Travis’ scholarship has made a contribution to closing gaps regarding these topics:

1 Disparities between qualitative data analysis software (QDAS) functionalities that shape live Twitter data analysis (2021-23);

2 Defining how cyber harassment from Higher Education employees can constitute online academic bullying (2021+);

3. Social semiotic multimodal arguments in data visualisation (2017-22);

4. Critical reflections in educational action research (2018+);

5. South African student online content creators (2009-2018).

Travis' research has also flagged problems with the (6) World Health Organisation's infodemic research agenda (2021-22).

1. Comparing QDAS functionalities for live Twitter data imports and their implications for analysis (2021-23)

2. Flagging cyber-harassment from academic cyberbullies and related research gaps (2021+)

The negative phenomenon of online academic bullying has been clearly defined (2021). OAB’s lengthy nature, distinctive forms and potential to have potentially grievous consequences for recipients was flagged for the first time in the literature. OAB’s potential role in serving as a novel form of scientific suppression and threat to academic free speech was also spotlighted.

Important gaps have been identified with Dr Pat Harpur and Professor Tim Noakes concerning what is not being said in the academic cyberbullying literature. In particular, issues of politics and power seemed to have constrained research concerning dissenters and whistleblowers in the academic workplace. There is a missing practical contribution concerning how whistleblowers and dissidents might be better protected from hegemonic forces and intellectual cyber harassment in Higher Education. For example, through university policies against cyber aggression by academic peers.

3. Data visualisation design as multimodal academic argument (2017-22)

Students can struggle to access disciplines and Higher Education in general due to opaque discursive conventions. Travis and Professor Arlene Archer’s multimodal research has helped build our understanding of journalism students’ negotiations of such challenges in their development of academic arguments via data visualization poster designs (2020). Both authors’ multimodal framework for analysing and producing argument in data visualisation has proved helpful for changing a blended-learning course into one that better supported students’ development as critical designers and engaged citizens (2022).

4. Critical reflections for educational action research (2018+)

Travis is working on a methodological reflection on his PhD was unusual in foregrounding the necessity of EAR researchers being more critical in their planning process and considering different forms of failure upfront. Researchers are also alerted to a novel danger; multi-site EAR research with OCC that increases the participatory divide.

5. Original case studies for South African students as situated OCC (2009-18)

To link young visual arts students’ e-portfolio curations to inequalities in their schooling and home contexts in Cape Town, Travis proposed the ‘Capital meets Capabilities’ framework. It supported the development of twelve case studies for a wide range of students. His research publications have foregrounded four students from marginalised contexts which have largely been neglected in research into OCC’s productions.

6. ‘Post-truth’ moments beyond the infodemic research agenda (2021-22)