A. de Moor

Beyond Personal Webpublishing: An Exploratory Study of Conversational Blogging Practices

Although initially developed as low-threshold tools to publish on-line, weblogs increasingly appear to facilitate conversations. The objective of this study is to identify practices of conversational blogging. This paper presents results of an exploratory qualitative analysis of a weblog-mediated conversation case, focusing on participation rhythm, media choices and specific linking practices. Based on our findings we propose attributes of conversational blogging: linking as conversational glue, tangential conversations and interplays between conversation with self and conversations with others. Finally, future research directions are discussed.

Measuring knowledge management effectiveness in communities of practice

This paper outlines an approach to determine key performance indicators and metrics for knowledge management (KM) in communities of practice. The approach is based on analysis of the KM literature on (i) types of knowledge, (ii) processes of knowledge development and social learning, and (iii) metrics for KM, such as from the intellectual capital method. To embed communities of practice and KM processes in an organizational context, we introduce our knowledge governance framework, which combines knowledge resources, KM, and organizational objectives. Our first hypothesis is that successful KM in organizations requires the linking of knowledge resources to organizational objectives. Our second hypothesis is that a precondition for successful KM is that explicit, quantitative indicators are used. We tested the framework in a small organization in the financial industry. According to our first case experience, the model can be applied in a business setting and our first hypothesis is supported: successful KM links knowledge resources to company objectives. Our second hypothesis is not supported: KM in the case is not based on explicit and quantitative indicators.

Web service selection in virtual communities

Virtual communities increasingly make use of standard Internet-enabled Web services to support their collaborative activities. Such Web services need to offer the right amount of functionality to meet community requirements. However, both requirements and enabling services are continuously in flux. A critical challenge therefore is that the community can efficiently ensure that Web service changes are both technically feasible and socially acceptable. In this paper, we outline a selection approach for virtual communities that takes into account both the feasibility and the acceptability of Web services. To this purpose, we adopt a semiotic view on the selection process, showing that for the adequate selection of Web services three subprocesses are required: (1) syntactic discovery, (2) semantic matching, and (3) pragmatic interpretation. We then present a meta-model of Web service selection support that is grounded in this view. This model can be used to detect gaps in Web service selection support. This knowledge is essential for the construction of better selection support methodologies. We apply the meta-model to analyze a case on a courseware development community.

Toward a more structured use of information technology in the research community

Information technology has great potential for supporting the activities of research networks. However, some fundamental problems must first be addressed to determine whether the technological support is necessary at all. Once that need has been determined, merely installing a set of isolated, generic information tools is not sufficient to address the full spectrum of network information needs. Therefore, a comprehensive and customized network information system is required. We argue that a specification method can help to structure the development of such an information system.

Concept integration precedes enterprise integration

The integration of enterprises in a vertical market is not solved but rather facilitated by information technology. One aspect is the coupling of heterogeneous information systems from the participating enterprises. However, before this integration can be tackled, the enterprises have to create a common set of concepts to discuss their cooperation. We call this the inter-organizational concept base and present a proposal on how to structure such a concept base and how to co-develop it by participants from various enterprises. Product ontologies are bundled into reference models for certain industry sectors and serve as a starting point for the discussion about concepts. The second ingredient are explicit representations of norms that describe who is supposed to participate in which part of the discussion process. The end result, the inter-organizational concept base, is the input for an inter-organizational workflow modeling to specify precisely the enterprise integration.

The development of reference models for the RENISYS specification method

New trends in globalization encourage firms to consider new forms of organizational structures and supporting information system infrastructure. Information systems for these emerging global business networks are hard to specify because of their complexity and changeability. A problem with current specification methods is that they are not sufficiently capable of capturing the context of the information system. To address this problem, we examine the role that reference models can play in increasing the context-sensitivity of such methods. We present the reference framework from the RENISYS approach to help in the specification of a more adequate information system infrastructure for business networks. Within this framework we distinguish between three modeling levels: the problem domain, human network, and information system level. To further refine the problem domain we apply the roles-linkage model from the area of network analysis. This model is used to represent the actors and links between those actors as the basis for the exact definition of the communication patterns between the participants of the network. A small case study shows how such a context-sensitive specification method could be implemented.New trends in globalization encourage firms to consider new forms of organizational structures and supporting information system infrastructure. Information systems for these emerging global business networks are hard to specify because of their complexity and changeability. A problem with current specification methods is that they are not sufficiently capable of capturing the context of the information system. To address this problem, we examine the role that reference models can play in increasing the context-sensitivity of such methods. We present the reference framework from the RENISYS approach to help in the specification of a more adequate information system infrastructure for business networks. Within this framework we distinguish between three modeling levels: the problem domain, human network, and information system level. To further refine the problem domain we apply the roles-linkage model from the area of network analysis. This model is used to represent the actors and links between those actors as the basis for the exact definition of the communication patterns between the participants of the network. A small case study shows how such a context-sensitive specification method could be implemented.

Supporting the evolution of workflow patterns for virtual communities

Virtual communities that make use of network information systems (NIS) have a need for specification support that agrees with their communal character. System specification changes must be acceptable to all members for a community to thrive. This requirement holds in particular for workflow-enabling communication tools that are part of the NIS. In the first place, it means that workflow processes can be modelled at an abstraction level that makes sense to the community members. To this purpose, a layered architecture of workflow patterns is described that is rooted in Language/Action theory. Patterns for all levels can be stored in a component library and be (re)-used effectively by communities to speed up their NIS development and evolution. To ensure the acceptability of changes in workflow patterns, the evolution process must be supported by a method for legitimate user-driven specification.

Information tools for sustainable development: Enabling distributed human intelligence

In the field of sustainable development, numerous information tools, many of them connected through computer networks, support users in their individual activities. However, these tools cannot always be effectively used, as problems occur with the quality and accessibility of the data on which they operate. Another major issue is that these tools are not very well suited to support collaborative problem solving. One solution proposed by some is distributed artificial intelligence. We argue that in many cases groupware provides a more viable approach as it enables strong collaboration between human stakeholders. To optimally support professional communities, network information systems must be constructed. Such systems consist of suites of information tools supporting both individual and group needs. The users themselves must be actively involved in their incremental design. Specification methods must be available to this purpose.

An ontological framework for user-driven system specification

User-driven specification of network information systems is required in many virtual professional communities, such as research networks. The paper introduces a method and an accompanying tool being developed to support the legitimate user-driven specification of network information systems. The need for method ontologies, organized in an ontological-framework, is motivated. A key part of this framework, the core process ontology, is described. The application of the framework is illustrated with some case study examples. It is shown how ontological and normative knowledge can be combined to model the user-driven specification process. Its formal semantics are described using dynamic deontic logic.

Facilitating the evolution of electronic healthcare networks : Framing the changing socio-technical system

Healthcare networks are increasingly supported in their operations by advanced information and communication technologies. However, the adoption and diffusion of enabling technologies in the complex workflows, organisational structures, and professional sub-cultures is not trivial. Electronic healthcare networks are strongly evolving professional communities that involve different stakeholder constituencies in both operational and strategic change processes. The timely involvement of relevant stakeholders and enabling technologies is essential to the successful development of electronic healthcare networks. In this article, the strategic change processes of the sociotechnical system of a successful electronic rheumatology network are analysed. Subsequently, an approach to model and facilitate the evolution of electronic healthcare networks is described. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.