Research

Research Areas

USF is a high-impact, global research university. Faculty in the School of Information have active research programs that involve collaborations with other USF affiliated units, centers, and institutes, as well as colleagues nationally and internationally. USF's iSchool has a strong record of funded research projects and other forms of significant scholarly productivity that contributes to the information field and related disciplines. A few areas of focus include:

• Librarianship

  • This research area focuses on classifying and utilizing data and objects while emphasizing the preservation of knowledge. It also promotes critical aspects such as information literacy, information access, information policy, and information management. Librarianship plays a vital role in ensuring that information is organized, accessible, and utilized effectively.

• Data Science, Analytics, & Visualization

  • In this field, researchers harness machine learning and computational tools to explore policy informatics. This includes using predictive analytics to analyze data from sources like social media to uncover meaningful patterns in citizens' political participation. This research area helps in making data-driven decisions for policy development and analysis.

• Health Informatics

  • Health informatics research concentrates on controlled terminologies in population health and clinical trials. It also explores the application of machine learning to study adverse drug events and assesses the usability of mobile health applications. This research is crucial for improving healthcare outcomes and advancing medical knowledge through data analysis.

• Strategic and Cyber Intelligence

  • This area focuses on collecting, analyzing, and using data and information to inform decisions related to strategy, policies, and plans, particularly in the context of national security. Cyber intelligence builds upon this foundation but extends into the cyber domain, requiring a foundational understanding of computing. Both are essential in today's information-driven world, especially in the context of cybersecurity.

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

  • Within artificial intelligence, researchers program machines to mimic or surpass human expertise. Subfields like cognitive modeling, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics are explored. Machine learning, a subfield of AI, enables artificial intelligences to become smarter over time and adapt as they process more information. These areas have applications ranging from autonomous systems to natural language understanding.

• Archive and Data Management

  • This research area examines how technology transforms archive management practices, theories, and the workforce. It offers recommendations on how archival education programs, professional associations, and commercial service providers should adapt to the changing landscape of archives management. As information storage methods evolve, this research area ensures that valuable data is preserved effectively.

• GIS and Crime Analytics

  • Combining geographic information science with social issues research, this area investigates the spatial and temporal aspects of problems like crime and health disparities. It employs small unmanned aerial systems (drones) for collecting and analyzing location-based data, particularly in intelligence and law enforcement operations. GIS and crime analytics are instrumental in addressing and understanding social challenges through geospatial analysis.