
Professor Kath Albury
- School of Social Sciences, Media, Film and Education
- Department of Media and Communication
- AS312 Hawthorn campus
- ORCID profile
Biography
From 2022-2026, Kath will be an ARC Future Fellow, leading the 'Digital and data literacies for sexual health policy and practice' reseach project. She is an Associate Investigator in the Swinburne Node of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society (ADMS), and co-leads the Digital Inclusion Program in Swinburne's Social Innovation Research Institute (SIRI).
Kath's ADMS collaborations investigate: the impact of social media content moderation on sexual and reproductive health education and information; the data capacities and capabilities in the Not-For-Profit sector, and the ethical potential of sextech. Her research investigates young people’s practices of digital self-representation, and the role of user-generated media (including social networking platforms) in young people’s formal and informal sexual learning, safety and wellbeing. She is particularly interested in the ways digital media users engage in cultures of care, and the ways that individuals and organisations understand and practice digital literacy and data literacy.
Since 2001, Kath has been a Chief Investigator on four ARC Discovery grants. She was the Lead Investigator on the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation project 'Young People and Sexting in Australia', and has led two ARC Linkage project, including the 'Safety, Risk and Wellbeing on Dating Apps' project, a collaboration with ACON (formerly the AIDS Council of NSW) and Family Planning NSW. She currently leads the evaluation and research arm of the 'Improve Your Play' project, a collaboration with the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, funded by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
Inquiries are welcomed from prospective Honours, Masters and PhD students interested in projects focused on the intersection of mobile and social media platforms and technologies, digital and data literacies, and gender and sexualities.
Research interests
Communication, Journalism and Media Studies; Cultural Studies and Literature; Digital Media, Film and Television
PhD candidate and honours supervision
Higher degrees by research
Accredited to supervise Masters & Doctoral students as Principal Supervisor.
PhD topics and outlines
Digital and data literacies for sexual health policy and practice: I welcome proposals that: 1. Analyse the role of digital technologies in the everyday intimate lives of young Australians (18-29) most affected by STIs and HIV; 2. Map and benchmark digital and data literacies among Australian sexual health promotion and clinical service-providers; 3. Develop new theoretical and applied models of everyday digital & data literacies for sexual health.
Digital sexual health: Designing for safety, pleasure and wellbeing in LGBTQ+ communities: I welcome proposals that explore the potential (and ethical challenges) of rapidly growing field of ‘sextech’ - including apps, bots and educational platforms - both in terms of platform/data safety and ethics, and as promising tools to enable health and wellbeing, and help destigmatise marginalised sexual identities.
Fields of Research
- Communication Technology And Digital Media Studies - 470102
- Sexualities - 440506
- Consumption And Everyday Life - 470203
Publications
Also published as: Albury, Kath; Albury, K.; Albury, Katherine
This publication listing is provided by Swinburne Research Bank. If you are the owner of this profile, you can update your publications using our online form.
Recent research grants awarded
- 2022: Digital and data literacies for sexual health policy and practice. *; ARC Future Fellowships
- 2020: ARC - Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society *; ARC Centre of Excellence Scheme
- 2020: Improve Your Play *; Office of the eSafety Commissioner
- 2019: Strengthening the Not for Profit Sector: Data for Good Sandpit *; Entertainment Assist (HPC) Ltd
- 2018: 2018 Visiting Fellowships Scheme - Dr Crystal Abidin *; Swinburne Research, DVCR&D - Internal contributions
- 2018: Doing better for vulnerable young parents and their children: an exploration of how the use of technology could catalyse system transformation *; FamilyLife_FL
- 2018: Safety, risk and wellbeing on digital dating apps *; ACON HEALTH LIMITED
* Chief Investigator
Recent media
- 2021-04-14: Byte Into It - emoji and online dating - RRR FM
- 2021-03-29: How A New Bill Could Block All Porn In Australia - Junkee.com
- 2021-02-27: Online porn key issue for schools when tackling sexual assault allegations - Sydney Morning Herald
- 2021-02-26: Rape culture reckoning as sexual assault claims unleashed - Sydney Morning Herald
- 2021-02-12: The Drum - ABC.net.au
- 2020-10-22: Grindr features failing to protect users from sexual predators, harassment - ABC.net.au
- 2020-10-21: Grindr's sexual assault problem - Triple J Hack
- 2020-05-08: Revenge porn in Australia: the law is only as effective as the law enforcement - The Guardian
- 2020-04-29: ane Austen-esq dating or more of the same? Online dating, pandemic-style - ABC Radio National
- 2020-04-03: Coronavirus social-distancing restrictions mean Australians turning to dating apps - http://abc.net.au
- 2020-03-04: Coronavirus warning on popular dating app Tinder sparks questions on dating etiquette amid an outbreak - http://abc.net.au
- 2020-01-09: Sex Bi the Bi: Sexual Health on Dating Apps! - JoyFM
- Doing IT: Professor Kath Albury on the ethics of sexting - Family Planning Victoria