The language of digital communication and links with literacy

About the research project

Literacy involves using language for different purposes in a range of contexts (Tasmanian Literacy Advisory Panel, 2023), including online. Being literate is essential for participating fully in society: from reading bus timetables, to writing a letter advocating for a relative’s healthcare needs. Tasmania has literacy rates among the lowest in the country. Low literacy rates have a negative impact at school, on employment, and on psychological wellbeing, and cost governments supporting health and welfare needs. At the same time, our reliance on written language, especially in digital contexts, has never been higher.

Today’s digital writing no longer involves earlier creative respellings such as “Gr8, c u @ soon!!!”. Instead, people tend to omit grammatical features (capitalisation, punctuation) and to incorporate emojis and speech sounds (“ill see you soooon 😊”). Many people now spend many hours per week interacting in a casual writing style. This can mean easier communication for those who struggle with formal writing. However, it also means that many people are disadvantaged when navigating everyday and formal communication demands, such as writing in the manner expected to apply for a job or engaging in a legal procedure, or by misinterpreting (appropriate) formality in writing as unfriendliness.

The proposed project would involve actively collecting current examples of digital messaging. It also provides access to the primary supervisor’s large, unique dataset of coded but mostly unanalysed text messages, provided by 18 annual cohorts of young Tasmanian adults, from 2009 to the present, to examine changes over time. The PhD student would:

• examine the written language styles that Tasmanians (children, teens, and/or adults) use in their digital messages
• assess how these styles relate to their traditional literacy skills
• examine how people respond to others’ use of digital writing
• work with education partners to inform the development of short, practical modules for people to improve their ability to tailor their writing to the situation and accurately interpret others’ communication.

The PhD candidate would have the scope to choose the age groups to work with (at schools or in the community), and to help identify and devise the tasks.

Primary supervisor Nenagh Kemp is an international leader in the written language of digital communication, and has supervised, collaborated, and published extensively on the topic. Co-supervisor Elly Quinn shares a keen interest in improving communication for all, and also contributes expertise in making writing inclusive and reader-friendly. 

Primary supervisor

Meet Associate Professor Nenagh Kemp

Funding

Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:

• a living allowance stipend funded by University of Tasmania of $34,315 per annum for 3.5 years
• a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
• a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)

A tuition fee offset may be offered to eligible international applicants following competitive assessment 

As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.

Other funding opportunities and fees

For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees for undertaking a research degree, please visit our Scholarships and fees on research degrees page.

Eligibility

Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.

Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.

Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:

• High-quality Honours or Masters degree in Psychology or closely related field, e.g., Psycholinguistics, Computational Linguistics, Speech Pathology.
• Native-level English language skills. 

Selection criteria

The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.

Additional essential selection criteria specific to this project:

• Honours or Masters degree as noted above, native-level English language skills and strong understanding of grammar and linguistic conventions (for understanding and coding written messages).

Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:

• Aptitude for data analysis and high-quality scientific writing skills, as evidenced by a high-quality Honours or Masters degree with data collection component.
• Experience working with the public, awareness of current written slang.

Application process

1. Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
2. Contact Associate Professor Nenagh Kemp to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
3. In your application:
   • Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
   • Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
4. Apply prior to 1 March 2027.

Full details of the application process can be found under the ' How to apply ' section of the Research Degrees website.

Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.

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