Judit Varga, Phd Email & Phone Number

The Hague, Zh, Nl

Netherlands

As a Researcher at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) I'm conducting project based research in topics related to quali-quantitative or mixed-methods science studies; the politics of quantification in research (evaluation); interdisxiplinarity; and the science in society.I'm currently working on four main projects:- developing quali-quantitative or mixed methods in science studies;- exploring the use of narrative CVs in research evaluation;- studying societal relevance in marine social sciences;- designing research methods curriculum for an interdisciplinary sustainability BSc program.

As a postdoctoral researcher on the ERC funded FluidKnowledge project which explores how (e)valuation shapes ocean science, I- studied how marine social scientists negotiate societal relevance. Marine social science is key to reaching the United Nation’s vision of an interdisciplinary, global and multi-stakeholder ocean science, defined under the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Tho whose goals marine social scientists orientate their research?- explored the diverse meanings of the term ‘ocean science’. Through comparing the term’s policy analysis and its academic uses, I contributed to understanding the coordinative role the term currently plays, fostering interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder research in ocean, marine, coastal and fisheries science;- mapped trends in ocean science using scientometrics and explored multiple ways to scientometrically delineate 'ocean science';- analysed trends in ecological fisheries management proposed by the International Council of the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

My work as per of RORI explores how new types of CVs - narrative CVs - are used in research evaluation.

Nottingham, United Kingdom

My PhD project explored questions related to the central concern: how can we care for and collaborate with each other and our environment in the age of the climate crisis and digital living? We use proliferating digital data and computational research methods (such as statistics, network analyses, machine learning using demographic or social media data) to inform essential social policies and interventions. However, such computing can only tell partial stories: it only speaks about the users of digital platforms, and only capture count-able aspects of our lives, such as population densities, social media followers or scientific citation counts. On the other hand, caring for and collaborating with each other requires hearing everyone’s voice and understanding the values and emotions that drive us.My PhD explored how computational research methods can help explore diverse voices and values in two main ways. First, I developed a novel research design to use computational methods to study the negotiation of values. Whilst previous studies mainly assessed computational methods theoretically, I argued for developing them iteratively in light of ‘the interpretative context’ which includes the research questions, theories and prior empirical findings. ‘Qualitative’ methods I used included interviews, document analysis informed by social theories. ‘Computational’ methods included scientometric citation network analyses and descriptive statistics conducted in R, Python and SQL.Second, my case study identified differences in how human geographers who study social media data use computational methods to study places which comprise diverse people’s voices and values. For example, some scholars reflect on computational findings in light of lived experiences, history and study concrete events or locations. In contrast, others assess computational findings about spaces in demographic terms and study abstract spatial units such as ‘spatial patterns’.

Seminar leader and teaching assistant on an undergraduate social science quantitative research methods modules. Modules: Research Design and Practice - Introductory Quantitative Research Methods module for 2nd year Sociology undergraduate students, and Intermediate Quantitative Research Design - Intermediate Quantitative Research Design module organised as part of the UK's QStep Initiative which aims to enhance quantitative data analysis skills of social science undergraduates. Optional module for 2nd year undergraduates across the social sciences.ResponsibilitiesTaught: introduction to quantitative methods in sociology, statistical inference, basic statistical analysis using SPSS (correlation, t-test, chi-square test), data gathering using the Islands site, a simulated 'virtual world' designed to assist with teaching quantitative research methods for undergraduates.- 2020: as seminar leader, I delivered seminars and helped students develop their projects and reviewed their research proposals- 2018-2019: as a tutor on the seminar, I - assisted with workshops where we discussed logistic regression in R : answered students' questions, ran with group activities and helped debug code; - helped students conduct analyses using the Islands Site and SPSS; - helped deliver seminars and reviewed students' project proposals; - marked students' assignments.

Budapest, Hungary

Part-time caregiver for a terminally-ill family member. Responsibilities included organising, overseeing and assisting with medical and in-house hospice care.

Budapest, Hungary

As a visiting researcher at the Department of Network and Data Science at Central European University I developed network analysis and Python programming skills for my PhD research project.

Southampton, United Kingdom

I joined Ordnance Survey's Headquarters at a key transition moment regarding its strategy, mission and team structure for a 3-month internship. I produced an in-depth report based on semi-structured interviews with employees in diverse teams, highlighting the organisation's values, aspirations and opportunities and challenges associated with them. National Mapping Agencies like Ordnance Survey need to adapt their ways of working as new georeferenced data and mapping tools emerge. Organisational innovation, however, is a distributed, situated, emergent and complex process. My project provided an overview of how different visions, people and technologies contribute to OS' rich innovation capabilities, as well as opportunities and challenges associated with the new team structure.

I was a member of the Engineering Psychology - Human Factors Research Group at the University of Southampton between April 2014 and August 2015, working on the Innovate UK funded Future Flight Deck Technologies project, a collaborative project between GE Aviation, BAE Systems, University of Southampton and Coventry university. Project objectives included evaluating flight deck interfaces, requirement elicitation for designing more effective flight deck interfaces, and system re-design in aviation from a human factors perspective. Next to projectwork, I also conducted theoretical research that focused on comparing and integrating systems models of behaviour & experience, including systems psychologies, complex socio-technical systems and social theories.About my role:Researched conceptual and epistemological aspects of systemic models in human factors, Created a framework to link human factors methods to international airworthiness regulatory requirements,Researched system re-design in human factors in aviation,Researched human factors of safety in aviation,Designed evaluation studies of novel cockpit technologies,Conducted a pilot safety case study using the STAMP (Systems-Theoric Accident Model and Processes) method,Facilitated preparation of Introduction to human factors lecture,Wrote publications,Presented research paper at 6th Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics Conference.

Dublin

The Centre for Innovative Human Systems is a multidisciplinary research centre based at TCD with the objective of improving performance and reducing risk in critical systems through innovative system design and organisational change. The Centre's philosophy is a human focused and systemic approach. The Centre works with a variety of industry and service partners, such as transport, manufacturing, health and other services.About my role:Researched innovation, change and resilience in complex socio-technical systems (innovation and safety in aviation),Researched organisational change, with an emphasis on understanding human activities in systemic context,Facilitated research on human factors in aviation (innovative cockpit infrastructure),Ameliorated analytical framework (theory & tool) under construction that is designed to study complex socio-technical systems,Created presentations,Edited conference papers.

London, United Kingdom

Canvas8 is an independent behavioural insights, market analysis agency & strategy consultancy. Canvas8 works with businesses from a variety of industries and a network of experts (journalists, academics, business experts).About my role:Developed a strategic tool that allows a notable international charity organisation to engage a variety of audiences more effectively,Conducted interdisciplinary conceptual research on social influence,Facilitated stakeholder - science dialogues & dialogues between research and practical goals of the project,Combined systems thinking, principles from behavioural sciences with concepts from social sciences and the practical goals of the project,Presented research findings on a weekly basis and participated in meetings with project stakeholders,Identified relevant academic experts for interviews across a range of fields, such as cultural sociology, psychology, cognitive science, leadership studies and anthropology.Academic experts involved in the project include Prof. Jeffrey Alexander (expert in cultural sociology, Yale University).Researched behavioural trends, Facilitated brainstorming sessions and article writing,Developed the Canvas8 online library and contributed to website content.

I worked as a research intern with the Social Mind and Body Group at the Cognitive Science Department at Central European University.Facilitated research on joint action & social cognition,Presented research papers about connectionism & neural networks and joint action,Gained experience in working as part of an international research group.

Hungary, Budapest

Awakenings Foundation is the leading community mental health team in Budapest.Designed and coordinated anti-stigma project and created fundraiser project via Indie-Gogo site,Participated in and facilitated therapy, problem solving and psychoeducative sessions,Organized cultural activities to enhance integration of patients to the local community,Facilitated weekly Dialectical Behavior Group Therapy sessions,Developed competency in psychometric testing,Ameliorated the administrative system,Gained skills in Rogerian therapy.

Budapest, Hungary

Throughout the years I have been involved in organizing various conferences.2008-2010: Psychology Days Budapest, the largest student ran psychology conference in Europe,2010: Annual conference of the Hungarian Psychodrama Association,2013: Annual Conference on the Psychological Society of Ireland.Coordinated bookstore: selected books, negotiated with publishers, supervised contracts and transport,Coordinated workshops: facilitated dialogues between professionals, students and the public,Facilitated team building and knowledge sharing between group members,Efficiently handled huge databases in computer based systems,Assisted with technical support.

Budapest, Hungary

During my years as an undergraduate student, I worked as a private mathematics tutor, a translator (English - Hungarian), social worker assistant in Budapest, and au pair in France.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Science, Technology And Society, Pass With No Corrections

Core skills: qualitative and quantitative social research methods, including interviews, document analysis, systematic literature review.

Master Of Science (Msc), Applied Psychology, Distinction

Modules: Research Methodology and Statistics, Psychometrics, Philosophical and Professional Issues in Psychology, Adult Clinical.

Bachelor Of Arts (Ba), Psychology, 5/5 - Excellent

Core Modules: Social, Experimental, Personality and Developmental Psychology, Research Methods and Statistics, Organizational Psychology.

Erasmus Exchange Programme, Psychology

Modules: Anthropology of Dreams, Neural Plasticity, History of Psychiatry, Psychoanalytic Clinical Psychology

Education record