Dr Waseem Afzal

Dr Waseem Afzal is a senior lecturer in the School of Information Studies at Charles Sturt University. Waseem earned his PhD in Information Science and MBA from Emporia State University, USA. Waseem teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, chairs the research management committee of the School of Information Studies, and does research in the areas of information behaviour, management of information organizations, web information flows, and economics of information.

He has extensively taught subjects covering areas of management of information organizations, leadership, user centred design and web usability, research methods, information sources and services, and knowledge management.

Waseem’s research has been funded through competitive internal and external grants amounting to well over $33,900. He is a member of the ASIS&T SIG-USE 2019 Symposium organizing committee, treasurer of the ASIS&T Asia-Pacific Chapter 2018-19, recipient of the Elfreda Chatman Research Award (2013) as well as the International Academy of Business & Public Administration Disciplines Research Award (2007). His research has been covered by various national and local public media outlets including The Australian Newspaper, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Regional, Win News Riverina, and Prime7 News.

My research is concerned with the interaction between users’ experience of information and the impact of this experience on cognition, emotions, feelings, and behaviour. My research is situated in the broad area of ‘Information Behaviour’ having links with the disciplines of Psychology, Education, Computer Science, and Economics. My recent research projects involve development of an affective framework for information behaviour; study of the relationship between information behaviour and flow; nature of information need; online learning experience; and assessing the value of public library services.

My teaching philosophy is to provide authentic learning experience to my students. To this end, I create authentic learning tasks and engaging learning environment supported by relevant technologies. I do provide scaffolding enabling students to develop deep understanding and ability to apply their learning in varied professional settings.

My current teaching approach demonstrates excellence in curriculum development, innovation in approaches to assessment, continuous learning and improvement in subject delivery, and an unwavering commitment to helping my students learn and gain knowledge.

The quality of my teaching has been recognised by (1) internal awards, (2) consistent above-average student evaluation scores, (3) students in their unsolicited e-mails and comments, and (4) through triangulated assessment of my teaching.

I was honoured to be included in the CSU School of Information Studies Teaching Hall of Fame in 2016 and 2017 for excellence in teaching, as determined by student evaluations.

I do take higher degree by research students in the areas of information behavior, web studies (e.g., information seeking on the web and e-commerce), and economics of information.

I have served as an external examiner for PhD theses and research proposals.

Owing to my methodological expertise I have also been invited by supervisory panels from disciplines other than information science to provide advice. For example, I have provided advice on the appropriateness of multivariate methods, instrument development procedures, sampling in quantitative and qualitative studies.

Professional Associations

• Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)
• Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE)
• Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)
• Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) SIG-USE
• Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Asia-Pacific Chapter

Service to Profession

• Member of ASIS&T SIG-USE 2019 Symposium organizing committee
• Treasure of ASIS&T Asia-Pacific Chapter 2018-19
• Member of ASIS&T Pratt Severn Student Research Paper Competition Panel (2016-18)
• Member of ALISE Research Grant Competition Committee  (2012-2014)
• Member of ALISE/Jean Tague-Sutcliffe Doctoral Poster Competition Judges Panel (2012)
• Member of ALISE/Dialog Methodology Paper Competition Committee (2009-2010)
• Reviewing for JASI&ST, JALIA, Library Quarterly, iConference, Internet Research, Communications of the Association for Information Systems, Australian Journal of Educational Technology

Service to University

• Chair of the Research Management Committee, School of Information Studies-Charles Sturt University (2016-)
• Member of the Faculty of Arts & Education Charles Sturt University Research & Graduate Studies Committee (2016-)
• Member of the School of Information Studies Board (2011-)
• Manager of the School of Information Studies Usability Laboratory (2015-17)
• Alternate Academic Staff member on the Faculty of Arts & Education Faculty Board (2018-)

2018

• Faculty of Arts & Education-Charles Sturt University Grant Development Funding—Awarded funds for a project titled “Exploration of the relationship between Information Behaviour and Flow” (Competitive Grant Award-$3199)
• Faculty of Arts & Education-Charles Sturt University Research Skills Development Funding – (Competitive Award-$1400)

2016

• Faculty of Arts & Education, Charles Sturt University Grant Development Funding for a project titled "Educating against Extremism" (Competitive Grant Award-$7422)

2015

• Awarded funds for a project titled" Understanding and countering information strategies of extremists: What can the Australian Army learn from the distributional properties of information?" - Australian Army Research Scheme

2013

• Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) SIG-USE Elfreda A. Chatman Research Award for a project titled "Conceptualization, operationalization, and empirical validation of the concept of information need".
• Charles Sturt University-Technology and teaching practice research group project funding. Awarded funds for a project titled "Evaluating the role of ICT in learning and teaching at CSU: A Review of the SES Categorized Items Bank" (Competitive Grant Award-$4100.16).
• Faculty of Education, Charles Sturt University Special Studies Program Award 2014 (sabbatical and $4200)

2011

• Charles Sturt University Research Priority Area Funding. Awarded funds for the project titled "Data Management and Bibliometrics: Emerging research communities where academic librarians and researchers intersect." (Competitive Grant Award-$3300)

• Afzal, W. (2018). Weaving the affective framework for information behaviour research: A consideration of ‘trilogy of mind’ and ‘flow’. In Proceedings of the Information Seeking in Context (ISIC), Krakow, Poland. Information Research, 23(4), Available at http://www.informationr.net/ir/23-4/isic2018/isic2018.html
• Afzal, W., & Hagan, A. (2017). Using virtual reality to counter extremism. In Proceedings of the 80^th Association for Information Science and Technology Conference (ASIS&T), Washington D.C., USA, 54(1), 612-613.
• Afzal, W. (2017). A proposed methodology for conceptualization, operationalization, and empirical validation of information need. Information Research, 22(3), Available at http://www.informationr.net/ir/
• Afzal, W. (2017). Conceptualization and measurement of information needs: A review of research. Journal of the Australian Library & Information Association, Available at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/24750158.2017.1306165
• O'Connor, S., Smith, I., & Afzal, W. (2017). Disruption be my Guide: A study into future directions for academic programs for information management. Library Hi Tech, 35(1), 1-15.
• Afzal, W., & Wallis, J. (2016). Informational properties of extremist content: An evidence-based approach. Australian Army Journal, XIII(2), 67-90.
• Afzal, W. (2016). A study of the informational properties of the ISIS's content. In Proceedings of 79^th Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, 53(1), 1-10.
• Kennan, M. A., Corrall, S., & Afzal, W. (2014). "Making space" in practice and education: Research support services in academic libraries. Library Management, 35(8/9), 666-683.
• Afzal, W. (2013). Rethinking information privacy-security: Does it really matter? In Proceedings of 76^th Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Conference, Montreal, Canada, 1-10.
• Corrall, S., Kennan, M.A., & Afzal, W. (2013). Bibliometrics and research data management services: Emerging trends in library support for research. Library Trends, 61(3), 636-674.
• Carroll, M., Kerr, P., Musa, A. I., & Afzal, W. (2013). Commonwealth of uncertainty: How British and American professional models of library practice have shaped LIS education in former British colonies and dominions. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, 39(2), 121-133.
• Afzal, W. (2012). Management of information organizations. Chandos Publishing, Oxford: UK.

Recent Refereed Presentations

• Afzal, W. (2018). Weaving an affective framework for information behaviour research: A consideration of ‘trilogy of mind’ and ‘flow’. Presentation at the 12^th Information Seeking in Context Conference (ISIC), Krakow, Poland.
• Afzal, W. (2018). Advancing information behavior research: An examination of “flow” and “derivatives”. Presentation at the 18^th SIG-USE Symposium: Moving Toward the Future of Information Behavior Research and Practice, Vancouver, Canada.
• Afzal, W. (2017). Toward a more inclusive information needs, seeking, and use research: Few considerations. Presentation at the 17^th SIG-USE Symposium: Framing Inclusion and Exclusion in Information Behavior Research and Practice, Washington D.C, USA.
• Afzal, W. (2017).Effective Teaching in the Online Environment: Perspectives and Dimensions. Presentation at the Faculty of Arts & Education Learning and Teaching Symposium, Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga, Australia.