Information products in the electronic environment Jela Steinerová Comenius University Bratislava Department of Library and Information Science Slovakia steinerova@fphil.uniba.sk
Challenge of information science Questions: How should information science and practice of libraries respond to new information products in the electronic environment? Is information ecology a productive concept for information products?
Outline Information ecology Human information behavior and relevance judgements results of two projects in Slovakia Information products in the electronic environment Information ecology of information products
Information ecology Meaningful information activities in academic information environments: Information behavior of social actors Information literacy relevance judgments Information tools Knowledge organizations: concepts maps
Concepts of information ecology Biology,law, information ethics Information management (Davenport, Prusak 1997) Social informatics, ICT (Nardi, O Day 1999) Information seeking (Williamson 2005), affective information behavior (Nahl, Bilal 2007, Given 2007)
Information management
Information management: information ecology
Ecological model of information seeking
Affective information ecology
Ecological model - arxiv
Traditional library and information ecology our model
Results of our past research Results of the study Interaction of Man and Information Environment (2002-2004) Information styles in electronic environment Information behavior of net generation Easy access Quick online reading Social networking Cognitive mapping visualization
Information styles pragmatic analytic seeking horizontal explorative terminology clear, simple multidisciplinary assessment surface, serendipity experience in relevance judgments organization surface, field dependence integrative, based on expert knowledge and experience planning intuitive, simple queries complex queries purpose orientation intellectual processing emotions trust, optimism doubts motivation fast solution understand contexts access navigation interpretation
Results of the Relevance study Project Information use (2005-2007) Information behavior in assessing relevance (doctoral students), concept maps Results: value, utility, importance discover, make decisions, participation multidimensional, multicriteria in electronic environment, users ADD VALUE: recommend, relate, ranks, discover origin of source, authority preliminary relevance, analytical relevance
Concept maps
Relevance traditional /electronic environments Traditional library environment Electronic environment (internet, web, digital library) System relevance Bibliographic level, formal match Interactivity, complexity of relations Topical relevance Orientation, navigation to sources Content, intellectual - knowledge Criteria One-dimension Rich multi-criteria Organization of Information Linearity Non-linearity Added value Context, visualization, collaboration Cognitive relevance Cognitive state, style, user categories Personalization, intelligent interfaces Information structures Deterministic Flexible, concept linking, mosaic-like Communicative relevance Reference interview, communication styles Group sorting, recommendation, dialogue Situational relevance Tasks, problems, situations Uncertainty reduction by contexts, links, organization Motivational relevance Preferences, goals Easy access, service forms, discovery, creativity
Information ecology a model Institutional repository Creation Registration Certification Distribution, publishing Archiving,updating tool Social actor Knowledge component, information objects Communicative component, activities Value component, evaluation Meaning component, representations Technological component values community
Information ecology of the academic information environment New project: Explore information activities in a repository Interactions between social actors and objects in repositores Organize knowledge based on information behavior (tools concept maps, C-Maps D- Space, E-Prints)
Information products Outputs of analytic and intellectual information activities Added value analysis, synthesis, interpretation Information products in the electronic environment special: User-generated content, user-oriented knowledge organization
Why information products fail Not related to processes, objects Fragmented information Lack of information professionals No standards No information policy / overview Not visible to Top of the Organization
Information products: features Making knowledge visible Facilitate communication Availability Represent values Embody memory (organization) Support users Facilitate learning
Information ecology of information products Object re-use Flexible knowledge organization More knowledge of user styles Knowledge of relevance judgements behavior
Categorization of information products (examples) Imitation of traditional information products journals, books, analytical reports Online, networked websites, RSS feeds, portals, tools for knowledge organizations Social: social tagging, social media User-generated: blogs, wiki pages, folksonomies
Emerging new ecological paradigm of information products Facebok, Twitter,Google, Wiki(pedia) What are the new patterns of communication, creation and consumption?: parallel (e.g. read and write, listen and watch), user-generated content integration of alerting, security services creativity: classification, tagging, comments, annotating, discussions, blogging, wiki pages decentralization dynamics, interaction, sharing Still in movement
Social dimension of information products
Ecological aspects of information products Generation of content Added value dynamic creation and use Complex networked environment Knowledge mapping Use of the content open, creative, collaborative New media: Interaction, dynamism Visual features object re-use
Map of knowledge domains
Conclusion Information science needs a new paradigm for electronic information products as part of digital libraries and digital services Information habits of users: Simplicity Appeal Immediacy Collaboration: information science + design + knowledge organization
Conclusion Information ecology of information products Emerging paradigm Possible solution for complex digital libraries New philosophy of information sources chain: content services - products Information ecology of information products: Knowledge of users behavior (micro-level) Part of marketing and design (macro-level) Tools for organization: semantic aware applications (TrueKnowledge, Hakia) Smart objects Libraries: permanent connectivity, new tools, services collaboration
References DAVENPORT, Thomas H., Prusak, Laurence. 1997. Information Ecology : Mastering the Information and Knowledge Environment. New York : Oxford Univ. Press, 1997. 255 s. ISBN 0-19-511168-0. DEMPSEY, Lorcan 2009. Always on: Libraries in a World of Permanent Connectivity. In First Monday, Vol 14, No. 1-5, January 2009. NARDI, B. A., O Day, V.L. 1999. Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart. Cambridge: MIT Press. ISBN 0-262- 64042-2. ORNA, L.P. 2007. Collaboration between library and information science and information design disciplines. On what? Why? Potential benefits? In Information Research, 12(4) paper colis02. [Available at http://informationr.net/ir/12-4/colis/colis02.html]