School of Journalism, Australian and Indigenous Studies

The School of Journalism, Australian and Indigenous Studies has a strong research presence in Journalism, Australian Studies, Indigenous Studies, Public History, Communication and Media Studies, Tourism Studies and Publishing and Editing.

The School has a particular reputation for interdisciplinary research involving relations outside the academy with communities, government and industry. The involvement of communities in research is represented, most notably, in the work of the Monash Indigenous Centre. For example, the Aboriginal Visual Histories project collaborates closely with descendents of Aboriginal people whose images appear in key collections in Australia to incorporate Indigenous perspectives. A similar commitment is found in Visualising Yanyuwa Narratives, developed by Associate Professor John Bradley on the basis of thirty years of involvement with the Yanyuwa people in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The National Centre for Australian Studies also has a long record of research engagement outside the academy. It has had particular success in recent years in the Australian Research Council Linkage Program, involving government or industry partners. Examples here include a major project led by Professor Bruce Scates on the history of Anzac Day, in partnership with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs; Professor Jenny Hocking’s project on the biography of Gough Whitlam, in partnership with the National Library and the National Archives; and a project involving Monash Fellow Dr Keir Reeves as Chief Investigator with the Australian Football League on social capital, multiculturalism and indigenous participation in football.  The engagement of the Centre is also international, extending to Australia’s relations to the world – for example in the work of Dr Agnieszka Sobocinska on the history of Australia’s relations with Asia in foreign affairs, tourism and aid.

The Journalism section of the school has emerged over the last five years as a leading Australian centre for research in Journalism and Journalism Studies. Journalism at Monash is underpinned by an understanding of journalism, itself, as a research practice and has recently developed an innovative doctoral program bringing journalistic and scholarly research methods and approaches into close and productive dialogue. Research projects in Journalism include Dr Johan Lidberg’s work on Freedom of Information; Professor Chris Nash and Associate Professor Phil Chubb’s work on reporting on climate change; Bill Birnbauer’s research on non-profit investigative journalism; Dr Fay Anderson’s latest ARC-funded research on the history and significance of Australian press photography; and Dr Mia Lindgren’s involvement as part of a team of journalists, historians and medical researchers in the Australian Asbestos Network, collecting stories and raising awareness of the dangers of asbestos.

Among its full-time research staff, the School is host to Australian Research Council Professorial Fellow, Lynette Russell ; ARC Future Fellows Associate Professor Nathalie Nguyen and Associate Professor Jane Lydon; and Monash Fellow and Director of the Australian International Tourism Research Unit, Dr Keir Reeves.

Research Strengths

Our research strengths lie in the areas of:

• Media practice
• Journalism and democratic practice
• Australian studies
• Investigative journalism
• Indigenous Studies
• Communications, media studies and new technologies
• Biography and biographical studies
• Tourism and mobility
• Sport and society
• The growth of consumerism
• Publishing studies
• Media reporting of climate change
• Freedom of Information/access to information
• Media accountability/regulation
• War and memory

JAIS Staff Only Section can be accessed here.

Higher Degree Research (HDR) within JAIS

Academics with the School of Journalism, Australian and Indigenous Studies (JAIS) cover a wide array of multidisciplinary research interests for potential Higher Degree Research (HDR) students. We supervise Masters by Research and PhD by traditional mode or by exegesis.

JAIS staff has extensive research and supervision expertise in the areas of Media practice, Journalism and democratic practice, Australian studies, Investigative journalism, Communications, Media studies and new Technologies, Biography and Biographical studies, Tourism and mobility, Sport and Society, The growth of consumerism, Publishing studies and media reporting of climate change, War and memory, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, Rock Art Research, Visual histories, Indigenous Anthropology, Indigenous Community Partnership Research, Indigenous Narratives, Australian Indigenous Archaeology and Comparative Literature… Read More

Australia & International Tourism Research Unit (AITRU)

The Australia & International Tourism Research Unit (AITRU) was officially launched by the Dean of Arts Professor Rae Frances on Thursday 14 April, 2011.

AITRU was formerly the Tourism Research Unit (TRU) based in the Faculty of Business and Economics. The move to the National Centre for Australian Studies in the Faculty of Arts… Read More