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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nature of knowledge sharing and what is experienced as being shared as knowledge sharing unfolds. In particular, the paper explores affect as a key aspect of knowledge sharing in an organisational context. Design/methodology/approach: A practice theoretical approach is applied to the study combined with a phenomenological research methodology that focusses on the "lived experience" of participants. Findings: Knowledge-sharing practice was found to encompass cognitive, social, bodily and affective dimensions. Affect was found to be a significant component of the practice as revealed by participant emotion and the use of conversational humour. Research limitations/implications: In light of the findings, the researcher recommends a focus on participant sensings in practice theoretical research, in combination with sayings, doings and relatings. Originality/value: The approach to the study is significant in that, in contrast to previous practice-based research in information studies, it applied a methodology adapted from phenomenology. This combination of approaches opened the investigation to the multi-dimensional experiential nature of knowledge-sharing practice highlighting the significant role of affect in knowledge sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analysis of the NET architecture, this paper studies the human resource enterprise information management system for the current situation. First of all, through the analysis of the current situation and the demand of human resource information management in enterprises, this paper puts forward the reasonable architecture mode of constructing the system, and constructs the human resource information management system by means of NET. This paper studies object-oriented and component development of a combination of design methods, with human resource enterprise information management system for visual modeling, which is from the system requirements, system design, system implementation and other aspects of human resource information management system for a specific analysis and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisms may reduce uncertainty regarding how best to exploit their environment by collecting information about resource distribution. We develop a model to demonstrate how competition can facilitate or constrain an individual's ability to use information when acquiring resources. As resource distribution underpins both selection on information use and the strength and nature of competition between individuals, we demonstrate interdependencies between the two that should be common in nature. Individuals in our model can search for resources either personally or by using social information. We explore selection on social information use across a comprehensive range of ecological conditions, generalizing the producer--scrounger framework to a wide diversity of taxa and resources. We show that resource ecology--defined by scarcity, depletion rate and monopolizability--determines patterns of individual differences in social information use. These differences suggest coevolutionary processes linking dominance systems and social information use, with implications for the evolutionary demography of populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to present an option for including a variety of information resources in a reference linking service system. Discussion on reference linking service in journals began in 1999 and applied to real systems, but linking to research papers and patent registers has more recently emerged. This study further suggests that system construction include various information resources such as books and dissertations. This paper also presents principles and prerequisites that should be considered essential when building such systems, including expansion of resources and media formats, development of identifiers on every sort of information resource, linking methods to existing DB, publication revolution and managing copyright-holders, use and improvement of OPACs, and building perfect authority DB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. This paper discusses the person-in-environment framework, which proposes the inclusion of environmental factors, alongside personal factors, as the explanatory factors of individual-level information behaviour and outcome. Method. The paper first introduces the principles and schematic formulas of the person-in-environment framework. It then presents the findings of an empirical verification study. Analysis. A multi-way ANOVA test was conducted to verify the person-in-environment framework. The main and interaction effects of eight individual and information environment variables on individual academic performance were tested. Results. Four main effects (baseline academic grade, outcome expectation, home computer resources, and public library usage) and two interaction effects (home computer resources x public library usage; public library usage x neighbourhood public library resource level) were significant. Conclusions. The the person-in-environment framework framework can help identify significant environmental interaction effects that would have been missed in studies that included only personal factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Social media are becoming a vital source of information in disaster or emergency situations. While a growing number of studies have explored the use of social media in natural disasters by emergency staff, military personnel, medical and other professionals, very few studies have investigated the use of social media by members of the public. The purpose of this paper is to explore citizens' information experiences in social media during times of natural disaster. Method. A qualitative research approach was applied. Data was collected via in-depth interviews. Twenty-five people who used social media during a natural disaster in Australia participated in the study. Analysis. Audio recordings of interviews and interview transcripts provided the empirical material for data analysis. Data was analysed using structural and focussed coding methods. Results. Eight key themes depicting various aspects of participants' information experience during a natural disaster were uncovered by the study: connected; wellbeing; coping; help; brokerage; journalism; supplementary and characteristics. Conclusion. This study contributes insights into social media's potential for developing community disaster resilience and promotes discussion about the value of civic participation in social media when such circumstances occur. These findings also contribute to our understanding of information experiences as a new informational research object. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. This study examined whether user ratings, expert ratings and the purpose of the use of a book on a user-generated site influenced the credibility of the book. It also examined whether the effects of user ratings and expert ratings on credibility judgments of the book varied according to the purpose of information use. In addition, this study examined whether the co-existence of user ratings and expert ratings influenced people's credibility judgments of user ratings, and vice versa, on a user-generated content site. Method. Data were collected using both an experiment and a survey. The experiment took the form of a 2x2x2 factorial design, involving user ratings of a book (high or low ratings), expert ratings (high or low ratings) and purposes (academic or casual reading). A total of 233 college students participated in the study. Analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the research hypotheses and answer the research questions of the study. Correlation analyses were performed for the exploratory findings. Results. Expert ratings influenced the credibility of the book while user ratings did not. The effects of user ratings and expert ratings did not vary according to the purpose of information use regarding the credibility of the book. However, when expert ratings were high, the respondents perceived higher user ratings as more credible than lower ones. On the other hand, when expert ratings were low, the respondents perceived lower user ratings as more credible than higher ones. Conclusions. Expert opinions are important in the credibility judgments of the book and the credibility of user ratings on a user-generated site. The results provide practical implications for user-generated content designers and librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. This study explored how information mediated by formal (health professionals) and informal (family, friends and others) interpersonal relationships is used and made valuable for personal health management. Findings draw on women's experiences as they responded to, made sense of and used uncertain and evolving health information. Method. Semi-structured interviews with 28 women were conducted using narrative and elicitation approaches. Findings were illuminated by interviews with 12 health professionals. Investigations were rooted in a social constructionist approach and an active, process-oriented view of information seeking. Analysis. Findings were inductively analyzed using directed content analysis and grounded theory's constant comparative approach. NVivo 8TM facilitated analysis. Results. Interpersonal face-to-face interactions provided important opportunities for constructive processes. Meaning and plans for action were created between people; narratives and story-telling helped participants construct sense from their experiences and information seeking. Formal interpersonal contacts were valued for expert medical knowledge; trust and collaborative communication styles mediated participants' confidence in and use of health information from professionals. Sex and gender played a role in women's perception of clinician communication styles. The experiential and biomedical knowledge of informal interpersonal contacts was important to participants; women viewed their experiences through the lens of their mothers' health experiences. Conclusions. Findings situated interpersonal information behaviours as a critical means of constructing meaning and facilitating health management decisions. The study supports channel complementarity theory and has implications for patient-clinician relationships and for relational dimensions mediated by other information environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Along with leading to growth in the numbers of people doing information work, the increasing role of information in our contemporary society has led to an explosion of new information professions as well. The labels for these fields can be confusing and overlapping, and what does and does not constitute an information profession has become unclear. Method. We have available a body of theory and analysis that can form the basis of a review of this new professional landscape, and enable us to clarify and rationalize the array of emerging information professions. Analysis. Work by the author and others on the philosophical nature, and core elements, of the information professions is drawn upon and applied to the current professional scene. The nature of information itself and of information-related activities are defined and closely analysed to produce models of the disciplines and the work elements within the disciplines of information. Results. The analysis makes possible the incorporation of popular new information disciplines into an overarching framework that includes pre-existing fields as well. Conclusions. The analysis provides a perspective that clarifies the relationships among the information disciplines as well as their relationship to other professional activities in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. This paper investigates techniques used by children in year 4 (age eight to nine) of a UK primary school to reformulate their queries, and how they use information retrieval systems to support query reformulation. Method. An in-depth study analysing the interactions of twelve children carrying out search tasks in a primary school lesson; including observations, search recordings, post-task interviews and teacher interview. Analysis. The search screen recordings were analysed for task performance. The queries were categorised using both Broder's taxonomy (2002) and query reformulation type schemes. The interviews and observations were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. Results. Children reformulated queries by switching information retrieval system, extracting information from search results, and by using 'did you mean' and autocomplete functionality. The children also reformulated queries by using previous queries, correcting errors, and making their queries more specific. The type of query reformulation support the children used varied according to the type of query entered, with children submitting both question queries and broad-based topic queries. Conclusions. The children mostly reformulated queries based on their interactions with information retrieval systems, rather than their prior knowledge. Search systems could further support children by (1) tailoring tools to the type of query (question or broadbased) entered, (2) making suggestions for the narrowing of queries as the children found this particularly difficult (3) accommodating children's linear scanning of search results as this led to unnecessary query reformulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. World population is ageing at unprecedented rate. Little is known about the information behaviour of persons in the fourth age (also known as ill-derly or disability zone), most of whom are very old. The study explored the everyday life information needs of these people, the sources and processes they used to meet those needs, and their continuing ability to use computers and the Internet for meeting those information needs. Method. Employing an interpretivist/constructivist worldview, this two-year, largely qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews and observation to study the information behaviour of 25 participants residing at two independent-living retirement communities. Analysis. Interviews were taped and transcribed; observation notes were taken and transcribed. The interview transcripts and observation notes were analysed for themes and categories. Results. The major information needs were: the health and wellness of themselves and their families and friends, pharmaceuticals, personal income and finance, assistive devices, safe mental challenges, legal matters, consumer goods, and benefits and services. Information sources included: caregivers, intimate social networks, wider social networks, mass media, small world sources, and outside professional and institutional sources. Proxy information seekers became increasingly important. Conclusions. Information needs, sources and processes inevitably decline as individuals proceed through the fourth age. However, by providing opportunities to engage in favoured activities and offering outside support, that decline can often be slowed or even temporarily reversed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. This paper reports on an extensive research project which aimed at exploring information sharing activities in a scholarly context. The paper presents and synthesises findings from a literature review and three qualitative case studies. The empirical setting is a geographically distributed Nordic network of design scholars. Method. The project is characterised by an explorative approach encompassing semistructured interviews, document studies, and ethnographically oriented participatory observations. Apart from addressing the empirical question of how, where, when, and why the researchers in the network share information, the paper elucidate the reciprocal relationship between information sharing and the wider practice of design research. Analysis. The research questions are addressed through close reading and interrelated analysis of four previous studies. Results. When scholarly information sharing takes place organizational structures are sometimes complemented, or substituted, by flexible communities of practice such as those in the investigated network. Information sharing appears as a means to reach collective understanding, also regarding issues that stretches beyond the immediate information practices, for instance about how to act as a design scholar. Conclusions. This research clarifies and provides examples of how information sharing is embedded in and intertwined with a range of other activities, such as writing, reading and information seeking. It also presents information sharing as a contributor to the enactment of a discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, Western democratic governments have encountered coordination challenges in the face of increasing levels of complexity. This article examines how the widespread penetration of new information and communication technologies is implicated in this situation. Attention is drawn to how information is no longer just a resource but also a generative power. While the new informational dynamics entail greater capacities for instrumental manipulation, they are also recursive and produce emergent effects. These new dynamics introduce a novel set of coordination and control challenges that mark a significant departure from industrial modes of governance and organization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction. This paper examines information seeking in a city administration. We analyse the relationship between information source use and task complexity, and the connections between sources and information types. Method. Data were collected through pre-task and post-task questionnaires completed by six city administration employees during their normal workdays. The data set was collected on fifty-nine tasks chosen by the participants. Analysis. The pre-task and post-task forms of the same underlying task were joined together and each task was assigned an aggregated complexity estimate based on the estimates made by the participants. Expected (pre-task) and materialised (post-task) information types and sources were classified and finally, quantitative analysis methods and statistical tests were used to find trends in information source use by task complexity. Results. Five information source types (the Web, organizational information systems, email, human sources, other) were recognised in the data. Task complexity affected the use of some sources more than others. Increasing task complexity reduces the use of organizational information systems and increases the use of Web resources, respectively. Conclusion. We found that task complexity is an important factor explaining information seeking behaviour, and specific source types are used when seeking for specific information types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The paper presents an approach and possible methods for eliciting mental models of the bibliographic universe for music resources and comparing them to Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), a conceptual model of the bibliographic universe. A small pilot study using these methods is also presented. Method. There are several viable methods for eliciting mental models such as card sorting, concept mapping, and graph selection. Card sorting and concept mapping were used to conduct the pilot study. Conclusions. The pilot study shows promising results, allowing us to continue with the full-fledged research, which hopes to contribute to a better understanding of the perceptions and needs of users, specifically for music resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of construction of models of safety of informative resources is conducted in the article. The accented attention is on the necessity of including for any model of informative safety of approaches of the General criteria. Built conceptual model of informative safety of state informative resources, exposed her basic components. Shown directions of further researches in relation to the analysis of existing and to the construction for the informative systems which contain the state informative resources of flow diagrams of the systems of information protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - To investigate the use of information sources for decision making within academic libraries; specifically looking at what sources of information are used, whether information use is related to organizational climate, and what organizational factors lead to optimal information use in decision making. Design - Cross-sectional survey on a random sample of libraries. Setting - 18 medium to moderately large academic libraries from across the United States. Subjects - 356 academic librarians holding a variety of positions and levels of responsibility within their organizations. Methods - A questionnaire was mailed to participants in order to measure relationships between four main variables: information acquisition, information dissemination, information evaluation, and library climate. All instruments were validated and tested for reliability. Participants were given 10 library decision situations to consider, together with a list of potential information sources to inform the decision, and then choose which information source they would use primarily in each situation. Participants' perception of their library climate was measured with five scales covering innovation, support, freedom, democratic governance, and esprit. Main Results - The study found that academic librarians prefer internal sources of information, such as interpersonal communication with library staff, and library committees, for making decisions. However, paraprofessional staff members were not seen as meaningful sources of information within this grouping. The participants rarely chose to consult external information sources, such as other professionals outside of the library, or library users. Information sources such as conducting research, continuing education, past experience, or personal opinion were not found to be important to the participants' decision making. Written documents such as articles, books, and brochures were also seldom used. Democratic governance was the organizational climate dimension found to be most closely linked to information dissemination. Conclusion - The authors conclude that the study suggests that academic librarians are not using a full complement of information sources to assist with their decision making, and that the "information that is used tends to be 'opinion- based' rather than empirically based" (p. 495). Proximity of information plays a role, with information that is closer and easier to obtain being used more frequently. The authors strongly stress, with concern, that, "current academic library decision-making processes encourage ineffective activities since they preclude or limit clientele input, empirical research, and additional environmental input" (p. 495). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open Access movement and currently formed GL circuit provide the scientific community with unique opportunity to modernize a fundamental part of research life-cycle: processes by which the scientists reuse research outputs when they produce new knowledge and then the community assesses their impact. When scientists mentally manipulate the research outputs, outcomes and other objects of scientific information space they discover relationships between the objects and thereby they reuse it to produce a new scientific knowledge. Some of these relationships become visible in scientists' articles (e.g. by citations). Most of them are directly not observable and may exist in a mental form only. In the paper we propose an "open use" approach for the research area and discuss a practical implementation of the model within a research information system "Socionet" supported a grey literature circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades, translation studies have managed to impose the right consideration of translation not only as a process/product, but also as a profession in its own right, with all the consequences deriving from it. In this technical and information age, translators rely extensively on the resources and tools made available online, precisely due to their convenience translated into the time spent searching for data (the information is only a click away), a plethora of parallel texts which are readily available, interaction and feedback (translation blogs and forums where professionals share opinions and information), and reliability, although this is an issue which may give rise to debate. This paper aims to take a closer look at how these resources can be fully exploited in translator training, and at the twofold possible application of the internet in this field: one the one hand, as a very useful provider of translation instruments, and on the other hand, as a potentially inexhaustible source of information, both linguistic and/or cultural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine past, current, and future usage of encyclopedias. Design/methodology/approach - The paper reviews the history of encyclopedias, their composition, and usage by focusing on select publications covering different subject areas. Findings - Due to their static nature, traditionally published encyclopedias are not always accurate, objective information resources. Intentions of editors and authors also come into question. A researcher may find more value in using encyclopedias as historical documents rather than resources for quick facts. Practical implications - Academic librarians may begin to invest more selectively in encyclopedias, whether in print or electronic format, and market them differently to students and faculty. Originality/value - This article explores the academic value of encyclopedias in the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every organization requires data and information to run its business and support decision making. These data and information can be obtained from many sources, internal or external organization. Wherever they come from, data and information should be free from any errors and defects to make the business run well and the decision taken from them qualified. In this article, after determination of information quality criteria, weight or importance of each criterion were calculated by utilizing fuzzy-AHP. The main conclusion from this particular study was designing a model to illustrate the information gap between current level and targeted level. The gap between those two levels could be used as guideline for improvement plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ontology is commonly used as a structure capturing knowledge about a certain area via providing relevant concepts and relations between them. Nowadays, because of the increase in designing ontologies in different domains, it is important to describe some criteria for selecting the most appropriate ontology. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the ontology evaluation criteria, approaches and layers. At first, different evaluation stages in ontology evaluation were explained. Then the most important approaches to ontology evaluation were described: included gold standard, task-based, data-driven and criteria based evaluation. Another part of this paper was about ontology evaluation criteria such as those mentioned by experts of ontology domain as well as the criteria that proposed by US National Center for ontological Research. Lastly, the levels of ontology evaluation, involved lexical, vocabulary, or data layer, hierarchy or taxonomy layer, other semantic relations layer, context or application level, syntactic level, structure, architecture and design layer were characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper offers the foundations of the theory of information media. Information media are dynamical systems with additional macrostructure of information-carrying states and information-preserving transformations. The paper also defines the notion of information media network as a system of information media connected by information transformations. It is demonstrated that many standard examples of information-containing and processing systems are captured by the general notion of information medium. The paper uses the theory (and informal discussion) of information media to motivate a structural approach to the information in media. The idea is that the notion of information transformation should be regarded as more primitive than the notion of informational state. Thus in information systems, especially in the context of information technology, information is secondary while information transformation is primary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV infection defines particular ways of information management among people affected by this health condition. This article presents the results of a study aimed to determine how the information needs and information-seeking behaviours are generated and expressed in a sample of people with HIV from Lima, Peru, essaying an ethnographic, interpretative approach to explore the role of different forms of uncertainty present in different moments of their lives. The results inform an explanatory theoretical model which establish a continuum with a base formed by people's multiple experiences of uncertainty, from where some specific information needs emerge. Depending of the people's stages in their life trajectories with HIV and several socio-cultural factors, some information needs can be expressed as information-seeking behaviours. The study's findings support an analysis approach based in human experiences, social relationships, contextual elements and life trajectories which define information flows. In that sense, this approach has some implications for theory, social research, and professional practice in Information Science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the methology of the qualitative market research conducted by the Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften (ZBW), a German economics library, in order to refine services offered to their target users. The research first clarified how the target groups receive their information, the information management and resources, and their eventual use of new media. Then the ZBW used qualitative market research tools such as group discussions, workshops, and expert interviews.

The article considers the use of covariance structure analysis (CSA) in structural equation modeling in information systems research. It is noted that while Formatively measured constructs have been increasingly used in information systems research, most studies have have been relying on the partial least squares (PLS) method to estimate structural models involving constructs measured with formative indicators. Issues and possible problems involving formatively measured constructs within a covariance-based modeling framework are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to explore the availability and use of printed, audiovisual and electronic information by high school teachers in the areas of Communication, Social Sciences and the Person, Family and Human Relations from a sample of public schools of Lima, as well as to ascertain teachers' perception regarding their information needs and interests. This study was carried out by means of surveys, focus groups, semi-structured interviews and observation of the sites, equipment, library collections and innovative education classrooms. The results of this research may be useful for the educational authorities to determine institutional policies that promote teachers' professional development and ongoing education as well as improving the quality of teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature provides a wide range of techniques to assess and improve the quality of data. Due to the diversity and complexity of these techniques, research has recently focused on defining methodologies that help the selection, customization, and application of data quality assessment and improvement techniques. The goal of this article is to provide a systematic and comparative description of such methodologies. Methodologies are compared along several dimensions, including the methodological phases and steps, the strategies and techniques, the data quality dimensions, the types of data, and, finally, the types of information systems addressed by each methodology. The article concludes with a summary description of each methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academics consider theories to be the bedrock of scientific research, while some business practitioners find them esoteric and difficult to understand. Previous discussions on this issue have often framed theories and research in terms of either rigor or relevance—with little middle ground for academics and practitioners to meet. This article maintains theories are useful to academics and practitioners, and that it is essential for both parties to take advantage of the characteristics and usefulness of theories. This article suggests specific ways academic researchers and business practitioners can effectively use a full range of theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a partial solution to the problem of the relevance of information systems research by adjusting doctoral programs to the specific needs and talents of doctoral students that have significant prior professional life experience. The purpose of this paper is first to recognize that the "professionally qualified doctoral student" (PQDS) has a different type of knowledge that may give her/him some advantages over other students, including greater symbolic capital. We examine the epistemic evidence for the claim that part of their practical experience constitutes a specific type of "applicative" knowledge that should be considered as different from but of equal value to theory, which has been the mainstay of academic education. Three independent lines of academic research contribute such evidence: the communities of practice literature, philosophical perspectives on applicative knowledge, and cognitive sciences. We argue that PQDSs may benefit from doctoral programs with specific features designed to leverage their practical knowledge. In turn, they may be able to "boundary span" and publish research results in forms that are appreciated by their professional communities. Finally we discuss some practical institutional issues that could be addressed if we are to sustain this profile of researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article features survey developments in electronic-health care services in Croatia. The author states that the absence of the right information at the right time in the health care sector is caused by a lack of technology and computer illiteracy. He discusses the challenges of identifying the common problems faced by both big and small countries and finding the solutions for these problems. The author states that the strategy for developing the Croatian health system by 2011 involves complete computerization of the health care system. The author also discusses information and communication technology and its use in the health care system.

In this paper I review the Information Systems (IS) research on how developing countries have attempted to benefit from information and communication technologies (ICTs). First I identify three discourses on IS implementation and associated organizational and social change that coexist in information systems in developing countries (ISDC) research, namely as a process of technology and knowledge transfer and adaptation to local social conditions; as a process of socially embedded action; and as a process of transformative techno-organizational intervention associated with global politics and economics. I then point out the distinctive research agenda that has been formed in ISDC studies, both in the more familiar IS themes – failure, outsourcing, and strategic value of ICT – and also in studies of themes relevant specifically to the context of developing countries, such as the development of community ICT and information resources. Finally, I call the reader's attention to the potentially significant theoretical contributions of ISDC research for understanding IS innovation in relation to social context and in relation to socio-economic development theories and policies.Journal of Information Technology (2008) 23, 133–146. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jit.2000136 Published online 17 June 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased reliance on computers by many companies and public organisations has generated a business risk for them. For example, problems in systems availability can lead to additional cost in operations, lost revenues and competitive losses. Systematic analyses are needed to avoid such losses. Prior research provides rigorous methods for identifying information systems risks and reducing the likelihood of these risks. The analysis of potential business losses in the user organisations has, however, received only limited attention. The objective in this paper is to investigate methods that can be used in the systematic identification of potential losses in the user organisation. The paper provides a review of prior literature on methods that can be used to analyse and report such losses. One understudied method is business process analysis that entails a systematic analysis of potential losses in different phases of the organisation's core business processes. Action research was used to examine the use of business process analysis as a method to associate information systems availability risk with potential business losses. The analysis was carried out in two different companies, one operating in the paper industry and the other one in the finance sector. The study contributes to research by summarising prior research on the analysis of business losses and by illustrating how the use of one method, business process analysis, assisted the client organisations. Perhaps most importantly, it identifies a new topic that has received very little attention in information systems research, despite its obvious managerial and practical significance.Journal of Information Technology (2008) 23, 185–202. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jit.2000122 Published online 11 December 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a case study to illustrate and further extend the notion of ‘socially destructive systems’. Baskerville and Land define a destructive information system as either coming apart internally or threatening to take their environment apart. Building upon their insights, this paper suggests that destructive systems emerge from the very attributes that attract organisations to information systems in the first place – a phenomenon encapsulated by the so-called ‘Icarus paradox’. Icarus flew so close to the Sun that his wax wings that had enabled him to fly in the first place melted sending him plunging to his death. The case study of an insurance company shows how a system that increased claims processing productivity in the short run resulted in higher costs and lower customer satisfaction in the long run. The paradox is explained by a disconnect between ‘espoused-theory’ and ‘theory-in-use’. Issues for further research include developing techniques of impact analysis to measure recursive losses arising from ‘destructive systems’ and for gauging the level of complexity at which computer-based automation becomes counterproductive. An important recommendation for practice is that computer-based systems are efficient only to a point. For more complex tasks organisations may need to put more emphasis upon developing people.Journal of Information Technology (2008) 23, 176–184. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jit.2000119 Published online 30 October 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a psychological contract perspective on the use of the open source development model as a global sourcing strategy--opensourcing, as we term it here--whereby commercial companies and open source communities collaborate on development of software of commercial interest to the company. Building on previous research on information systems outsourcing, a theoretical framework for exploring the opensourcing phenomenon is derived. The first phase of the research concerned qualitative case studies involving three commercial organizations (IONA Technologies, Philips Medical Systems, and Telefonica) that had "liberated" what had hitherto been proprietary software and sought to grow a global open source community around their product. We followed this with a large-scale survey involving additional exemplars of the phenomenon. The study identifies a number of symmetrical and complementary customer and community obligations that are associated with opensourcing success. We also identify a number of tension points on which customer and community perceptions tend to vary. Overall the key watchwords for opensourcing are openness, trust, tact, professionalism, transparency, and complementariness: The customer and community need to establish a trusted partnership of shared responsibility in building an overall opensourcing ecosystem. The study reveals an ongoing shift from OSS as a community of individual developers to OSS as a community of commercial organizations, primarily small to medium-sized enterprises. It also reveals that opensourcing provides ample opportunity for companies to headhunt top developers, hence moving from outsourcing to a largely unknown OSS workforce toward recruitment of developers from a global open source community whose talents have become known as a result of the opensourcing experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research in the area of information systems acceptance has primarily focused on initial adoption under the implicit assumption that IS usage is mainly determined by intention. While plausible in the case of initial IS adoption, this assumption may not be as readily applicable to continued IS usage behavior since it ignores that frequently performed behaviors tend to become habitual and thus automatic over time. This paper is a step forward in defining and incorporating the "habit" construct into IS research. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to explore the role of habit and its antecedents in the context of continued IS usage. Building on previous work in other disciplines, we define habit in the context of IS usage as the extent to which people tend to perform behaviors (use IS) automatically because of learning. Using recent work on the continued usage of IS (IS continuance), we have developed a model suggesting that continued IS usage is not only a consequence of intention, but also of habit. In particular, in our research model, we propose IS habit to moderate the influence of intention such that its importance in determining behavior decreases as the behavior in question takes on a more habitual nature. Integrating past research on habit and IS continuance further, we suggest how antecedents of behavior/behavioral intention as identified by IS continuance research relate to drivers of habitualization. We empirically tested the model in the context of voluntary continued WWW usage. Our results support the argument that habit acts as a moderating variable of the relationship between intentions and IS continuance behavior, which may put a boundary condition on the explanatory power of intentions in the context of continued IS usage. The data also support that satisfaction, frequency of past behavior, and comprehensiveness of usage are key to habit formation and thus relevant in the context of IS continuance behavior. Implications of these... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transaction cost concepts have been deployed in information systems to analyze the impact of information technology on the organization of economic activity in markets and hierarchies. It has been widely observed that there is a general trend toward markets. It has also been observed that the transaction cost approach cannot explain empirical observations where the choice of governance has more to do with power and behavioral attributes of transacting actors than with minimizing transaction costs. Information systems researchers have overcome the shortcomings of the transaction cost approach to a limited extent by complementing it with political economy, resource-dependency and network theories. However, these complementary perspectives cannot easily analyze the interactions between power and efficiency and cannot handle the impact of the institutional environment on the choice of governance structure. This research exposes the shortcomings of these complementary perspectives in the light of a range of institutionalist studies drawn from economics, sociology and anthropology. The research points out that an institutional approach is essential for understanding and overcoming the complications that may arise as IT-enabled moves toward markets are launched in organizations that are situated in institutional environments that are at present not compatible with market-oriented exchange arrangements. We demonstrate this by the application of three ‘tools’ to an exemplary case where information systems in the British National Health Service were intended as a tool to move one aspect of the hierarchical structure toward a market structure.Journal of Information Technology (2007) 22, 275–283; doi:10.1057/palgrave.jit.2000107 Published online 31 July 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the defining purposes of e-Government, highly agile, citizen-centric, accountable, transparent, effective, and efficient government operations and services have high rank. For reaching these goals, the integration of government information resources and processes, and ultimately, the interoperation of independent e-Government information systems appears essential. Yet, most integration and interoperation efforts meet serious challenges and constraints. This article contributes to the development of a research framework on integration and system interoperation in e-Government. We propose future research projects to study the foci and purposes, limitations and constraints, as well as processes and outcomes of integration and interoperation in electronic Government. For so doing, we suggest needs-and-wants theory as one promising theoretical lens (among others) for guiding that effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has investigated the main effect of training on information systems implementation success. However, empirical support for this model is inconsistent. We propose a contingent model in which the effect of training on IS implementation success is a function of technical complexity and task interdependence. A meta-analysis of the literature finds strong support for the model, explaining the inconsistent findings reported in the literature. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformation of an IS junction is difficult under the best of circumstances, but when this transformation is forced by factors beyond the control of the organization, it becomes increasingly challenging. This Study follows the information systems transformation of the US Naval Construction Forces which was mandated as a result of the turbulent environment, budget cuts, and military "right-sizing." The transformation process was conducted with the action learning method infrequently used in information systems research. This method directly involves the researcher in the organizational change effort while placing organization members in dose collaboration with the researcher on what is known as an action learning set. The method seeks to transform the organization while developing the participant into more efficient and knowledgeable employees. The project is illustrated in phases and the successful migration from a highly centralized to a decentralized organization is presented through a case study [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the concepts and procedures of product quality control can be applied to the problem of producing better quality information outputs. From this perspective, information outputs can be viewed as information products, and many information systems can be modeled as information manufacturing systems. The use of information products is becoming increasingly prevalent both within and across organizational boundaries.This paper presents a set of ideas, concepts, models, and procedures appropriate to information manufacturing systems that can be used to determine the quality of information products delivered, or transferred, to information customers. These systems produce information products on a regular or as-requested basis. The model systematically tracks relevant attributes of the information product such as timeliness, accuracy and cost. This is facilitated through an information manufacturing analysis matrix that relates data units and various system components. Measures of these attributes can then be used to analyze potential improvements to the information manufacturing system under consideration. An illustrative example is given to demonstrate the various features of the information manufacturing system and show how it can be used to analyze and improve the system. Following that is an actual application, which, although not as involved as the illustrative example, does demonstrate the applicability of the model and its associated concepts and procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes some key defining characteristics of s special class of information systems known as Management Myth-Information Systems (MMIS) or story-telling information systems. MMIS are information systems [26] which present information to a decision-maker by means of stories. In an MMIS, a scientific datum by itself is not information. In an MMIS, information is information if and only if it is tied to an appropriate story or myth that has meaning to the individual who needs the information, the organization in which he is located, and the type of problem that he faces. This defines the key variables underlying an MMIS. As such, the study of the critical literature dealing with the nature and function of mythology becomes central to the design of MMIS. One of the key purposes of this paper is to suggest how the literature of mythology and the phenomenon of story-telling can be used in the design of MMIS it not for information systems in general. An experiment dealing with some central features of MMIS is described. The experiment involved playing a series of games under the twin conditions of (1) uncertainty and (2) dialectical advice. Experimental subjects were exposed to the advice of two radically opposing "experts of the game" who were designed to present two radically opposing views ("stories") of the game situation. Finally, a program of research on MMIS is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between the decision to purchase a costly information system and the wealth of an investor with a logarithmic utility function, where the information system may provide information concerning the payoffs from risky investments. It is shown, for the logarithmic investor, that (a) there is a wealth "break-even point" below which it is suboptimal to purchase an information system at a fixed cost, and (b) the amount the investor would be willing to pay for access to the information system is a linearly increasing function of his wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on information growth and its management. It says that the study "A Digital Universe Decade - Are You Ready?" by IDC shows that the digital information produced in 2009 will be 44 times larger by 2020. However, Symantec Corp. states that companies can manage this figure and reduce its costs through such aspects as deduplication, protection, and retention. The article mentions several Symantec solutions to help companies achieve efficient and effective data storage and backup.

Introduction. The aim of the study is to give a user-centered perspective to mobile workers' personal information management while they are exposed to unpredictable circumstances and challenges in records creation, management and retention. Method. The study was conducted as a qualitative case study by interviewing mobile workers in three Finnish organizations in 2004-2010. Analysis. The interview data were digitally recorded and transcribed. After that the data were analysed qualitatively by cross-case analysis to identify common themes and issues. Results. Records created in mobile work were both vital and non-substantial. Personal information management problems referred to information spread over many devices, version control, and access to records. Issues regarding collective information management were collective records creation and independence of the individual employee. Conclusions. The methods and tools should be further examined to improve mobile workers' everyday information management. Mobile workers would benefit from developing information systems which would better support mobile work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognition of the improvements in patient safety, quality of patient care, and efficiency that health care information systems have the potential to bring has led to significant investment. Globally the sale of health care information systems now represents a multibillion dollar industry. As policy makers, health care professionals, and patients, we have a responsibility to maximize the return on this investment. To this end we analyze alternative licensing and software development models, as well as the role of standards. We describe how licensing affects development. We argue for the superiority of open source licensing to promote safer, more effective health care information systems. We claim that open source licensing in health care information systems is essential to rational procurement strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article comments on a paper in this issue examining how the structure of an organization can determine the success or failure of its information systems (IS). The authors say that horizontal mechanisms facilitate collaboration between corporate units and take the form of groups, roles and networking practices. The author looked at two structures and offers three recommendations to managers such as that companies with centralized or federal IS structures should implement horizontal mechanisms to better communication and that this can be a tool for determining an organization's existing lateral organization skills.The author also says that an organization with a centralized information system can save money and become more customer driven.