Fiontar’s innovative interdisciplinary research spans a wide range of subjects linking the Irish language with contemporary issues; with business and management; and with information technology. Our key research projects include the work on focal.ie and logainm.ie and the research conducted by each individual staff member. The school has broad experience collaborating on research projects with national and international organisations. Students can undertake research degrees at Masters or PhD level in any of the staff members’ research areas.
Digital Humanities
Fiontar is conducting cutting edge research in the area of electronic resources for the Irish language, especially in terminology and placenames: Focal, Logainm, and LEX.
These research projects are rooted in the use of digital resources such as databases, Internet tools and corpora, to provide teminological and placename material to researchers and to the global Irish speaking community. These resources are developed in collaboration with national and international institutions with national and European funding. A team of researchers works on these projects in disciplines such as the following: terminology (editing; development of educational resources; etc) and technology (developing Internet tools; search methods; databases; mapping; etc.)
Logainm.ie agus Focal.ie
Fiontar developed the internationally acclaimed national terminology database and the placenames database of Ireland. Focal.ie won the ‘Best Irish Language Site’ at the Irish Web Awards 2008; and the European Language Prize – The European Language Label in 2007. There are over 300,000 terms in focal.ie with up to 680,000 searches per month on the site. There are 100,000 placenames as well as sound recordings and images in logainm.ie. Further information on both these projects is available at: focal.ie and logainm.ie. Work experience on Fiontar’s research projects is available to third level students.
LEX Project
Fiontar has responsibility for the development of the Irish language terms in the European Union’s terminology database iate.europa.eu. This is a database with around 9 million terms in the 23 official languages of the Union. The aim of the second phase of LEX is to make available to the public via focal.ie, the legal and legislative terms currently available in Irish.
Commissioned Research
Plan 2028 – 20 Year Plan for the Irish Language
After a public tendering process, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs appointed Fiontar to advise it in its drafting of a strategy for the language. The advisory group was chaired by Dr Peadar Ó Flatharta. The other members of the group were Dr Caoilfhionn Nic Pháidín, DCU; Professor Colin Williams, Cardiff University; Professor François Grin, University of Geneva; and Professor Joseph Lo Bianco, University of Melbourne. Adelaide Nic Chárthaigh, MBA acted as researcher and project manager. The report was submitted to the Department in late 2008..
Act to Action
Fiontar is currently engaged in research in conjunction with Cardiff University and Åbo Akademi, on the language legislation in Ireland, Wales and Finland. This project is funded by the European Commission, Foras na Gaeilge, the Welsh Language Board, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge and the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages.
Fiontar Staff Research Interests
Fiontar staff members are engaged in research in the general areas listed below. They have received research support from the following funding agencies: Canadian Council for Research in the Social Sciences and Humanities: COGG; DCU Research Committee; Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; European Commission; Foras na Gaeilge; Higher Education Authority; Irish Council for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences; Údarás na Gaeltachta. The lecturer profiles give further information on each individual lecturer’s particular interests:
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Gaeltacht development
- Innovation and technology in education
- Irish language digital humanities
- Irish language publication
- Language Planning
- Organisational behaviour
- Phonology of Irish language
- Terminology
Professional Membership
Fiontar lecturers and researchers are members of the following organisations:
Foras na Gaeilge Board
International Standards Organisation
INTRE – Ireland’s Network of Researchers and Teachers of Entrepreneurship
Irish Academy of Management
Royal Irish Academy
The Terminology Committee
Research Students
Fiontar welcomes applications from graduates of various disciplines interested in undertaking postgraduate research in any of the above mentioned subject areas. Fiontar’s postgraduate students have come from disciplines such as the following: business; education; European studies; finance; history; IT; languages; linguistics; literature; politics; and sociology. Interested students should review the lecturers’ research interests and contact the relevant lecturers directly, or the School Director. Further information on becoming a research postgraduate in DCU is available from the Postgraduate Studies Office. Students undertaking the MA in Bilingual Practice or the MSc in Business and IT also have the opportunity to undertake a minor thesis in a subject of their own choice related to the degree programme.
