Elizabeth Burns Coleman studied philosophy at the Australian National University. She was awarded two postdoctoral fellowships, one from the ANU's centre for Cross Cultural Research, and one at Monash across the Communications and Philosophy sections. She has taught legal philosophy, political philosophy, ethics, and philosophy of art at Australian National University, LaTrobe University, Wollongong University, and Monash. She currently teaches a first year unit, Media and Culture, and a third year unit, Communication Ethics, Policy and Law.

Elizabeth Burns Coleman's research is informed by a cultural approach to communication and media studies. One of her areas of expertise is communication ethics and freedom of expression. Her research interests cover mediated communication and the public sphere, including communication practices such as trolling, shaming, gossip, as well as taboos and regulation of communication such as blasphemy, and obscenity and hate speech.  A second area of expertise relates to social and cross-cultural aesthetics, and popular culture. She has published on etiquette, fan forums and religion, cultural appropriation and graffiti. 

• Trolling, flaming and hate speech
• Fake news and propaganda
• Shaming
• Freedom of expression
• Cultural appropriation
• Social aesthetics
• Art and popular culture