Ana Cristina Vasconcelos

Community and Virtual Community.

Ellis, D.; Oldridge, R. and Vasconcelos, A. (2004). A Community and virtual community. In B. Cronin (Ed.), Annual Review of Information and Science and Technology, Vol. 38 (pp.145- 186). Medford: Information Today. RAE2008

'The presentation of self in the online world': Goffman and the study of online identities

This paper presents an exemplification and discussion of the contemporaneity of Erving Goffman’s work and of its applicability to the analysis of identity and presentation of self in the blogging and Second Life (SL) contexts. An analysis of online identity and interaction practices in 10 different cases of bloggers and SL inhabitants and of their online spaces is presented in terms of: expressions given; embellishment as a minor form of persona adoption; dividing the self; conforming and ‘fitting in’; and masking, anonymity and pseudonimity. The key finding of the research is that, contrary to engaging with the process of whole persona adoption, participants were keen to re-create their offline self online, but engaged in editing facets of self. This emphasizes the key premise in Goffman’s work that, when in ‘front stage’, people deliberately chose to project a given identity. It is concluded that Goffman’s original framework is of great usefulness as an explanatory framework for understanding identity through interaction and the presentation of self in the online world. Equally, the online environment, with its enhanced potential for editing the self, can offer opportunities to contribute to the further development of the Goffman framework.

Supporting decision making in risk management through an evidence‐based information systems project risk checklist

Purpose – This paper aims to present a study of Information Systems project risk management aimed at identifying a risk ontology and checklist that will enable decision making and mitigation strategy planning in information system (IS) development in the public sector. This sector is an ideal research field in risk management practices, due to the visibility that failure of IS/IT projects has acquired as a consequence of the duty of accountability that characterises it.Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a qualitative approach anchored on a critical literature review, leading to the development of an analytical framework, followed by a thorough case‐study survey.Findings – A project risk ontology was derived from the analysis of ten case‐studies in the UK, USA and New Zealand and was divided into five main categories: pre‐project, customer, project management, technological issues, and development methodology. The analysis found that a considerable number of risk factors are incurred befor...

Ranganathan and the Net: using facet analysis to search and organise the World Wide Web

This paper documents the continuing relevance of facet analysis as a technique for searching and organising World Wide Web based materials. The two approaches underlying WWW searching and indexing – word and concept based indexing – are outlined. It is argued that facet analysis as an a posteori approach to classification using words from the subject field as the concept terms in the classification derived represents an excellent approach to searching and organising the results of WWW searches using either search engines or search directories. Finally, it is argued that the underlying philosophy of facet analysis is better suited to the disparate nature of WWW resources and searchers than the assumptions of contemporary IR research.

The impact of rewards within communities of practice: a study of the SAP online global community

This paper explores the effects of introducing rewards within a virtual community of practice: the software vendor SAP (Systems Applications and Products) online global community. The study of postings to the SAP community discussion forums shows that rewards have had a damaging effect on the exchange of knowledge and generalised trust among members within the community. The intrinsic motivation of members to share knowledge was undermined by rewards, with the consequence that the pursuit of rewards became the priority for many, over and above contributing valuable information to the community. Thus, the introduction of rewards devalued the concept of knowledge as a public good, voluntarily shared out of moral obligation and community interest. Instead, knowledge came to be seen as a private good to be shared out of economic self-interest. Following the introduction of rewards, the primary motivation of many members to participate within the community shifted from community interest and moral obligation to that of economic self-interest.

The Relevance of Facet Analysis for World Wide Web Subject Organization and Searching

SUMMARY Different forms of indexing and search facilities available on the Web are described. Use of facet analysis to structure hypertext concept structures is outlined in relation to work on (1.) development of hypertext knowledge bases for designers of learning materials and (2) construction of knowledge based hypertext interfaces. The problem of lack of closeness between page designers and potential users is examined. Facet analysis is suggested as a way of alleviating some difficulties associated with this problem of designing for the unknown user.

Dilemmas in knowledge management

Purpose – This paper aims to discuss some of the debates that have surrounded knowledge management as a field since its inception in 1990s from the perspective of the dilemmas that they have raised regarding: the notion of knowledge management as a field in relationship to other cognate fields such as information management, and the implications introduced by different approaches and perspectives on managing knowledge.Design/methodology/approach – Problems and dilemmas brought about by the contribution of the following perspectives and strands of literature on knowledge management are discussed: organisational behaviour perspectives; strategic management perspectives; and economic‐ and accountancy‐based perspectives.Findings – The explicit aim attributed to knowledge management by many authors of managing the transfer of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge raises dilemmas that are re‐enacted and reconstructed in the above key approaches to knowledge management.Originality/value – Beyond focusing on th...

The use of Grounded Theory in PhD research in knowledge management: A model four‐stage research design

Purpose – New PhD researchers sometimes face challenges when attempting to follow Grounded Theory principles to conduct their studies. These challenges may lead them to change its features or even prevent them from using the approach at all. This paper seeks to argue that, although challenging to implement, Grounded Theory is congruent with the nature of PhD research. It aims to provide an example of the application of Grounded Theory in a typically time‐limited PhD research project without the need to change any of its key features and principles.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents and discusses the research design adopted in ongoing PhD research which integrates the main guiding principles of Grounded Theory in a simplified four‐stage model of theory development.Findings – The proposed model four‐stage research design includes: an uncertainty stage, where the primary focus is formed; an emergence stage, where the core categories, which are the foundations of the theory, emerge; an ambiguity...

The role of professional discourses in the organisational adaptation of information systems

This paper focuses on the role of professional discourses in shaping the contexts upon which the organisational role of information systems is constructed and adapted. It presents the results of an exploratory case study conducted at a Higher Education Institution in the UK during the implementation and post-implementation periods of a University-wide management information system. It analyses how different professional discourses explored tensions in the management of the information environment articulated around two major categories of issues, which acted as interpretative repertoires and discursive resources:(i)representations of the information environment, expressed through the tension between information centripetalism and information centrifugalism; (ii)models of information management approaches, expressed through the tension between a focus on controlling process and a focus on negotiating meanings. While simultaneously discursively exploring these tensions and establishing contacts across them through activities of organisational translation, different organisational actors reshaped and adapted the role of information systems from an initial centripetal agenda to a much more negotiated and distributed role.

The ShaRInK framework: a holistic perspective on key categories of influences shaping individual perceptions of knowledge sharing

Purpose – This paper aims to present a holistic framework, termed ShaRInK (Sharer, Relations, Institution, Knowledge), that depicts key categories of influences that shape individual perceptions of knowledge sharing within an organisational setting. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory and qualitative case study strategy in which empirical data were gathered from 24 interviewees that were based in four different branches (i.e. China, The Netherlands, the UK and the USA) of a single information technology services organisation. Findings – The findings led to a holistic framework that depicts four key categories of influences that shape knowledge sharing from an individual perspective: attitudes and characteristics of the sharers, relations between the sharers, institutions which act as a united entity on sharer perceptions and knowledge itself. Furthermore, the four key influences not only shape knowledge sharing independently but are intertwined and have a synergistic effect. The ShaRInK framework...