Global Perspectives on Library and Information Science – serie

Social informatics examines how society is influenced by digital technologies and how digital technologies are shaped by political, economic, and socio-cultural forces. The chapters in this edited volume use social informatics approaches to analyze recent issues in our increasingly data-intensive society.Taking a social informatics perspective, this edited volume investigates the interaction between society and digital technologies and includes research that examines individuals, groups, organizations, and nations, as well as their complex relationships with pervasive mobile and wearable devices, social media platforms, artificial intelligence, and big data. This volume’s contributors range from seasoned and renowned researchers to upcoming researchers in social informatics. The readers of the book will understand theoretical frameworks of social informatics; gain insights into recent empirical studies of social informatics in specific areas such as big data and its effects on privacy, ethical issues related to digital technologies, and the implications of digital technologies for daily practices; and learn how the social informatics perspective informs research and practice.Social Informatics provides the first book-length overview of Social Informatic research in recent years and will be essential reading for academics and students engaged in the study of information science, internet studies, emerging technologies, digital media, new media studies, computer science, the sociology of communication, and data science.

How do people become informed about risk and why is this important? This book draws upon three case studies to interrogate risk’s informational thread, including how people map and orient themselves to risk information as well as how these activities shape their increasingly knowledgeable performance within a risk situation.This book offers a novel theoretical, methodological and practical approach for considering how risk responses are informed. As the first full-length treatment of this topic, the book provides insight into how people become knowledgeable about risk, including the various sources of information on which they draw and the social and political conditions that shape access to these information environments. In further centring developmental change, the book also sheds light onto the discontinuities that risk creates as well as the need to adjust to alterations in roles and responsibilities. Resulting in the production of a robust definition and conceptual framework for risk-informed information practice, the book’s broad approach, which involves a consideration of risk understanding alongside the more typical risk perception and management, further integrates reflection on the methodological implications of this work.The book’s focus on research and practice means that it will be of interest to risk and information professionals, including those with responsibility for risk messaging, information literacy instruction and patient interaction. The conceptual focus further means that this book will be invaluable for information literacy and risk scholars looking to extend their understanding of how people develop knowing when things of value are at stake.

How do people become informed about risk and why is this important? This book draws upon three case studies to interrogate risk’s informational thread, including how people map and orient themselves to risk information as well as how these activities shape their increasingly knowledgeable performance within a risk situation.This book offers a novel theoretical, methodological and practical approach for considering how risk responses are informed. As the first full-length treatment of this topic, the book provides insight into how people become knowledgeable about risk, including the various sources of information on which they draw and the social and political conditions that shape access to these information environments. In further centring developmental change, the book also sheds light onto the discontinuities that risk creates as well as the need to adjust to alterations in roles and responsibilities. Resulting in the production of a robust definition and conceptual framework for risk-informed information practice, the book’s broad approach, which involves a consideration of risk understanding alongside the more typical risk perception and management, further integrates reflection on the methodological implications of this work.The book’s focus on research and practice means that it will be of interest to risk and information professionals, including those with responsibility for risk messaging, information literacy instruction and patient interaction. The conceptual focus further means that this book will be invaluable for information literacy and risk scholars looking to extend their understanding of how people develop knowing when things of value are at stake.

Social informatics examines how society is influenced by digital technologies and how digital technologies are shaped by political, economic, and socio-cultural forces. The chapters in this edited volume use social informatics approaches to analyze recent issues in our increasingly data-intensive society.Taking a social informatics perspective, this edited volume investigates the interaction between society and digital technologies and includes research that examines individuals, groups, organizations, and nations, as well as their complex relationships with pervasive mobile and wearable devices, social media platforms, artificial intelligence, and big data. This volume’s contributors range from seasoned and renowned researchers to upcoming researchers in social informatics. The readers of the book will understand theoretical frameworks of social informatics; gain insights into recent empirical studies of social informatics in specific areas such as big data and its effects on privacy, ethical issues related to digital technologies, and the implications of digital technologies for daily practices; and learn how the social informatics perspective informs research and practice.Social Informatics provides the first book-length overview of Social Informatic research in recent years and will be essential reading for academics and students engaged in the study of information science, internet studies, emerging technologies, digital media, new media studies, computer science, the sociology of communication, and data science.

Information Horizons is the updated, definitive resource for the Information Horizon Theory and the Information Horizon Interview method. Embracing behavioral, cognitive, and social aspects of information, the theory and method have been applied globally in information behavior research and education.The theory posits that information behavior is social, material, temporal, dynamic, situational, and contextual, and that information behavior can be conceptualized as Information Horizons, which include affordances and constraints on information behavior. It provides the foundation for the Information Horizon Interview method that combines semi-structured interview questions with a graphical elicitation technique in which the participant draws a visualization, or map, of their Information Horizon, which illustrates their information seeking behavior in specific situations and contexts. This volume incorporates recent developments in scholarship, technology, and methodology, updating the theory and method and providing new insights and guidance for their use in research and teaching. An expert in context citation analysis shows how the theory and method have been incorporated in research since its inception. Case studies authored by renowned scholars present personal reflections on their experiences conducting Information Horizon Interviews with different populations, with a level of detail not possible within a standard research report. Extensive teaching and learning examples, with a focus on hands-on exercises, demonstrate how the theory and method are used to teach information behavior concepts. Essays by students recount their experiences learning about the Information Horizon Theory and conducting Information Horizon Interviews. The book concludes with two detailed Information Horizon Interview guides for different study populations.Information Horizons will be of interest to researchers, educators, students, and practitioners worldwide interested in researching and teaching information behavior.

Information Horizons is the updated, definitive resource for the Information Horizon Theory and the Information Horizon Interview method. Embracing behavioral, cognitive, and social aspects of information, the theory and method have been applied globally in information behavior research and education.The theory posits that information behavior is social, material, temporal, dynamic, situational, and contextual, and that information behavior can be conceptualized as Information Horizons, which include affordances and constraints on information behavior. It provides the foundation for the Information Horizon Interview method that combines semi-structured interview questions with a graphical elicitation technique in which the participant draws a visualization, or map, of their Information Horizon, which illustrates their information seeking behavior in specific situations and contexts. This volume incorporates recent developments in scholarship, technology, and methodology, updating the theory and method and providing new insights and guidance for their use in research and teaching. An expert in context citation analysis shows how the theory and method have been incorporated in research since its inception. Case studies authored by renowned scholars present personal reflections on their experiences conducting Information Horizon Interviews with different populations, with a level of detail not possible within a standard research report. Extensive teaching and learning examples, with a focus on hands-on exercises, demonstrate how the theory and method are used to teach information behavior concepts. Essays by students recount their experiences learning about the Information Horizon Theory and conducting Information Horizon Interviews. The book concludes with two detailed Information Horizon Interview guides for different study populations.Information Horizons will be of interest to researchers, educators, students, and practitioners worldwide interested in researching and teaching information behavior.

Multispecies Information Science offers a comprehensive overview of this subfield, shifting the focus beyond humans to explore the rich and complex realms of information and knowledge shared with animals, plants, microbes, technologies, and landscapes.Bridging theory and practice, this volume traces the evolution of multispecies movement in information science, from Suzanne Briet’s provocative question 'Is an antelope a document?' to inclusive approaches informed by posthumanism, queer studies, disability studies, and postcolonialism. Penned by information scientists from around the world, the chapters span topics from the foundations of information to its pedagogy, design, technology, and services. Their ideas will help readers to discover fresh and compassionate avenues of participation and engagement with other species in their own information practices and research. By embracing a multispecies approach, this book aims to transform readers’ understanding of information and life, recognising that this perspective is fundamentally an ethical turn.Multispecies Information Science integrates insights from areas such as documentation, information behaviour, indigenous knowledge, and information technology. It facilitates dialogue between information scientists who are interested in a multispecies perspective. This book is essential reading for researchers, practitioners, and students in Library and Information Science. It also speaks to those in anthropology, environmental humanities, animal–computer interaction, and human–animal studies.