Video ID parades find favour


VIDEO IDENTIFICATION PARADES – which are less costly and more efficient than traditional line-ups – yield comparable levels of identifications to live parades, says new research.


An eight-month study of eyewitness identification decisions based on video technology finds a suspect identification rate of 40 per cent – virtually identical to the identification rate of live parades. “Video ID parades have advantages in that they can be organised quickly before a witness’s memory fades and are less stressful for the witness,”


says researcher Professor Amina Memon. “This increased the chances that witnesses will come forward and, if the police can standardise procedures, courts will be able to rely more on eyewitness evidence.” n


i Contact Professor Amina Memon,


Royal Holloway University of London Email amina.memon@rhul.ac.uk Telephone 01784 276563 Web www.pc.rhul.ac.uk/sites/rheg ESRC Grant Number RES-189-25-0110 - ESRC Follow-on Fund


IN BRIEF Lessons in citizenship


THE PROCESS BY which refugees to the UK can become British citizens requires review, according to a new research study of refugees living in Scotland. Based on in- depth interviews with 30 refugees in Scotland from 23 different countries of birth, researchers from the University of Strathclyde and Scottish Refugee Council conclude that the current policies may actually be operating against the Government’s desire to create integrated communities where everybody is able to participate fully. Among a series of


recommendations, researchers point out that if citizenship can ever act as a unifying bond, then it is essential that refugees receive clear and concise information about the process of becoming British citizens. One set of barriers to citizenship raised during the project concerned the process itself and the lack of information available to refugees. Researchers recommend that citizenship tests should take


account of the precarious nature and educational backgrounds of applicants. If English language skills are to remain a requirement of citizenship, then refugees from non- English-speaking countries should receive intensive support in their language learning. Findings also show that the costs of the application process are prohibitively high and require review. “It is important that the financial position of refugees is not the primary determinant of whether people are able to become British,” researcher Dr Emma Stewart points out. n


i Contact Dr Emma Stewart, University


of Strathclyde Dr Gareth Mulvey, Scottish Refugee Council Email emma.s.stewart@strath.ac.uk Email gareth.mulvey@scottishrefugeecouncil. org.uk Web www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/ policy_and_research/research_reports Telephone 0131 650 2454 ESRC Grant Number RES-173-27-0192 - Third Sector Placement Fellowship


COPYRIGHT TODAY Increasing illegal downloading by ordinary media consumers puts copyright at the centre of discussions concerning the creative industries. A new study will explore the complexities of copyright in the digital age by examining why and how users, policymakers, internet service providers and producers construct, distribute and maintain ideological justifications around copyright. ESRC grant number RES-062-23-3027


PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT Recent controversies concerning new technologies have prompted inquiries to find new ways to engage the public. This Post- doctoral Fellowship will publicise an experimental nanotechnology engagement exercise which drew on sensory methods to encourage public debate and consider application of the methodology to related emerging technologies such as geo- engineering or synthetic life. ESRC grant number PTA-026-27-2869 - Post-doctoral Fellowship


TRANSPORT GAINS This project uses national data on actual transport improvements to understand the implications of transport investments on workers and firms (eg, productivity, employment and wages). Analysis will link detailed geographical data on road network infrastructure improvements to panel data on firms and workers in large-scale national surveys. ESRC grant number ES/J007382/1 - An ESRC Venture


SUMMER 2011 SPRING 2012 SOCIETY NOW 9


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