My paper, Cybersecurity in a Post Data environment has been published! You can access it here (open access for a few weeks, then reverting to closed).

Abstract:

Smart Devices ‘cross the streams’ of both the physical and virtual worlds and can benefit their users greatly as well as society in general. However, with the growth in popularity of these devices, there is a corresponding growth in risks, both to the user and to the internet at large.

This paper outlines the scope of threats which are posed by the hacking of Smart Devices and how these risks can now be physical in nature. The paper then proposes a novel methodology to apportion liability to either the manufacturer or the user, where appropriate. This methodology is based on the principle of negligence, although consumer rights and products liability are also examined from both an American and European perspective.

Finally, legislative and judicial shortcomings in relation establishing liability are identified and remedies are proposed, with the intention of establishing a solid legal basis and treatment for cybersecurity.

The answer is simple: the one that works best for you.

This blog arose from speaking to some PhD students and ECRs who, when asked why they used they used X piece of software, answered that it was because it’s the one their supervisor or spouse used, or that it was the one which was promoted by the Department. There is nothing wrong with this, but it may not be their best choice.

The question of what reference software to use is one that, in all honesty, I spent more time and intellectual horsepower on during the first few months of my PhD than I spent on actual research. However, at the time, I had very little experience in doing PhD level research or writing, so I made sub-optimal choices. Having now settled on a system (after having a bit more researching/writing experience), I’ve outlined some of the points which I think are important to evaluate when it comes choosing software.

N.B. – most of this comes down to personal choice. There are no absolutes as the optimal choice will be determined by your writing and research style, and your comfort with using software. This post won’t tell you what software you should use, but it may help you ensure what you are using is the best choice for you.

In the main, your reference software should:

• Make it easy to store articles that you have read
• Make it easy to keep a record of books that you have read
• Produce citations in the styles which are relevant to you

However, there are a few other things that are important to think about.

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The Law School in Queen’s have an excellent weekly podcast, where academics speak with their colleagues or with PhD students to discuss their current research, life in Queen’s and current events.

I recently spoke with Dr. Rachel Killean, the LawPod director about the focus of my research, the decision to start a PhD after quite a few years away from academia and the challenges of research when you are working full time and in a different country!

You can listen to my conversation here, and see all of the LawPod episodes here.