Research 2022-2023
In various fields, DCU research has a direct influence on the formulation of government policy. A prime example of this was the research study, Towards a New Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy: A Review of Literature. This research, by academics from DCU Institute of Education, was presented to the Department of Education, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and education stakeholders at an event in Croke Park in May 2023. The collaborative work involving 40 researchers is expected to underpin the government’s new Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy. Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, DCU researchers released a study focused on a ground-breaking, cross-community educational initiative on effective professional learning, involving a network of over 150 schools.
Research into Ireland’s media landscape revealed disturbing details of hostility faced by many Irish journalists. A report by Dr Dawn Wheatley, School of Communications, found that female reporters are often subjected to particularly challenging content. Social Media and Online Hostility: Experiences of Women in Irish Journalism describes how women journalists in Ireland are navigating social media as part of their professional work, and the report raises questions about what this might mean for women's presence in the sector. Meanwhile, data analysed by the researchers from the DCU Institute of Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo) found that only a quarter of Irish people agree that it is better to have a human editor/journalist select or curate what they consume. The survey which was part of the Irish data for The Digital News Report 2023 found that 31% of people believe that it is better to see news selected by an algorithm, based on their viewing history and preferences.
Meanwhile, trust in Irish political parties remains low, according to a survey commissioned by the DCU Anti-Corruption Research Centre. The study found that over half of the population believes political donations have a significant influence on political decisions. Irish people have little confidence in the motives of political parties, and this has significant implications for the functioning and long-term stability of democracy in Ireland, according to the report.
DCU’s Faculty of Engineering and Computing and the GAA launched a project that could help define the future of Hurling in Ireland. The Association is working with the Department of Mechanical Engineering on a project to define quality standards for hurley and sliotar performance. Hurleys will be tested by a robotic arm that simulates how a player strikes the ball. The project aims to ensure that the manufacture of hurleys is regulated in a manner where safety is a key desired outcome.
A team at DCU’s Optical Communications Lab have successfully tested a laser component for an improved atomic clock to be used in space navigation. The tests, funded by the European Space Agency, demonstrated for the first time a new calibre of laser which will allow more efficient and compact implementation of atomic clocks for future satellite missions and aboard the International Space Station. Closer to Earth, Airport Economics, a publication by Dr Cathal Guiomard from DCU Business School, explored how to get the best value out of an airport to serve the needs of passengers and businesses. It argues that using airport resources and capacity efficiently is vital for the continued success of air transport.
Research in history and politics often relies on the quality of primary sources and archival material available to academics. The Charles J. Haughey collection, donated to DCU by the late Taoiseach’s wife Maureen Haughey, is a highly significant trove of material that was showcased in an exhibition at the O’Reilly Library in 2022. Charles J. Haughey: Politics in a Changing Ireland offers a selection of the collection’s extensive political correspondence, documentation and images. The Haughey papers have now been made available to researchers in the DCU Library and the public can gain free online access to large parts of the collection.