Professor William Housley PhD, DSc.Econ. FAcSS is an internationally recognised expert in qualitative and social research methods, sociological theory, the study of practical reason, ethnomethodology, membership categorization analysis, social interaction and digital sociology. He was a co-founder and core member of the Collaborative Online Social Media ObServatory (COSMOS) that was funded by the ESRC and JISC and currently convenes the Digital Sociology Research Group at Cardiff University. His contribution to Sociology was confirmed through the award of a DSc Econ. by Cardiff University in 2012 for his internationally recognized work in the field of interaction, communication and social organization. He has also published widely on ethnographic methods, political and policy communication, citizenship, identity and collaborative team-work. His current focus is on the emerging field of digital sociology as it relates to new socio-technical systems, disruptive technologies (e.g. social media, additive manufacture and robotics), interaction, algorithmic accountability, automation, interdisciplinarity, community and civil society. He recently completed a Cardiff University 12 Month Research Fellowship entitled 'Media, Manufacture and Mobilities: Disruptive Digital Technologies in Action'. He is co-editor of Qualitative Research (SAGE) and serves on the editorial board of Big Data and Society (SAGE). Professor Housley has recently been awarded the prestigious Vincent Wright Chair, at Sciences Po, Paris, for 2017.
