Trained geographer Briony focused her research on how the use of digital technologies and social media can be improved during natural disasters.
She said:I look at the factors of Web accessibility and information reliability throughout the pre-disaster, during disaster and post-disaster phases. In many cases it's often the individuals who lack information who are exposed to the most risk, and so the more reliably and timely information can be spread, the better. My research explored who is using social media and digital technologies during disasters, why they are doing so, and what kinds of resources/social media platforms they use most often and aims to suggest ways in which things can be improved in future disaster events."
Briony was involved in a real-life scenario looking at disaster management in the Caribbean. As part of a Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute research collaboration with Oceanography, she researched how the Atlantic hurricane season affected the islands of Antigua, Barbuda and Barbados.
The project scoped methods of hurricane management and fed back suggestions to improve this during future seasons.