Dr Laura Sbaffi

BSc (Urbino), MSc (Urbino), MA (Manchester Metropolitan), PhD (Trieste)

Information School

Senior Lecturer in Health Informatics

Laura Sbaffi
Profile picture of Laura Sbaffi
l.sbaffi@shef.ac.uk
+44 114 222 2686

Full contact details

Dr Laura Sbaffi
Information School
Room C238
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½
S10 2AH
Profile

I joined the Information School in June 2016. I started my academic career as Visiting Scholar at the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge between 1996 and 2000. In the years following my PhD degree I held research positions at the University of Urbino (Italy), the University of East Anglia (UK) and the Australian National University (Australia).

I then worked as research Scientist at the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (Geoscience Australia) for several years. In 2012 I completed my MA in Library and Information Management at Manchester Metropolitan University and, immediately after, I joined the Department of Information and Communications there, where I worked in the Information and Interactions Research Group.

In June 2015 I joined Ashfield Insight and Performance in Macclesfield as Healthcare and Scientific Researcher, where I specialised in current pharmaceutical market research strategies.

In 2021 I was promoted to Senior Lecturer.

University Responsibilities

  • Head of the Health Informatics Research Group
  • Unfair Means Officer
  • Member of the Senate Discipline Panel
Research interests

I have a number of ongoing research interests:

  • I have been working on digital trust formation in relation to health information, by focussing on what modalities and cues young adults follow when looking for online health information and how they differ from those of more mature people. I have also worked on gender attitudes towards online information and trust judgements.
  • I am conducting research both in the UK and Malawi (GCRF QR grant) to address the information needs of informal carers of people with degenerative conditions such as dementia and HIV. I am also looking at ICT solutions to promote the development of Shared Health Records to improve health data use for action within the Uganda health system.
  • I am looking at strategies to reduce information overload in healthcare workers and, at the moment, am focusing on NHS emergency doctors and the factors influencing such perceived overload.
  • I recently completed a Wellcome Trust Public Engagement Fund grant (217871/Z/19/Z) with Dr Jonathan Foster and Prof Suzanne Mason to improve our understanding of the factors that influence patients to consent to sharing their personal data for purposes beyond their direct care, e.g. research and planning.

I am also interested in topics beyond health informatics:

  • I have been exploring the attitudes of academics towards open access publishing and regularly collaborate with Taylor & Francis on similar topics.
  • I am interested in the Research Data Management policy and practice in countries around the world and currently focussing on China.

I would be interested in supervising PhD topics in the following areas:

  • Information needs of informal caregivers from BAME groups
  • Needs of informal caregivers in national and international settings, with a particular interest in the developing world
  • Digital inclusion of under-represented groups
Publications

Journal articles

  • Marincowitz C, Hasan M, Omer Y, Hodkinson P, McAlpine D, Goodacre S, Bath PA, Fuller G, Sbaffi L & Wallis L (2024) . African Journal of Emergency Medicine, 14(1), 51-57. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Fuller GW, Hasan M, Hodkinson P, McAlpine D, Goodacre S, Bath PA, Sbaffi L, Omer Y, Wallis L & Marincowitz C (2023) . PLOS Digital Health, 2(9). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L & Zhao X (2022) . Frontiers in Psychology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Walton J, Blenkinsopp J & Walton G (2020) . Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(7). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Aylward K, Sbaffi L & Weist A (2020) . Health Information and Libraries Journal. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Huang Y, Cox A & Sbaffi L (2020) Research Data Management Policy and Practice in China.. Int. J. Digit. Curation, 15, 1-18. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Millares Miller P & Sbaffi L (2019) . Health Informatics Journal. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cox A, Pinfield S, Kennan MA, Lyon L & Sbaffi L (2019) . Journal of Documentation. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cox AM, Kennan MA, Lyon EJ, Pinfield S & Sbaffi L (2019) . International Journal of Digital Curation, 14(1), 126-135. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cox AM, Gadd E, Petersohn S & Sbaffi L (2019) . Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 51(3), 746-762. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L & Bennett J (2019) . Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McKinney P, Cox AM & Sbaffi L (2019) . Journal of Medical Internet Research. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L & Zhao C (2019) . Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • (2019) . Information Development, 35(2), NP1-NP1. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Joung KH, Rowley J & Sbaffi L (2019) . Information Development, 35(2), 191-202. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ahmed W, Bath PA, Sbaffi L & Demartini G (2019) . Health Information & Libraries Journal, 36(1), 60-72. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Almanea A, Bath P & Sbaffi L (2019) . Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 171(Suppl), 3-3. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Rowley J & Sbaffi L (2018) . Journal of Information Science, 44, 644-657. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mazalan L, Bell AJ, Sbaffi L & Willett P (2018) . ChemMedChem, 13(6), 582-587. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Hallsworth E & Weist A (2018) . Health Information and Libraries Journal. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L & Rowley J (2017) . Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(6). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Rowley J, Johnson F, Sbaffi L, Frass W & Devine E (2017) . Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 68(5), 1201-1211. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Rowley J, Johnson F & Sbaffi L (2016) . Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 68(1), 36-47. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Johnson F, Rowley J & Sbaffi L (2016) . Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 67(4), 824-840. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Johnson F, Sbaffi L & Rowley J (2016) . British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(6), 1243-1258. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Rowley J, Johnson F, Sbaffi L & Weist A (2015) . Library & Information Science Research, 37(4), 338-345. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Johnson F, Griffiths J, Rowley J & Weist A (2015) . The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 41(2), 201-206. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L & Rowley J (2015) . Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 47(2), 104-116. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Rowley J, Johnson F & Sbaffi L (2015) . Health Informatics Journal, 21(4), 316-327. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Johnson F, Rowley J & Sbaffi L (2015) . Journal of Information Science, 41(4), 415-429. RIS download Bibtex download
  • (2009) . Nature Geoscience, 2(2), 127-132. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Heap AD & Sbaffi L (2008) . Continental Shelf Research, 28(16), 2174-2187. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Post AL, Sbaffi L, Passlow V & Collins DC (2007) Benthic foraminifera as environmental indicators in Torres Strait-Gulf of Papua. Special Paper - Geological Association of Canada(47), 329-347. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hayes A, Kucera M, Kallel N, Sbaffi L & Rohling EJ (2005) . Quaternary Science Reviews, 24(7-9), 999-1016. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Marchal O, Cacho I, Stocker TF, Grimalt JO, Calvo E, Martrat B, Shackleton N, Vautravers M, Cortijo E, Van Kreveld S , Anderson C et al (2002) Apparent long-term cooling of the sea surface in the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Holocene. GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA, 66(15A), A482-A482. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Marchal O, Cacho I, Stocker TF, Grimalt JO, Calvo E, Martrat B, Shackleton N, Vautravers M, Cortijo E, van Kreveld S , Andersson C et al (2002) . Quaternary Science Reviews, 21(4-6), 455-483. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Wezel FC, Kallel N, Paterne M, Cacho I, Ziveri P & Shackleton N (2001) . Marine Geology, 178(1-4), 39-62. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cacho I, Grimalt JO, Canals M, Sbaffi L, Shackleton NJ, Schönfeld J & Zahn R (2001) . Paleoceanography, 16(1), 40-52. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McKenzie JA, Sbaffi L, Wezel FC & Tamburini F (1998) . Rendiconti Lincei, 9(4), 293-313. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Wezel FC & Shackleton NJ (1998) . Rendiconti Lincei, 9(3), 177-200. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Marincowitz C, Hodkinson P, McAlpine D, Fuller G, Goodacre S, Bath P, Sbaffi L, Hasan M, Omer Y & Wallis L () LMIC-PRIEST: Derivation and validation of a clinical severity score for acutely ill adults with suspected COVID-19 in a middle-income setting. PLoS ONE. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Zamani E & Kalua K () Addressing the information needs of informal carers in Malawi: a healthcare intervention based on co-creation. Journal of Documentation. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Marincowitz C, Sbaffi L, Hasan M, Hodkinson P, McAlpine D, Fuller G, Goodacre S, Bath P, Omer Y & Wallis L () External validation of triage tools for adults with suspected COVID-19 in a middle-income setting: an observational cohort study. Emergency Medicine Journal. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ives G, Sbaffi L & Bath P () Can all healthy adults use the current evidential breath alcohol analysers? An investigation using a large spirometry database.. Medico-Legal Journal. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Zamani E & Kalua K () . Journal of Medical Internet Research. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Hargreaves S & Ford N () Information seeking amongst informal caregivers of people with dementia: a qualitative study. Journal of Documentation. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Huang Y, Cox A & Sbaffi L () . International Journal of Digital Curation, 15(1), 18-18. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Huang Y, Cox A & Sbaffi L () Research Data Management policy and practice in Chinese University Libraries. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Rowley J, Sugden M & Gilbert A () Factors influencing researchers’ journal selection decisions. Journal of Information Science. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L & King K () Living with endometriosis: the role of the Internet in supporting the diagnosis and treatment process. Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Rowley J, Gilbert A & Sugden M () Investigating gender differences in journal selection decisions: a survey of academic researchers. Learned Publishing. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L & Hargreaves S () The information trust formation process for informal caregivers of people with dementia: a qualitative study. Journal of Documentation. RIS download Bibtex download

Chapters

  • Zamani ED & Sbaffi L (2020) , Information and Communication Technologies for Development (pp. 93-101). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ahmed W, Bath PA, Sbaffi L & Demartini G (2020) , Lecture Notes in Computer Science (pp. 447-458). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download

Conference proceedings papers

  • Zhao X, Xie H, Roberts A & Sbaffi L (2024) (pp 65-76) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cai A, Bentley CM, Zamani E, Naiseh M & Sbaffi L (2023) . Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Trustworthy Autonomous Systems RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cao C, Sbaffi L, Zhao X & Hopfgartner F (2022) . Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 2 RIS download Bibtex download
  • Marincowitz C, Sbaffi L, Hodkinson P, Mcalpine D, Hasan M, Fuller G, Goodacre S, Omer Y & Bath P (2022) . Emergency Medicine Journal, Vol. 39(12) (pp A976-A977) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pretlove L, Cox A, Sbaffi L & Hopfgartner F (2020) . Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, Vol. 57(1), 25 October 2020 - 29 October 2020. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cameron D, Sarda Gou M & Sbaffi L (2020) Trust in robot-mediated health information. The 29th IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication Ro-man, Workshop on Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction (SCRITA) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Bates J, Cameron D, Checco A, Clough P, Hopfgartner F, Mazumdar S, Sbaffi L, Stordy P & de la Vega de León A (2020) . FAT* 2020 - Proceedings of the 2020 Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (pp 425-435) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Almanea A, Bath P & Sbaffia L (2019) . MEDINFO 2019: Health and Wellbeing e-Networks for All, Vol. 264 (pp 1893-1894). Lyons, France, 25 August 2019 - 30 August 2019. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ahmed W, Bath PA, Sbaffi L & Demartini G (2018) . Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Social Media and Society RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ahmed W, Bath PA, Sbaffi L & Demartini G (2018) Using Twitter for Insights into the 2009 Swine Flu and 2014 Ebola outbreaks. iConference 2018 Poster Descriptions, 25 March 2018 - 28 March 2018. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ahmed W, Bath PA, Sbaffi L & Demartini G (2018) (pp 10-16) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Wezel FC, Curzi G & Zoppi U (2004) . Global and Planetary Change, Vol. 40(1-2) (pp 201-217) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Almanea A, Bath PA & Sbaffi L () . Proceedings of the 18th international symposium on health information management research RIS download Bibtex download

Theses / Dissertations

  • Pretlove L (2022) iRun: a situational, neo-assemblage perspective of information and records in running.. RIS download Bibtex download

Datasets

  • Cox A, Kennan MA, Lyon L, Pinfield S & Sbaffi L . RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

  • Zhao X, Sbaffi L & Cox A (2023) , Center for Open Science. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Zamani E & Kalua K (2022) , JMIR Publications Inc.. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Marincowitz C, Hodkinson P, McAlpine D, Fuller G, Goodacre S, Bath PA, Sbaffi L, Hasan M, Omer Y & Wallis L (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Marincowitz C, Sbaffi L, Hodkinson P, McAlpine D, Fuller G, Goodacre S, Bath PA, Hasan M, Omer Y & Wallis L (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cameron D, Gou MS & Sbaffi L (2020) Trust in robot-mediated health information, arXiv. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zhao X & Sbaffi L () , Center for Open Science. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sbaffi L, Walton J, Blenkinsopp J & Walton G () , JMIR Publications Inc.. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McKinney P, Cox AM & Sbaffi L () . RIS download Bibtex download
Research group

Current PhD students

  • Aisha Alshammari: Exploring and understanding factors that affect the adoption of Personal Health Records among healthcare providers and patients in Saudi Arabia
  • Suzanne Duffin: A study of information needs and information sharing amongst people on the autism spectrum, using online support and discussion  groups
  • Rosie Higman: Open Access and the Role of the National Library
  • Muntaha Alam Nafisa: Adoption of integrated medical dental records in the UK.
  • Lee Pretlove: The quantified runner: the long-term value and preservation of parkrunners' self-tracking fitness data from the perspectives of the parkrunner, self-tracking device manufacturers and archival institutions
Teaching activities

INF115 - Statistics for Insight

INF6029 - Data Analysis

Professional activities and memberships

Membership of professional bodies

  • CILIP

Journal and conference reviewing

Journals:

  • Online Information Review
  • Health Informatics Journal
  • Program, Perspectives in Public Health
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
  • Sustainability
  • Journal of Medical Internet Research
  • BMC Medical Education
  • Journal of Information Literacy
  • JASIST

Conferences:

  • Next Generation Computing Applications 2017 July 19-21, Mauritius
  • iConference 2018, º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½
  • CILIP HLG Conference 2018, Keele
  • EAHIL Conference 2018, Cardiff
  • iConference 2019, Washington
  • iConference2020, BorÃ¥s

Other roles

  • PhD external examiner at º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Hallam University and Huddersfield University
  • Reviewer for the Italian Register of Scientific Experts (REPRISE)
  • Advisor for the WellSpoken mark for quality accreditation of health online information