My research expertise lies in information management and rights in records. I was a co-investigator in the ESRC-funded Administrative Data Research Centre - England (ADRCE) project, leading a work package in DIS which addressed issues around information governance and record keeping for government administrative data, that is routinely collected administrative data produced by citizen interaction with the state machinery. I am the PI working with a group of co-investigators on the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) project on Navigating the public information rights ecology: a recordkeeping perspective on supporting information rights (MIRRA project). The research focuses on recordkeeping to support the information rights of citizens, especially (in the context of the IICSA inquiry) on children in care and care leavers. It links with related projects internationally, including in Australia. 

My research interests also include the development of the English archival profession in the 20th century, which is the subject of my PhD and a monograph published by Ashgate (Archives and Archivists in Twentieth Century England, 2009). I am currently researching pioneering women archivists in early 20th century England.

I make a significant contribution through journal editing and academic peer review in the UK, Europe and North America, including membership of the RAE2008 sub-panel 37, REF2014 sub-panel 36 and REF2021 sub-panel 34. I have held leadership roles in both national and international subject bodies, including as Vice-President of International Council on Archives, Section for Archival Education in 2008-2012. I present my research regularly at national and international conferences, through invited papers/keynotes and peer reviewed papers, to professional and to research audiences at leading conferences, including Information and Records Management Society Conference, Association of Canadian Archivists, European Union DLM-Forum, International Council on Archives Congress, Archival Education Research Institute. 

I am interested in supervising doctoral research into all areas of archives and records management, in particular, the development and history of the profession, archival education, records management and information compliance issues and the development and application of policies, standards and frameworks for the archives and records management discipline. 

I was instrumental in establishing the International Centre for Archives and Records Management Research and User Studies, ICARUS, in 2005, at UCL Department of Information Studies in recognition of the need to develop knowledge and enhance understanding of the creation, management and use of records and their role in society; and map, monitor and evaluate significant changes in the archives and records domain using robust evidence-based methods.