I obtained my PhD at the then University of Wales Swansea in 2003. I continued to work on a variety of post-doctoral research projects at the University before joining the School of Digital Media at SMU in June 2006. I currently teach in areas of games design and research methods across a number of BA, BSc, and Masters programmes.

Most of my research focuses on computer and video games design and the use of learning technology in higher education. I also have a keen interest in a variety of business-, health-, and research-related topics, having published in areas of succession planning, customer and market segmentation, quality control, health services research, and research techniques. My latest research examines narrative structures in video games, assessment procedures for computer games degrees, and a longitudinal study into video game quality.

Recent Publications:

Peer-Reviewed Journal Papers

1. Ip, B. ‘Narrative structures in computer and video games. Part 1: Context, definitions, and initial findings', accepted for publication by Games and Culture, to appear in spring 2010.

2. Ip, B. ‘Narrative structures in computer and video games. Part 2: Emotions, structures, and archetypes', accepted for publication by Games and Culture, to appear in spring 2010.

3. Ip, B. (2009), ‘Planning and controlling business succession planning using quality function deployment', Total Quality Management and Business Excellence, 20 (4), 371-387.

4. Ip, B., Capey, M. Baker, A. and Carroll, J. (2009), ‘Academic assessments via virtual worlds: a representation of students and assessors as in-game characters', Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 25 (1), 80-100.

5. Ip, B., Jacobs, G. and Watkins, A. (2008), ‘Gaming frequency and academic performance', Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24 (4), 355-373.

6. Ip, B. (2008), ‘Technological, content, and market convergence in the games industry', Games and Culture, 3 (2), 199-224.

7. Ip, B., Jones, S. and Jacobs, G. (2007), ‘Retention and application of IT skills among nursing and midwifery students', Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44 (2), 199-210.

8. Williams, J., Roberts, S., Ali, F., Cheung, W-Y., Cohen, D., Demery, G., Edwards, A., Greer, M., Hellier, M., Hutchings, H., Ip, B., Longo, M., Russell, I., Snooks, H. and Williams, J. (2007), ‘The burden of gastrointestinal disease: implications for the provision of care in the UK', Gut, 56 (Supplement 1), 1-113.

9. Ip, B. and Jacobs, G. (2006), ‘Quality function deployment for the games industry: results from a practical application', Total Quality Management and Business Excellence, 17 (7), 835-856.

10. Ip, B. and Jacobs, G. (2006), ‘Business succession planning - review of the evidence', Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 13 (3), 326-350.

11. Ip, B. and Jacobs, G. (2006), ‘Quality in the games industry - an analysis of customer perceptions', International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 23 (5), 531-546.

12. Jacobs, G. and Ip, B. (2006), ‘Closing the gap in the computer and video games industry', International Journal of Digital Management, 1 (1), 1-9.

13. Ip, B. and Jacobs, G. (2005), ‘Segmentation of the games market using multivariate analysis', Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing, 13 (3), 275-287.

14. Jacobs, G. and Ip, B. (2005), ‘Ring-fenced research: the case of computer-assisted learning in health sciences', British Journal of Education Technology, 36 (3), 361-377.

15. Jacobs, G. and Ip, B. (2005), ‘Establishing user requirements: incorporating gamer preferences into interactive games design', Design Studies, 26 (3), 243-255.

16. Ip, B., Cavanna, A. and Corbett, B. (2005), ‘inPractice: a practical nursing package for clinical decisions', ALT-J, 13 (1), 67-79.

17. Ip, B. and Jacobs, G. (2004), ‘Quantifying games design', Design Studies, 25 (6), 607-624.

18. Ip, B. and Jacobs, G. (2004), ‘Territorial lockout - an international issue in the videogames industry', European Business Review, 16 (5), 511-521.

19. Jacobs, G. and Ip, B. (2003), ‘Matching games to gamers using quality function deployment', Total Quality Management and Business Excellence, 14 (9), 959-967.

Book Chapters

20. Ip, B. ‘Electronic performance support systems in business and commerce' in: Barker, P. and van Schaik, P. (Eds.), Electronic Performance Support: Using Technology to Enhance Human Performance, Aldershot: Gower Press, to appear in spring 2010.

21. Ip, B. and Jacobs, G. (2006), ‘Visual and physical interfaces for computer and video games', in Ghaoui, C. (ed.), Encyclopaedia of Human Computer Interaction, Liverpool: Idea Group Reference, ISBN: 1-59140-562-9, 692-698.

Peer-Reviewed Conference Papers

22. Ip, B. (2009), ‘Product placement in computer and video games', Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology 2009, Athens, ISBN: 978-1-60558-864-3, 89-97.

23. Ip, B. and Capey, M. (2008), ‘Computer games degrees in the UK: A review of current practice', SIGGRAPH Asia 2008 Educators, Singapore, ISBN: 978-1-60558-388-4, Article 21.

24. Hampton, N. and Ip, B. (2008), ‘Questioning the applicability of the uncanny valley hypothesis within the videogame medium', Swansea Animation Days 2008, Swansea, ISBN: 978-0-95487-575-6, 43-70.

25. Ip, B. and Jacobs, G. (2006), ‘Business succession planning: new academic discipline or management fad?', Proceedings of the First International Management Conference, Bridgetown: Barbados, 162-183.

26. Jacobs, G., Ip, B. and Ha, T-H. (2004), ‘The prevalence of gamer types: is the games industry in tune?', Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Operations and Quantitative Management: Volume 1, Hanyang University, Seoul South Korea, 203-210.

27. Jacobs, G. and Ip, B. (2004), ‘Software quality and market territory', Proceedings of the Eleventh Hawaii International Conference on Business, Honolulu, HI: HICB, ISSN: 1539-722X, 1469-1483.

Games reviewer and features writer for games website, NTSC-UK - see http://www.ntsc-uk.com

Ip, B. and Adams, E. (2002), ‘From casual to core: a statistical mechanism for studying gamer dedication', Gamasutra, available at www.gamasutra.com

Featured in ‘Are you hardcore?', Wired, September 2002.

To contact Barry, email, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it