Professor Paul Henman
Professor

Paul Henman

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+61 7 336 52383

Background

Paul is Professor of Digital Sociology and Social Policy. He is a Chief Investigator of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society (ADM+S), and Lead of the Social Services Focus Area in the Centre. Having degrees in sociology/social policy and computer science, and having worked in the public service, Paul has a unique insight into the intersection of digital technologies and their social implications.

For over 20 years, Paul's research has focused in the development, design, deployment and evaluation of digital technology, automated decision making and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in government and social services. Taking a multi-disciplinaray perspective, he explores the implications of automation and AI on policy, service delivery, service users and citizenship, governance and practices of power. His work considers the ethical, legal, social and pratical considerations of AI and automation.

Paul's research is regarded as influential in the development of Digital Welfare State and Digital Social Policy literatures. Past publications include Governing Electronically (Palgrave 2010), Performing the State (Routledge 2018), and Adminstering Welfare Reform (Policy, 2006). He is currently finalising Digital Government in an Age of Disruption with Professor John Halligan, which takes an international comparative, institutionalist approach.

His current research focus is on using critical social science to inform the development of practical digital and AI tools to advance pro-social outcomes,

  • Data navigation for lawyers. Working with Economic Justice Australia and welfare rights community legal centres, Paul is working with colleagues to co-design and produce a data extraction and navigation tool. This tool will assist lawyers to better provide legal advice and support to clients who are contesting decisions by the Australian government's Services Australia and Centrelink.
  • Trauma Informed Algorithmic Assessment Toolkit. Working with human service delivery agenies, this project is piloting a practical, online Toolkit to enable organisations to design and deploy AI and algorithmic enable services that is safe, responsible and avoids causing harm.

Availability

Professor Paul Henman is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Education policy, sociology and philosophy Health policy Human Society Policy and administration Public administration Public policy Social theory Sociology Sociology and social studies of science and technology

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Education, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Digital government

    Governments have been using digital technologies for decades, with implications for the operation and power of the state, and its relationship with and governance of citizens. Increasingly algorithmic government and AI is heightening concerns with government accountability and transparency, and reproduction of bias, discrimination and inequalities. Charting these dynamics and developing policy and governance frameworks is an urgent research agenda.

Search Professor Paul Henman’s works on UQ eSpace

126 works between 1995 and 2025
All (126) Journal Article (58) Book Chapter (20) Conference Publication (18) Book (3) Other Outputs (25) Edited Outputs (2)

21 - 40 of 126 works

2022

Journal Article

Digital social policy: past, present, future

Henman, Paul W. Fay (2022). Digital social policy: past, present, future. Journal of Social Policy, 51 (3), 535-550. doi: 10.1017/s0047279422000162

Digital social policy: past, present, future

2022

Other Outputs

Queensland NDIS web ecology

Henman, Paul, Dai, Dan and Borg, Samantha (2022). Queensland NDIS web ecology. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/284ef14

Queensland NDIS web ecology

2021

Other Outputs

ADM+S submission to report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on Artificial Intelligence and the rights of persons with disabilities

Coco, Brooke, Harpur, Paul, Henman, Paul, Obeid, Abdul, Radke, Amelia, Scully, Jackie Leach, Sleep, Lyndal, Snoswell, Aaron, Soldatic, Karen and van Toorn, Georgia (2021). ADM+S submission to report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on Artificial Intelligence and the rights of persons with disabilities. Geneva, Switzerland: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights .

ADM+S submission to report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on Artificial Intelligence and the rights of persons with disabilities

2021

Book Chapter

Administrative justice in a digital world: challenges and solutions

Henman, Paul (2021). Administrative justice in a digital world: challenges and solutions. The Oxford handbook of administrative justice. (pp. 459-480) edited by Joe Tomlinson, Robert Thomas, Marc Hertogh and Richard Kirkham. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190903084.013.23

Administrative justice in a digital world: challenges and solutions

2021

Journal Article

Building the ‘front door’ within a web ecology: informational governance and institutional shaping of national government webportals

Henman, Paul, Graham, Timothy and Lata, Lutfun Nahar (2021). Building the ‘front door’ within a web ecology: informational governance and institutional shaping of national government webportals. Government Information Quarterly, 38 (2) 101575, 101575. doi: 10.1016/j.giq.2021.101575

Building the ‘front door’ within a web ecology: informational governance and institutional shaping of national government webportals

2021

Other Outputs

National Government Webportal Hyperlink Networks

Graham, Timothy, Henman, Paul and Dai, Dan (2021). National Government Webportal Hyperlink Networks. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/a710104

National Government Webportal Hyperlink Networks

2021

Book Chapter

Governing by Algorithms and Algorithmic Governmentality: Towards machinic judgement

Henman, Paul (2021). Governing by Algorithms and Algorithmic Governmentality: Towards machinic judgement. The Algorithmic Society: Technology, Power, and Knowledge. (pp. 19-34) edited by Marc Schuilenburg and Rik Peeters. London, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Governing by Algorithms and Algorithmic Governmentality: Towards machinic judgement

2020

Journal Article

Improving public services using artificial intelligence: possibilities, pitfalls, governance

Henman, Paul (2020). Improving public services using artificial intelligence: possibilities, pitfalls, governance. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 42 (4), 1-13. doi: 10.1080/23276665.2020.1816188

Improving public services using artificial intelligence: possibilities, pitfalls, governance

2020

Journal Article

The COVID-19-crisis and the information polity: an overview of responses and discussions in twenty-one countries from six continents

Meijer, Albert , C. William R. Webster, Bannister, Frank , Bennett, Colin J. , Chen, Kaiping , Choi, Heungsuk , Criado, J. Ignacio , Cunha, Maria Alexandra , Demircioglu, Mehmet Akif , Gasco-Hernandez, Mila , Henman, Paul , Kimemia, Douglas , Lember, Veiko , Löfgren, Karl , Luna-Reyes, Luis F. , Mergel, Ines , Murakami Wood, David , Nesti, Giorgia , Przeybilovicz, Erico , Raghavan, Aarthi , Svenonius, Ola , van Brakel, Rosamunde and Yildiz, Mete (2020). The COVID-19-crisis and the information polity: an overview of responses and discussions in twenty-one countries from six continents. Information Polity, 25 (3), 243-274. doi: 10.3233/IP-200006

The COVID-19-crisis and the information polity: an overview of responses and discussions in twenty-one countries from six continents

2019

Journal Article

The structure of the online state: towards a web ecology perspective

Henman, Paul and Graham, Timothy (2019). The structure of the online state: towards a web ecology perspective. Government Information Quarterly, 37 (2) 101440, 101440. doi: 10.1016/j.giq.2019.101440

The structure of the online state: towards a web ecology perspective

2019

Other Outputs

Submission to UN digital technology, social protection and human rights

Henman, Paul (2019). Submission to UN digital technology, social protection and human rights. New York, NY, United States: United Nations.

Submission to UN digital technology, social protection and human rights

2019

Other Outputs

Policy futures: regulating the new economy

Hussey, Karen, Yarnold, Jennifer, McEwan, Christopher, Maher, Ray, Henman, Paul, Radke, Amelia, Curtis, Caitlin, Fidelman, Pedro, Vickers, Claudia and Brolan, Claire (2019). Policy futures: regulating the new economy. Policy Futures Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland.

Policy futures: regulating the new economy

2019

Journal Article

Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor

Henman, Paul (2019). Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor. Critical Social Policy, 39 (1), 151-153. doi: 10.1177/0261018318808405b

Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor

2019

Conference Publication

Towards a taxonomy of government webportals

Henman, Paul and Graham, Tim (2019). Towards a taxonomy of government webportals. 12th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 3 - 5 April 2019. New York, NY United States: ACM Press. doi: 10.1145/3326365.3326368

Towards a taxonomy of government webportals

2018

Journal Article

Webportal vs google for finding government information on the web: From a website-centric approach to a web ecology perspective

Henman, Paul and Graham, Tim (2018). Webportal vs google for finding government information on the web: From a website-centric approach to a web ecology perspective. Information Polity, 23 (4), 361-378. doi: 10.3233/ip-180071

Webportal vs google for finding government information on the web: From a website-centric approach to a web ecology perspective

2018

Other Outputs

Submission to the Review of the Identity-matching Services Bill 2018 in relation to face-matching services

Henman, Paul (2018). Submission to the Review of the Identity-matching Services Bill 2018 in relation to face-matching services. Canberra, ACT, Australia: Parliament of Australia.

Submission to the Review of the Identity-matching Services Bill 2018 in relation to face-matching services

2018

Other Outputs

The web ecology of the online state: the case of Australia

Henman, Paul and Graham, Tim (2018). The web ecology of the online state: the case of Australia. School of Social Science, The University of Queensland.

The web ecology of the online state: the case of Australia

2018

Journal Article

Of algorithms, apps and advice: digital social policy and service delivery

Henman, Paul (2018). Of algorithms, apps and advice: digital social policy and service delivery. Journal of Asian Public Policy, 12 (1), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/17516234.2018.1495885

Of algorithms, apps and advice: digital social policy and service delivery

2018

Journal Article

Affording choice: how website designs create and constrain ‘choice’

Graham, Timothy and Henman, Paul (2018). Affording choice: how website designs create and constrain ‘choice’. Information Communication and Society, 22 (13), 1-17. doi: 10.1080/1369118X.2018.1476570

Affording choice: how website designs create and constrain ‘choice’

2018

Book

Performing the state: critical encounters with performance measurement in social and public policy

Paul Henman and Alison Gable eds. (2018). Performing the state: critical encounters with performance measurement in social and public policy. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Performing the state: critical encounters with performance measurement in social and public policy

Current funding

  • 2020 - 2027
    ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society (ARC Centre of Excellence administered by RMIT University)
    RMIT University
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2024
    Mapping automated decision-making tools used in administrative decision making (NSW Ombudsman tender led by University of Sydney)
    University of Sydney
    Open grant
  • 2023
    Trauma-informed AI: developing and testing a practical AI audit framework for use in social services
    Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2020
    Making complex interfaces work for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (ARC Discovery Project administered by Griffith University)
    Griffith University
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2022
    Government Web Portals as New Government Actors
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015
    Go8 European Fellowship - Dr Milena Krumova
    Group of Eight European Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2015
    The cost of raising a child in the case of out of home care
    Western Australia Department of Child Protection and Family Support
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    Technologies of Performance, Technologies of Governance: The bane, benefits, ethics and future of performance measurement in government
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    The institutional structure of e-government: a cross-policy, cross-country comparison
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2011
    Exploring the use of residual measures of housing affordability as an alternative to the ratio approach
    Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2011
    Financing and management of lifetime care for adults with acquired disabilities and high care needs
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    The Impact of Impairment: differentiating the financial and social implications of raising a child with a disability
    UQ FirstLink Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2007
    Equivalent Costs of Living Research Project (2006-7)
    Department of Employment and Industrial Relations
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2007
    Assesing the Impact of the Commonwealth Welfare to Work Policy Framework in Queensland
    Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet
    Open grant
  • 2006
    Equivalent costs of living research
    Department Industrial Relations
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    E-government: Reconfigurations in Public Administration, Policy and Power
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2006
    Special Needs Cost: Estimating The Additional Expenditure In Raising Children With Disabilities
    UQ External Support Enabling Grant
    Open grant
  • 2005
    Updating costs of children using Australian Budget Standards
    Department of Family and Community Services
    Open grant
  • 2005
    RDG_Enabling Grant_Strategic
    University of Queensland Research Development Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2005
    Estimating the cost of raising children with disabilities
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2004
    International comparison of e-government in social security
    IBM Centre for the Business of Government
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Paul Henman is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    THE USE OF DIGITAL GOVERNMENT AMONG REGULATORY AGENCIES IN AUSTRALIA

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Pedro Fidelman

  • Master Philosophy

    Generative AI in Social Service Organisations

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Stephen Viller

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Designing Indonesia Pension System Reform

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Adjunct Professor Adil Khan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Dream and Reality of a Digital State: The Case of Bangladesh with the Lens of Social Constructionism

    Principal Advisor

  • Master Philosophy

    A Happy Medium? Exploring the use of a mindfully designed digital tool for welfare advocates

    Principal Advisor

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Paul Henman directly for media enquiries about:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Automated Decision Making
  • Centrelink
  • Children - cost of
  • Cost of raising children
  • digital society
  • E-government
  • Electronic government
  • Electronic service delivery - computers, internet and society
  • Ethical AI
  • Government performance
  • Living standards
  • Poverty
  • Public administration
  • Social media - impact
  • Social policy and welfare
  • Welfare

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