Previous MSc Theses

"Cyberbullying and Character." R. Fowlds. D. McMenemy. Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde. 2019. Download PDF (BibTeX) ILS

Abstract:
This project focuses on the topic of cyberbullying. It takes the form of an extended literature
review. It brings together three main research areas to gain a better understanding of
cyberbullying and the methods that can be used to combat it. These three areas are
cyberbullying, intellectual virtues, and online information behaviour. Cyberbullying is the
main focus of this project. This project looks to uncover ways in which cyberbullying can be
combatted. The research explored on cyberbullying focuses on the traits of a cyberbully,
cybervictim and a bystander. The identification of these traits helps to give a better
understanding of which areas need to be tackled to help combat this issue. Secondly this
project explores Baehr’s nine intellectual virtues. It explores how these can be used within
an educational context to help develop intellectual character. The final area of this project
focuses on online information behaviour. It explores how virtuous behaviour can manifest
itself in the digital sphere. It also discusses how encouraging positive information seeking
behaviour can help to tackle the issue of cyberbullying. These three areas are considered by
looking at research within three disciplines. These are; education, psychology, and
information science. The literature surrounding each of these issues is considered
separately in their own individual literature review chapters before being considered
together in the analysis chapter. It considers how these areas of research can be combined
to better understand the issue of cyberbullying and the best ways to combat it. The final
part of the project discusses how the information that has been gathered can be used to
influence future research. Furthermore, it looks to define the role for library and
information professional’s regarding their place in the prevention of this issue. It also looks
at what practical applications these professionals can implement to begin the process of
combating cyberbullying.