User:Stephen Tapril

Education

I am currently pursuing doctoral (PhD) studies at the University of Sheffield within the Department of Information Studies. I also hold a Masters (MA) degree from University College London, in Electronic Communication and Publishing (CILIP accredited), and a Masters (MA) degree from Worcester College, Oxford University, in Ancient & Modern History.

Professional Background

My professional background, before making a career break to pursue research interests, centres on the information profession. I've held a variety of "middle management" positions within academic library services, from overseeing busy issue desks to managing serials and journals collections to assisting with the formulation of university-wide cataloguing policies.

Personal Interests

Aside from my research interests within the field of information science, and my academic background in history, I am an experienced and avid 'aquarist' providing homes for a variety of tropical freshwater fish (the most unusual are possibly my brackish puffer fish). In my spare time I enjoy science fiction (literature, television, and films), rating Frank Herbert's Dune as my favourite work of fiction so far. I spend a good deal of time managing an online community/roleplay game for fans of Dune, which also involves the technical responsibilities of managing a website. Luckily this isn't a regrettable chore since I'm an experienced web designer: I currently work for both Oxford University and Sheffield University on content management system related projects.