Dr Diana Miranda

Lecturer in Criminology

Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology Faculty of Social Sciences 3T11 RG Bomont Building University of Stirling FK9 4LA, Stirling

Dr Diana Miranda

Contact details

Share a link

http://www.stir.ac.uk/people/dianamiranda

About me

About me

Diana’s work sits at the intersection of criminological and sociological research, exploring emerging biometric and data driven technologies. Her passion lies in understanding the impact of surveillance on our bodies and identities through processes of technologically mediated suspicion. She works across domains such as criminal investigation, predictive policing, smart cities, security of borders, and prisons.

Her research projects range from the use of biometric identification technologies in Criminal Justice settings, such as photography, facial recognition, fingerprints, and DNA profiling to the use of visual surveillance tools by law enforcement, including work funded by the Scottish Government and Scottish Institute for Policing Research on body-worn cameras and other emergent technologies (both reports available here: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/34460 and https://www.gov.scot/publications/review-emerging-technologies-policing-findings-recommendations/ ).

More recently, she has been exploring how AI engages with human emotion and intention, looking at the development of predictive biometrics in policing and security settings. This work has been developed in the 3-year ESRC project (2020-23), “Emotional AI in Cities: Cross Cultural Lessons from UK and Japan on Designing for An Ethical Life”. Dr Diana Miranda also actively seeks to understand citizens’ perspectives on novel and emerging technologies through projects like the 2023 EPSRC funded 'Critically Exploring Biometric AI Futures' (report available here: https://www.stir.ac.uk/research/hub/publication/1940503#files)

Dr Diana Miranda is currently supervising doctoral students in these research areas and welcomes PhD enquiries from prospective applicants with similar research interests.

Diana has published over 20 articles in leading peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journals and several book chapters in both English and Portuguese (https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1745041#outputs). She has been an invited speaker to present her research findings nationally and internationally, such as in Japan, Portugal and Germany. Her research has also been presented in + 50 academic conferences around the world (e.g. Surveillance and Society Conference, Eurocrim, The European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control, Data Justice, BSA, Society for Social Studies of Science (4S), etc.).

Her work has also informed policy and practice of different Criminal Justice institutions (e.g. in the UK and Portugal) and she has contributed expert evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Sub-Committee on Policing (e.g. namely on biometrics and the use of facial recognition technology in policing).

Before her position at the University of Stirling, Dr Diana Miranda carved her research and teaching trajectory through various universities across Europe and in the UK: including The Open University, Birkbeck – University of London, Northumbria University and Keele University.

Most recent publications (selected):

Miranda, Diana (2024) “Carceral surveillance: data flows within and beyond prison walls”, Incarceration, 5. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/26326663241237966

Urquhart, Lachlan; Miranda, Diana; Connon, Irena; Laffer, Alexander (2023) Critically Envisioning Biometric Artificial Intelligence In Law Enforcement. University of Edinburgh and University of Stirling. https://www.stir.ac.uk/research/hub/publication/1940503#files

Miranda, Diana (2022), “Body-worn cameras ‘on the move’: exploring the contextual, technical and ethical challenges in policing practice”, Policing and Society. 32(1) Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10439463.2021.1879074

Miranda, Diana (2023), “Frontline perceptions of Body-Worn Cameras: tools for transparency in British policing?”, In Jason Bosland, Joe Purshouse and Andrew Roberts (org.), Privacy, Technology, and the Criminal Process.

Webster, C William, Miranda, Diana, Leleux, Charles (2022) Evidence Review into Public Experience and Confidence of Body Worn Video in a Policing Context, Police Scotland/Scottish Police Authority/SIPR. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/34460 and http://hdl.handle.net/1893/34461

Connon, Irena; Egan, Mo; Hamilton-Smith, Niall; MacKay, Niamh; Miranda, Diana; Webster, William (2022) Review of Emerging Technologies in Policing: Findings and Recommendations. University of Stirling. https://www.gov.scot/publications/review-emerging-technologies-policing-findings-recommendations/

Urquhart, Lachlan; Laffer, Alexander; Miranda, Diana (2022) “Working with Affective Computing: Exploring UK Public Perceptions of AI enabled Workplace Surveillance”. ETHICOMP. Available: https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.08264

Bakir, Vian; Ghotbi, Nader; Manh Ho, Tung; Laffer, Alexander; Mantello, Peter; McStay, Andrew; Miranda, Diana; Miyashita, Hiroshi; Podoletz, Lena; Tanaka, Hiromi; Urquhart, Lachlan (2022), “Emotional AI in Cities: Cross-cultural Lessons from the UK and Japan on Designing for an Ethical Life”, In Silvio Carta (ed) Machine Learning and the City: Applications in Architecture and Urban Design. Wiley. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119815075.ch51

Urquhart, Lachlan; Miranda, Diana; Podoletz, Lena (2022), “Policing the Smart Home: The Internet of Things as ‘Invisible Witnesses’, Information Polity. 27: 233-246. https://content.iospress.com/download/information-polity/ip211541?id=information-polity%2Fip211541

Urquhart, Lachlan; Miranda, Diana (2021), “Policing Faces: The Present and Future of Intelligent Facial Surveillance”, Information and Communications Technology Law. Available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13600834.2021.1994220

Miranda, Diana (2020), “Identifying suspicious bodies? Historically tracing the trajectory of criminal identification technologies in Portugal”, Surveillance & Society, 18(1): 30-47. Available at: https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/surveillance-and-society/article/view/12543.

Miranda, Diana; Machado, Helena (2019), “Photographing prisoners: the unworthy, unpleasant and unchanging criminal body”, Criminology & Criminal Justice, 19(5): 591-694. Available at: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1748895818800747.

Research (4)

Surveillance; Biometrics; Body and Identity; Identification Technologies; Classification; Body-worn cameras; Facial Recognition; Suspicion; Visual surveillance; Forensics; Policing; Security; Imprisonment; Criminal Justice; Automated Decision Making; Ethical Practice; AI and machine learning; Smart city; Visual and Digital Criminology; STS; Qualitative research methods; Creative methods; Design Fiction

I am currently supervising doctoral students in these research areas , and welcome PhD proposals from applicants with similar research interests.

Projects

Emotional AI in Cities: Cross Cultural Lessons from UK and Japan on Designing for An Ethical Life
PI: Dr Diana Miranda
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council
–

Critically Exploring Biometric AI Futures
PI: Dr Diana Miranda
Funded by: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
–

Evidence Review into Public Experience and Confidence of Body Worn Video in a Policing Context
PI: Professor William Webster
Funded by: Scottish Institute for Policing Research
–

Emerging Technologies in Policing
PI: Dr Niall Hamilton-Smith
Funded by: Scottish Institute for Policing Research
–

Outputs (79)

Outputs

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Carceral surveillance: data flows beyond prison walls

Miranda D (2023) Carceral surveillance: data flows beyond prison walls. The ‘Surveillant Assemblage’ In the Age of AI - AI for Humanity and Society 2023, Malmö, Sweden, 14.11.2023.

Book Chapter

Frontline perceptions of Body-Worn Cameras: tools for transparency in British policing?

Miranda D (2023) Frontline perceptions of Body-Worn Cameras: tools for transparency in British policing?. In: Privacy, Technology, and the Criminal Process. (ed) Jason Bosland, Joe Purshouse and Andrew Roberts ed. London: Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003111078/privacy-technology-criminal-process-joe-purshouse-andrew-roberts-jason-bosland?refId=7de52d6a-9fa0-41f7-91f6-e6a5f2a786b5&context=ubx

Conference Paper (unpublished)

O tempo do direito na “pena suspensa”: construindo um objeto

Miranda D (2023) O tempo do direito na “pena suspensa”: construindo um objeto. Araújo E (Supervisor), Brandão J (Researcher) & Miranda D (Supervisor) APS (Associação Portuguesa de Sociologia) - XII Congresso Português de Sociologia, Coimbra, 04.04.2023-06.04.2023.

Research Report

Review of emerging technologies in policing: findings and recommendations

Connon I, Egan M, Hamilton-Smith N, MacKay N, Miranda D & Webster W (2023) Review of emerging technologies in policing: findings and recommendations. Scottish Institute for Policing Research. Edinburgh. https://www.gov.scot/publications/review-emerging-technologies-policing-findings-recommendations/

Book Review

Book Review Police Visibility: Privacy, Surveillance, and the False Promise of Body-Worn Cameras

Miranda D (2022) Book Review Police Visibility: Privacy, Surveillance, and the False Promise of Body-Worn Cameras. Review of: Police Visibility: Privacy, Surveillance, and the False Promise of Body-Worn Cameras, Bryce Clayton Newell (2021), University of California Press. 260 pp. ISBN: 9780520382909. Information Polity, 27 (2), pp. 305-308. https://doi.org/10.3233/ip-229004

Book Chapter

Emotional AI in Cities: Cross‐cultural Lessons from the UK and Japan on Designing for an Ethical Life

Bakir V, Ghotbi N, Ho TM, Laffer A, Mantello P, McStay A, Miranda D, Miyashita H, Podoletz L, Tanaka H & Urquhart L (2022) Emotional AI in Cities: Cross‐cultural Lessons from the UK and Japan on Designing for an Ethical Life. In: Carta S (ed.) Machine Learning and the City: Applications in Architecture and Urban Design. London: Wiley, pp. 621-624. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119815075.ch51

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Policing Faces - Perceptions of Facial and Emotion Recognition Technologies

Miranda D & Urquhart L (2022) Policing Faces - Perceptions of Facial and Emotion Recognition Technologies. AGOPOL Conference: Diffusion of Policing in the Algorithmic Society, Oslo, Norway, 18.11.2022-18.11.2022. https://www.algorithmic-governance.com/post/agopol-online-conference-diffusion-of-policing-in-the-algorithmic-society

Conference Proceeding

Working with Affective Computing: Exploring UK Public Perceptions of AI enabled Workplace Surveillance

Miranda D, Urquhart L & Laffer A (2022) Working with Affective Computing: Exploring UK Public Perceptions of AI enabled Workplace Surveillance. In: Effectiveness of ICT ethics – How do we help solve ethical problems in the field of ICT?. ETHICOMP 2022, UNIVERSITY OF TURKU, TURKU SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS Turku, Finland, 26.07.2022-28.07.2022. University of Turku, Finland: ETHICOMP, pp. 165-177. https://sites.utu.fi/ethicomp2022/proceeding/

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Policing and Facial Recognition

Miranda D (2021) Policing and Facial Recognition. The Centre for Crime and Policing conference series, Northumbria University - Newcastle upon Tyne [online], 05.04.2021-05.04.2021.

Book Review

Book review: Anastasia Chamberlen, Embodying Punishment: Emotions, Identities, and Lived Experiences in Women’s Prisons

Miranda D (2020) Book review: Anastasia Chamberlen, Embodying Punishment: Emotions, Identities, and Lived Experiences in Women’s Prisons. Review of: Embodying Punishment: Emotions, Identities, and Lived Experiences in Women’s Prisons Anastasia Chamberlen, Embodying Punishment: Emotions, Identities, and Lived Experiences in Women’s Prisons, Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2018; pp. 288: 9780198749240. Theoretical Criminology, 24 (4), p. 708–710. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480619871111

Keynote

The Role of Body Worn Cameras in Policing

Miranda D (2020) The Role of Body Worn Cameras in Policing. The Centre for Crime and Policing - Police Seminar, Northumbria University - Newcastle upon Tyne, 03.02.2020-03.02.2020.

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Police body-worn cameras and rural settings

Miranda D (2019) Police body-worn cameras and rural settings. EUROCRIM 2019 (19th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology), Ghent University, Belgium, 18.09.2019-21.09.2019. https://www.eurocrim2019.com/scientific-program

Lecture

Policing, technology and surveillance

Miranda D (2019) Policing, technology and surveillance (Presentation), Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Beppu Campus, Japan, 15.07.2019-16.07.2019.

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Trends in AI, policing and security

Miranda D (2019) Trends in AI, policing and security. Emotional AI seminar, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Tokyo Campus, Japan, 08.07.2019-10.07.2019.

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Policing and the Internet of Things: making daily life visible to Justice?

Miranda D & Urquhart L (2018) Policing and the Internet of Things: making daily life visible to Justice?. EUROCRIM 2018 (18th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology), Sarajevo, 29.08.2018-01.09.2018. https://www.esc-eurocrim.org/images/esc/files/Abstracts_Sarajevo_2018.pdf

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Criminal bodies under investigation

Miranda D (2018) Criminal bodies under investigation. EUROCRIM 2018 (18th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology), Sarajevo, 29.08.2018-01.09.2018. https://www.esc-eurocrim.org/images/esc/files/Abstracts_Sarajevo_2018.pdf

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Data flows beyond the prison walls

Miranda D (2018) Data flows beyond the prison walls. 46th Annual Conference of The European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 22.08.2018-24.08.2018.

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Smart homes, smart policing?

Miranda D & Urquhart L (2018) Smart homes, smart policing?. 8th Biennial Surveillance Studies Network (SSN) Conference, Aarhus, Denmark, 07.06.2018-09.06.2018. https://conferences.au.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/SSN2018_Book_of_abstracts2.pdf

Book Chapter

Ler a criminalidade pelo corpo: o retrato de uma natureza criminal

Miranda D (2017) Ler a criminalidade pelo corpo: o retrato de uma natureza criminal. In: Machado H (ed.) Genética e Cidadania. Porto, Portugal: Edições Afrontamento, pp. 69-86. https://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/55795/4/Genetica_e_Cidadania.pdf#page=69

Article

Improving postpartum care delivery and uptake by implementing context-specific interventions in four countries in Africa: a realist evaluation of the Missed Opportunities in Maternal and Infant Health (MOMI) project

Djellouli N, Mann S, Nambiar B, Meireles P, Miranda D, Barros H, Bocoum FY, Yaméogo WME, Yaméogo C, Belemkoabga S, Tougri H, Coulibaly A, Kouanda S, Mochache V & Mwakusema OK (2017) Improving postpartum care delivery and uptake by implementing context-specific interventions in four countries in Africa: a realist evaluation of the Missed Opportunities in Maternal and Infant Health (MOMI) project. BMJ Global Health, 2 (4), Art. No.: e000408. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000408

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Prisoners' photographic portraits and the construction of the criminal body

Miranda D (2017) Prisoners' photographic portraits and the construction of the criminal body. 45th Annual Conference of The European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control, The University of the Aegean, Lesvos, Greece, 31.08.2017-03.09.2017. http://eknexa.aegean.gr/site/Abstract-Booklet-1.pdf

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Challenged bodies: identities at the front line

Schaefer A, Smolović Jones O & Miranda D (2017) Challenged bodies: identities at the front line. European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Copenhagen, Denmark, 06.07.2017-08.07.2017.

Project Report

Ethical Practice in Policing

Schaefer A, Smolović Jones O & Miranda D (2017) Ethical Practice in Policing. The Police Knowledge Fund. The Open University. https://www.open.ac.uk/centres/policing/sites/www.open.ac.uk.centres.policing/files/files/Outputs/Schaefer%20et%20al%20(2017)%20Ethical%20practice%20in%20policing.pdf

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Challenged bodies: ethical identity at the frontline

Schaefer A, Miranda D & Smolovic-Jones O (2016) Challenged bodies: ethical identity at the frontline. EBEN - European Business Ethics Network Annual Conference and PRME UK, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, 19.06.2016-22.06.2016.

Poster

Ethical Practice in Policing

Miranda D, Schaefer A & Smolovic-Jones O (2016) Ethical Practice in Policing. Inaugural Conference “Evidence into Practice”, Centre for Policing Research and Learning, The Open University, Milton Keynes, 11.05.2016.

Conference Paper (unpublished)

Criminal identification practices, power relations and rights

Miranda D (2016) Criminal identification practices, power relations and rights. BSA (British Sociological Association) Annual Conference, Aston University, Birmingham, 06.04.2016-08.04.2016. https://www.britsoc.co.uk/events/annual-conference-archive/

Book Chapter

O trajeto histórico dos métodos de identificação criminal em Portugal

Miranda D (2014) O trajeto histórico dos métodos de identificação criminal em Portugal. In: Machado H & Moniz H (eds.) Bases de Dados Genéticos Forenses: Tecnologias de Controlo e Ordem Social. Coimbra, Portugal: Coimbra Editora, pp. 307-345. https://www.almedina.net/bases-de-dados-gen-ticos-forenses-tecnologias-de-controlo-e-ordem-social-1563855321.html

Conference Proceeding

Fronteiras de desigualdade e o controlo sem fronteiras

(2014) Fronteiras de desigualdade e o controlo sem fronteiras. Cadernos Mateus DOC, 5. Mateus DOC 2013, Vila Real, Portugal, 18.09.2013-20.09.2013. Vila Real, Portugal: Instituto Internacional Casa de Mateus. http://www.iicm.pt/en/publications/fronteira

Conference Proceeding

A identificação criminal na perspetiva do vigilante e do vigiado: o uso da impressão digital e do perfil

Miranda D (2014) A identificação criminal na perspetiva do vigilante e do vigiado: o uso da impressão digital e do perfil. In: VIII Congresso Português de Sociologia "40 anos de democracia(s) – progressos, contradições e prospetivas", Évora, 14.04.2014-16.04.2014. Associação Portuguesa de Sociologia/Portuguese Sociology Association. https://associacaoportuguesasociologia.pt/viii_congresso/VIII_ACTAS/VIII_COM0089.pdf

Article

Bio-genetics and gender in the construction of the paternity intentionality: DNA testing in the judicial investigations of paternity

Machado H, Silva S, Costa S & Miranda D (2012) Bio-genetics and gender in the construction of the paternity intentionality: DNA testing in the judicial investigations of paternity [Biogenética e género na construção da intencionalidade da paternidade: o teste de DNA nas investigações judiciais de paternidade]. Estudos Feministas, 19 (3), pp. 823-848. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-026X2011000300009

Project Report

Stained Bodies - Prisoners’ perceptions of the DNA database for criminal investigation purposes and their perspectives of social reintegration

Machado H, Cunha MI, Miranda D & Santos F (2011) Stained Bodies - Prisoners’ perceptions of the DNA database for criminal investigation purposes and their perspectives of social reintegration. Report presented to the Portuguese Prison Services. Universidade do Minho. http://dnadatabase.ces.uc.pt/list_documents.php (Study of the prisoners perspective.pdf).

Research programmes

Research centres/groups

Research themes