Email: alex.burns2@protonmail.com
Phone: +61 467 387 241
Qualifications
Grad Cert of Information Technology, Swinburne University (2008); Grad Cert of Business (Project Management), Swinburne University (2007); MA (Counter-Terrorism Studies), Monash University (2007); MSc (Strategic Foresight), Swinburne University (2005); BA (Cinema Studies, Politics, Philosophy), La Trobe University (2002).
Profile
My in-progress PhD at Monash University develops a new conceptual theory of terrorist strategic subcultures. To do so it integrates theory-building insights from strategic studies, terrorism studies, and political economy. The PhD uses process tracing methods to examine the chosen case study of Japan’s Aum Shinrikyo. I have completed my thesis manuscript and will submit on 22nd September 2019.
I have contributed articles to Contemporary Security Policy, Media International Australia, Journal of Futures Studies, and Media/Culture journals. I am currently a Senior Research Officer at The University of Melbourne’s Melbourne Graduate School of Education. I have previously held research administration, management, and research positions at The Australian National University, The University of Queensland, Bond University, Victoria University, Swinburne University, and in the Smart Internet Technology Cooperative Research Centre.
I have presented research findings to the International Studies Association, the Association of Internet Researchers, the Telecommunications Society of Australia, the East-West Center in Washington DC, Sensis, Telstra, Westpac, and other organisations. I edited and wrote for the former Disinformation website (1998-2008), and also contributed articles with original research to 21C, REVelation, Desktop, Marketing, Information Age, Artbyte, Playboy.com’s ‘Digital Culture’ magazines, and La Trobe University’s Rabelais student newspaper (1994-2004).
- LinkedIn profile
- ORCID record
- Google Scholar profile and citations
- Academia.edu profile
- Twitter account
Memberships
- Australian International Political Economy Network
- Australian Political Studies Association
- International Studies Association
Recent Publications
- Alex Burns and Ben Eltham. ‘Australia’s Strategic Culture: Constraints and Opportunities in Security Policymaking.’ In Jeffrey S. Lantis (ed.). Strategic Cultures and Security Policies in the Asia-Pacific. New York: Routledge, 2015, 22-45.
- Alex Burns and Ben Eltham. ‘Australia’s Strategic Culture: Constraints and Opportunities in Security Policymaking.’ 2014. Contemporary Security Policy 35(2): 187-210.
- Alex Burns and Stephen McGrail. ‘Examining Possible Internet Futures.’ 2012. Journal of Futures Studies 16(4): 33-49.
- Alex Burns, ‘Doubting the Global War on Terror.’ 2011. M/C Journal 14(1) (March).
- Alex Burns and Ben Eltham. ‘Catastrophic Failure Theories and Disaster Journalism: Evaluating Media Explanations of Australia’s ‘Black Saturday’ Bushfires.’ 2010. Media International Australia 137 (November), 90-99. (Publisher accepted version.)
- Alex Burns and Ben Eltham. ‘The Film Finance Corporation and Hollywood’s Race to the Bottom.’ 2010. Media International Australia 136 (August), 103-118. (Publisher accepted version.)
Notable Publications
- Alex Burns, ‘Oblique Strategies for Ambient Journalism.’ 2010. M/C Journal 13(2) (May).
- Alex Burns and Ben Eltham. ‘Twitter Free Iran: An Evaluation of Twitter’s Role in Public Diplomacy and Information Operations in Iran’s 2009 Election Crisis.’ 2009. In Papandrea, Franco & Mark Armstrong (Eds.).Record of the Communications Policy & Research Forum 2009. Sydney: Network Insight Institute, 298-310.
- Alex Burns, ‘Select Issues With New Media Theories of Citizen Journalism.’ 2008. M/C Journal 11(1) (April).
- Trevor Barr, Alex Burns, and Darren Sharp. Smart Internet 2010. Sydney: Smart Internet Technology CRC, 2005.
Research Interests
- Strategic Culture
- Terrorism
- Political Economy
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Portfolio Management