescu (MRes candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Implications of AI-driven surveillance: A focus on data privacy violations
This study explores the theoretical implications of AI-driven surveillance on data privacy in the UK, focusing on cybersecurity frameworks. It critically examines existing regulatory structures, the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). AI technologies, including facial recognition and predictive policing, become more prevalent, concerns about transparency, accountability, and individual data rights emerge, highlighting significant challenges in current cybersecurity theories. While UK regulations provide a foundational level of protection, they often fall short in addressing the complexities of AI algorithms and their ethical implications. Through a theoretical analysis of relevant literature and case studies, this research seeks to identify critical gaps in cybersecurity frameworks and explore their implications for data privacy. The findings will aim to inform cybersecurity scholars and stakeholders, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced theoretical oversight and adaptive regulatory strategies in response to the challenges posed by advancing AI technologies.
Pham Luu Thuy Linh (Lily) (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Always look on the dark side of life: the impact of the dark triad traits on sustainable luxury outcomes through the message appeals of luxury brands
In the process of unravelling the differences expressed through consumer behaviour, attention has increasingly been paid to personality traits in both marketing academia and practice. There has been an explosion of academic research in recent years regarding the three dominant personality traits of Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, collectively known as the Dark Triad. However, there is little empirical evidence on how to appropriately market to these three personality traits in the context of luxury brands. This study will focus on the impact of the dark triad traits on sustainable luxury outcomes through the message appeals of luxury brands. An experimental methodological approach will be utilised to explore these research gaps.
Raed Alshammari (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
Role of social media in enhancing healthcare reputation in Saudi Arabia: The effect of Twitter (X) for Public Relations professionals
With increased investment in the improvement of facilities and services, Saudi Arabia’s healthcare system has significant transformations through Saudi Vision 2030. It has been observed that PR practitioners in healthcare have been slow to utilize social media tools to improve health communication and, therefore, enhance healthcare reputation, still scarce. This study will investigate the use of X (formerly Twitter) as a communication channel for public relations professionals in enhancing healthcare reputation in Saudi Arabia. To fill this gap, it will explore how professionals use X for health awareness, to address concerns, to provide accurate information, and to build trust and credibility with the audience. To achieve this, the research will employ a quantitative analysis of tweets from healthcare institutions to assess content and sentiment, alongside qualitative semi-structured interviews with public relations and social media managers to provide insights into how X is used for reputation management in the healthcare sector.
Rosie Equi (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Older people’s experience of social prescribing: reducing pressure in domiciliary care
An ageing population and a crisis in care provision, amidst wider social determinants of (ill-)health, has produced overwhelming demand for domiciliary care services. Social prescribing provides one potential solution through facilitating social participation in communities which can foster significant health improvements in older adults. Yet referrals remain low and older people continue to struggle with unmet needs; this presents a significant research and knowledge gap understanding the potential of enhancing social prescribing initiatives to reduce the demand for domiciliary care.
Drawing upon the social determinants of health to enable a holistic comprehension of everyday life, this study shall utilise ethnographic methodologies to explore the contemporary relationships between social prescribing, older adult wellbeing, and the demand for domiciliary care. Critically examining both older people’s and social prescriber’s experiences, the study shall generate a new and holistic framework for policy development to improve older adult wellbeing and pressures within the domiciliary sector.
Shadeepa Karunarathne (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Heterogeneous electrocatalysts for high-performing air-powered batteries
Despite its historical success, currently, the limited energy density in Li-ion batteries restricts the electrifying of transportation into small and medium-scale vehicles. On the contrary, Li-O2 batteries (LOBs) and Li-air batteries (LABs) with larger theoretical energy density are capable of powering heavy-duty transportation. In this study, excellent cathode structures were constructed by directly anchoring a network of NiCoP/ NiCo2O4 and NiCoP/ NiCo2O4/NiCo2O4 hybrids on Ni foam using a hydrothermal reaction followed by controlled phosphation and sulfurisation. The highest discharge capacity of 25162 mAgh-1 was obtained for NiCoP/ NiCo2S4/ NiCo2O4. The in-situ synthesized NiCo2O4/ NiCoP hybrid structure lasted exceeding 400 cycles highlighting the success of the study advancing beyond the state-of-the-art knowledge. In both cases, morphology and the orientation of the discharged Li2O2 were able to be altered through the modulation of the electronic structure of the catalyst, allowing undisturbed diffusion of Li+ towards the cathode, allowing high discharge depths and extended cyclability.
Sharon Waight (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
Construing compassionate nursing care - the perspective of nurses working in primary and community care. Compassion is essential to provide high quality and professional nursing care. It is important to both patients and nurses and how they construe and experience it. Compassion as a central concept for nurses and nursing has been challenged during the recent rise in global suffering and changes to healthcare delivery. A renewed focus on compassion in nursing is necessary to determine new ways of providing it, and to demonstrate its significance, including its impacts, positive and negative. This study will provide a deeper understanding of compassion and advance nursing care in the community and primary care context. A qualitative approach is employed using constructivist grounded theory, which is a major step toward theoretical analysis and theory construction. Early emerging findings will be shared. The aim of this study is to explore nurses’ perception of compassion working in primary and community care settings.
Siggy Osborne (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
Investigating the past to inform the future
The world is facing rising sea levels. This will affect Poole Harbour and the protected heathland landscape of the Isle of Purbeck. By looking at vegetation changes and human adaptations to a sea level rise that occurred in Poole Harbour thousands of years ago, the aim of this PhD project is to understand if information from the past could be incorporated into future heathland management strategies.
The PhD will investigate a soil core covering a period of approximately 4000 years. This was collected from saltmarsh bordering Poole Harbour and the Isle of Purbeck shoreline and contains a buried peat section. This peat was covered by marshy sediments when the sea level in Poole Harbour rose by 2 m around 2300 years ago.
The poster will detail how a multiproxy approach is being used to analyse the past sea level rise and its effect on the Isle of Purbeck landscape.
Siraj Talal Degnah (PhD candidate, Faculty of Media & Communication)
The role of public relations in crisis management at Saudi Aramco company (Analytical study: Aramco’s communication efforts to confront the climate change crisis)
This study aims to investigate the communication strategies utilized by oil companies in addressing climate change. This research involves qualitative content analysis using a case study approach. The methodology includes conducting content analysis of Twitters and news coverage of the crisis in UK and KSA newspapers. The study follows a deductive approach, which involves testing the data based on the theory defined. Communication strategies are examined according to the SCCT theory and the SMCS model.
Aramco was chosen as the focus of this study because it is one of the world’s largest oil companies and the largest oil producer, making it a unique example for understanding crisis management communication strategies in the Middle Eastern context. The study is based on a theoretical framework that addresses fundamental concepts of crisis management, crisis communication, media framing, and environmental sustainability.
Sophie Barrett (PhD candidate, Faculty of Science & Technology)
An exploration of the interplay between victim and offender behaviours in sex offences and its potential in aiding crime linkage
As an interpersonal crime where sex offenders perpetrate against victims of varying relationship types, it is pertinent to understand the relational underpinnings of sex offence behaviours to aid the investigation and conviction of these pervasive crimes.
Using secondary data, this project looks to observe how behaviours vary in relation to the victim-suspect relationship type and the offender’s interaction with victim behaviours.
Content analysis and descriptive and inferential statistics will be used to: outline the victim-suspect relationship types that occur in sex offences, identify serial sex offenders who perpetrate against victims of different relationship types and their transition matrices, and analyse the relationship between the victim and offender behaviours that are exhibited.
Identifying how the offender’s relationship and interaction with the victim impacts their patterned behaviour can inform crime linkage analysts of which behaviours best link a series of offences to an offender, aiding the identification and apprehension of serial offenders.
Tanya Andrewes (PhD candidate, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences)
The realities of using free online learning as continuous professional development in nursing
This poster presents the findings in my constructivist grounded theory study, which explores nurses’ use of free online learning as continuous professional development.
Nurses must complete continuous professional development to maintain professional registration. The need to undertake ongoing learning is balanced with managing clinical workload in an overburdened health system, as well as the requirement to complete annual mandatory training online.
The categories of ‘learning as social endeavour’ and ‘being swallowed up in practice’ tell a story of the tensions that impact nurses actual or potential use of free online learning. The reality is a focus on mandatory training, which creates a negative attitude towards other online learning.
The poster summarises the importance of learning with others and making learning meaningful. Support from educators and managers, and time and space for learning are crucial to exploit the potential benefits of using free online learning as a tool for shared learning.
Tariq Alshikhy (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
An investigation into the role of soft power applied to sporting mega-events to optimise organisational performance and income generation
The influence of soft power on sporting mega events is an area of significance and its impact on mega sports events is a complex and nuanced field, with research indicating that it can be effectively used during such events, but with its effectiveness dependent on the context. The successful application of soft power strategies by a host country pertains to a variety of socio-political and economic factors. This study examines the use of soft power practices in generating revenue and ensuring good organisation during mega sporting events hosted by various countries. The study will also provide a comprehensive view of the recent term “Sport Washing”, which has become a trend, particularly in western media. It is notable that circulation has increased, especially as new nations have entered the race to host sporting events. This study examines the use of soft power practices in generating revenue and ensuring good organisation during mega sporting events hosted by various countries. The study looks at the experiences of Qatar, South Africa and others that have hosted mega sports events, as these have different characteristics from other host countries, one being the first Arab and Muslim country to host a vast sports event and the other being the first African country to organise the World Cup.
Tom Heyes (MRes candidate, BU Business School)
Understanding the effect of communication medium on small group development
I am interested in the advent of new technologies that support remote working, and the impact that these technologies may have on team development when compared to traditional in-person communication. Much of the traditional literature for team development pre-dates both the advent of sophisticated communication technologies and the mass adoption and use of these technologies for day-to-day team interaction.
Zahra Eskandari (PhD candidate, BU Business School)
Beyond “excluded exclusions”? Bridging the knowledge gap between policy stakeholders and (forced) migrant women engagement with physical activity in the South-West of England This study addresses a knowledge/practice gap between policy stakeholders’ practices (Migration supporting charities/agencies) and (forced) migrant women’s experiences and engagement with physical activity as a means of well-being and belonging in the South-West of England. Through a participatory-based approach, the project will address knowledge gaps on these women’s experiences and practices of physical activity, well-being and inclusion in both policy and scholarship. The project will combine intersectional and post-colonial theoretical frames to examine assumptions around (forced) migrant women as “hard to reach” group in physical activity domains and to expand research predominantly focused on (forced) migrant men’s practices and experiences of physical activity. Through a sustained dialogue with policy stakeholders and (forced) migrant women, the project will identify key barriers, resources, and capabilities to inform and support physical activity interventions as meaningful sites of health, well-being, and inclusion for these women and towards impact-related outputs (e.g. policy toolkits).