The ISIC conference, held in Aalborg, Denmark, 26-29 August 2024, was the 15th biannual conference. Julien has been involved since the first ISIC conference, held in Tampere, Finland, in 1996.
She titled her talk, "What a piece of work: The legacy and future of information behaviour". Shakespeare's quote from Hamlet reflects nobility, generosity, morality and courage, all of which, declared Julien, are what the information behaviour community should concentrate on. She singled out morality as needing increasing emphasis.
She began by paying homage to the leading scholars who shaped the profession, which was echoed by other presenters, who cited them repeatedly. This prompted one delegate to ask when newer luminaries would appear, since the legacy researchers were all active in the last century.
Grand challenges of SDGs
The main thrust of Julien's talk, however, was how to move towards a more inclusive profession going forward, one attuned to taking on what she termed "grand challenges". To be inclusive, she recommended sharpening researchers' attention to emotion and making space for the practical implications of their work. She admitted she saw little of this in the papers being presented at the conference.
It's wonderful that researchers follow their curiosity—it leads to new ideas and new approaches—but she urged a more deliberate approach. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) summarises the grand challenges that affect everyday life. What role could research play in addressing SDGs such as poverty, gender bias, domestic violence, health care, and the environment? One answer is studies involving marginalized communities. Another is a focus on social justice.
Chairing a session on everyday life and leisure, which included presentations on ultra running and painting, Jenna Hartel, University of Toronto, pushed back a bit on Julien's comments in her keynote address. Hartel exclaimed that researchers should not only follow their curiosity but also find joy in their work. It's not all about the serious SDG issues or social justice.
Throughout the conference, AI was almost entirely absent. The exception was a workshop on student use of AI. Given the attention it has received in the information professional community and beyond, it seemed odd that the technology was almost entirely ignored. Julien gave it only a passing comment, stating that she is dubious about the potential of AI being harnessed for social justice. Technologists express little concern for the impact of AI on the environment.
Higher education
The current state of higher education came in for much criticism from Julien. She favours free education for students and abhors the consequences flowing from a neoliberal approach to higher education. She decried rising student debt, underpaid lecturers, and corporations evading taxes. She worries that the current system intensifies elitism. A greater number of administrators than faculty, which is often the case, is not conducive to quality education.
To fight against neoliberalism in universities, Julien urged conference delegates not to apply for grants that only serve neoliberal purposes. "Don't do work just because it can be funded," she said. Instead, do work that needs to done to contribute to human sustainability. "Resist the imperatives of late stage capitalism". Tackle the momentous issues facing the world". "Focus on quality over quantity". She railed against performance metrics and impact factors taking precedence over commitment to the fundamental aspects of education. Topics for information behavior research should not be determined by the priorities of government spending.
She concluded the talk by saying this research community will be discovered if it addresses the grand challenges.
About ISIC
ISIC is a biannual conference for researchers exploring information as a rich site of study that goes beyond a sole focus on technological aspects and explores a variety of contexts. ISIC conferences promote the interdisciplinary study of information research influenced by fields such as information science, information studies, library studies, communication studies, computer science, learning and education, information management, information systems, management science, psychology, social psychology, sociology, and other disciplines. The 2026 conference will be in June in Montreal, Canada.