Helen Zerlina Margetts
(born 15 September 1961),
is Professor of Internet and Society at the
Oxford Internet Institute
The Oxford Internet Institute (OII) is a multi-disciplinary department of social and computer science dedicated to the study of information, communication, and technology, and is part of the Social Sciences Division of the University of Oxford ...
(OII),
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
and from 2011 to 2018 was Director of the OII. She is currently Director of the Public Policy Programme at The
Alan Turing Institute
The Alan Turing Institute is the United Kingdom's national institute for data science and artificial intelligence, founded in 2015 and largely funded by the UK government. It is named after Alan Turing, the British mathematician and computing ...
. She is a
political scientist
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
specialising in
digital era
The Information Age (also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, Silicon Age, or New Media Age) is a historical period that began in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by a rapid shift from traditional industries, as established during ...
governance and
politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...
, and has published over a hundred books, journal articles and research reports in this field.
Career
Margetts obtained her first degree, a
BSc
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...
in mathematics, from the
University of Bristol
, mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'')
, established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter
, type ...
.
In her early career she was a computer programmer and
systems analyst with
Rank Xerox
Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as:
Level or position in a hierarchical organization
* Academic rank
* Diplomatic rank
* Hierarchy
* ...
,
after which she took up postgraduate study at the
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...
.
There she earned a
MSc in Politics and Public Policy (awarded in 1990) and a
PhD in Government (in 1996).
From 1994 to 1999 she lectured at
Birkbeck College, London
, mottoeng = Advice comes over nightTranslation used by Birkbeck.
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £4.3 m (2014)
, budget = £10 ...
.
Margetts is Professor of Internet and Society at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
,
a fellow of
Mansfield College and from 2011 to 2018 was Director of the
Oxford Internet Institute
The Oxford Internet Institute (OII) is a multi-disciplinary department of social and computer science dedicated to the study of information, communication, and technology, and is part of the Social Sciences Division of the University of Oxford ...
(OII). Prior to joining the OII in October 2004, she was a Professor in Political Science and Director of the Public Policy Programme at
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
.
Amongst her research projects at the OII, she has used a variety of methods to investigate how the Internet can affect the relationship between citizens and government, and how informational cues can affect the success of online petitions and charity fundraising. In March 2011 she was an expert witness for the
UK Parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...
's
Public Administration Select Committee's investigation into the cost of publicly funded information technology projects.
Margetts is a Fellow of The
Alan Turing Institute
The Alan Turing Institute is the United Kingdom's national institute for data science and artificial intelligence, founded in 2015 and largely funded by the UK government. It is named after Alan Turing, the British mathematician and computing ...
and is currently Director of the Public Policy Programme at the institute.
Margetts holds many advisory positions, including sitting on the UK Government's Digital Economy Council, the Home Office Scientific Advisory Council, the board of the
Ada Lovelace Institute
Ada may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Ada Foah, a town in Ghana
* Ada (Ghana parliament constituency)
* Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria
Asia
* Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, Tu ...
, and (from 2011-2015) the Government Digital Advisory Board.
She was appointed an
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(OBE) in the
2019 New Year Honours.
In July 2019 she was elected as a Fellow of the
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.
It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...
.
Bibliography
;Books
Margetts has co-authored a series of books which have helped to define the field of digital-era governance:
*
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*
*
*
*
*
*
;Chapters in books
*
Pdf.
;Journal articles
*
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;Papers
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Awards
In July 2019 Helen was elected a Fellow of the
British Academy (FBA). In March-April she held the John F Kluge Senior Chair in Technology and Society at the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...
, Washington DC. She was awarded an
OBE for services to social and political science in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List.
In 2018 she was awarded th
Friedrich Schiedel Prizeby the
Technical University of Munich
The Technical University of Munich (TUM or TU Munich; german: Technische Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It specializes in engineering, technology, medicine, and applied and natural sciences.
Establis ...
, for research and research leadership in politics and technology.
Her co-authored book ''Political Turbulence'' won the W.J.Mckenzie Prize of th
UK Political Studies Associationfor best politics book in 2017.
She was elected a Fellow of the
Academy of Social Sciences in 2011.
In 2003 Margetts and
Patrick Dunleavy
Patrick John Dunleavy (born 21 June 1952), is Emeritus Professor of Political Science and Public Policy within the Government Department of the London School of Economics (LSE). He was also Co-Director of Democratic Audit and Chair of the LSE P ...
were presented with the 'Political Scientists Making a Difference' award by the UK Policy Studies Association, in recognition for their work on a series of policy reports assessing the state of Government on the Internet for the UK
National Audit Office.
References
External links
Profile: Helen MargettsDepartment of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford
Profile: Helen MargettsOxford Internet Institute (OII), University of Oxford
{{DEFAULTSORT:Margetts, Helen
1961 births
Fellows of Mansfield College, Oxford
Alumni of the London School of Economics
Alumni of the University of Bristol
British political philosophers
British political scientists
Living people
Women political scientists
Fellows of the British Academy
Officers of the Order of the British Empire