Research at the School of Information & Communication Studies
ICS is one of the most multidisciplinary schools at UCD, representing disciplines, topics and approaches from the humanities, social sciences, and STEM. Unique research areas to UCD include Communications,
Digital Policy, and Information Science, as well as the highly technologically grounded HCI and Information
Systems. The School is uniquely and prestigiously designated as an iSchool, a university-level institution
devoted to understanding the role of information in society; ICS is the only iSchool in the country, as well
as on the whole of the Island.
The ethos of research in the school is grounded in forward thinking research with a view to influencing
development, policy, and regulatory frameworks at domestic and regional levels. The trans-disciplinarity
of research in the School is attractive to staff who study multiple research areas and enables them to
find a home in Information and Communication Studies.
The School is committed to research that has a social impact. Researchers in the School regularly report
on their work via radio, television, and newspaper venues. Additionally, researchers in the School have
provided information and advice at Oireachtas committees and have had their research noted in
Dáil Éireann. Researchers in the School further offer leadership roles in relevant national and international
societies and committees, e.g. the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), the Department of
Public Expenditure & Reform’s Open Data Governance Board, and the National Open Research Forum,
and are routinely invited to give keynotes at leading events on a range of topics.