University of Melbourne relaunches Pursuit content site
The University of Melbourne has relaunched its award-winning news and research content website, Pursuit.
The new site uses a variety of multimedia digital tools to better tell the stories of the University’s transformational research and its impact in a more immersive and dynamic format.
Some the latest stories featured on the new-look Pursuit site include:
- How an Australian algorithm is helping to verify US election results
- How bird nest design matches specific climate conditions around the world
- Why a cold house is bad for mental health
- Why AI generated music could devastate Australia’s live music scene
- A plan to integrate our regional cities into a high-speed rail network
- Is K-Pop K-aput?
Professor Mark Cassidy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), said the University of Melbourne’s world-class research across multiple fields translated discovery into meaningful, practical results which benefit the world around us.
“The Universities Accord report released earlier this year clearly lays out the importance of research to Australia and the vital role universities play,” Professor Cassidy said.
“Research is crucial to the prosperity of the nation, Australia’s competitiveness on the world stage and the advancement of knowledge..
“We also have a duty to ensure that our research at the University of Melbourne contributes to the societal progress and can be utilised by our communities, our industry partners, commercial partners, stakeholders and governments here and overseas.
“This is where Pursuit is so important, showcasing and amplifying our ground-breaking research so it helps strengthen knowledge and, ultimately, changes the lives of people for the better.
“This includes diverse perspectives and expertise in areas from climate change and workplace behaviour to biodiversity loss, artificial intelligence and vaccine safety; from domestic violence and tax reform to the wellbeing of schoolchildren and developing tools to better predict landslides. And Pursuit helps our researchers tell these stories.
“Our research is also a magnet for prospective students, graduate researchers, academics and industry partners wanting to study here and work with Australia’s leading university.”
Pursuit editor Imogen Crump said the just released 2024 Digital News Report, which charts a rise in misinformation and disinformation within news and social media outlets, highlights the need for a trusted and credible source of news and information.
“Pursuit has a vital role to play, ensuring debate, discourse and public policy is properly informed,” Ms Crump said.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Pursuit became a trusted and credible voice within Australian and international media. We published timely articles from experts that challenged circulating misinformation and disinformation, contributed informed opinion to public discourse, and helped to guide the development of policy nationally.”
Since its launch in 2015, more than 50 per cent of Pursuit’s audience is now international, including the United States, India, Philippines, United Kingdom and Indonesia. In 2022, Pursuit won the Universities Australia Award for Excellence in University Research Reporting.
More than 1,200 academics have written for Pursuit, featuring a diverse range of expertise, opinion and knowledge. More than half these authors are female academics. Some of the highest rating stories include:
- What we now know about long COVID and our brains
- What are the long-term health risks of having your tonsils out?
- 50 words in Australian Indigenous languages
- Are redheads with blue eyes really becoming extinct?
- University students are using AI, but not how you think
“The new-look Pursuit maintains our high-calibre, award-winning standard of storytelling and enables us to create a more engaging connection with our audiences,” Ms Crump said.
“We can now bring the University’s research to life in a using a suite of digital tools – including enhanced graphics, data visualisation, videos, audio and animation.
All of this enables us to showcase the how and the why of research, taking our audience on an immersive digital journey.”
Visit the new-look Pursuit at www.pursuit.unimelb.edu.au