Research in Informatics covers all areas of the design, use, applications and implications of information and communication technology.
We use mathematical techniques to analyze the behavior of software systems, software development techniques to create new tools for the creation of novel software systems, experimental laboratory techniques to assess their effectiveness, and sociological observation techniques to look at their development and use in real-world settings.
Since our research endeavors are interdisciplinary, our research typically draws on multiple techniques.
Examples include developing novel tools for architectural specification and studying how they affect the social organization of software development projects in real organizations, using experimental techniques to create new frameworks for preserving privacy in mobile networked devices, or creating theoretical models of interaction with embedded devices that draw not just on studies of technological opportunities but also on social structures and organizational constraints.
The hallmark of our research is an empirical grounding in real-world practice.
Through our engagements with public, private, governmental and non-profit organizations, our research connects to the world beyond the university, giving students, researchers and faculty the opportunity to see how ideas work in rich, complex environments.
Informatics research studies real-world use of information technology throughout California and beyond, and the understandings we gain through these studies enable the development of technologies which are themselves distributed and shared with colleagues across the world.
