Social media in public health care: Impact domain propositions

This paper investigates the impacts of social media use in Danish public health care with respect to capabilities, interactions, orientations, and value distribution. Taking an exploratory approach, the paper draws on an array of quantitative and qualitative data, and puts forward four propositions: social media transform the access to health-related information for patients and general practitioners, the uptake of social media can be a cost driver rather than a cost saver, social media provide empowerment to patients, and the uptake of social media is hindered by legal and privacy concerns.     

Social media use in local government: Linkage of technology,task, and organizational context

Social media technologies have begun to enter the governmental workplace as tools to accomplish improved public service and engagement. Widespread recognition of the potential of social media technology for achieving public outcomes does not match our understanding about how and why specific tools are being used for specific purposes. This paper makes use of newly collected national survey data from local government managers in five different agencies to address the questions: which social media tools are being used, for which tasks or purposes; and what organizational characteristics influence the coupling of task and technology. Findings reveal patterns of social media tool application for particular purposes, although organizations do not all use social media tools in the same way. Moreover, regression analysis shows that different organizational factors – work characteristics, innovativeness, technology and management capacity and stakeholder influence – predict each of the four technology–task couplings — social media for dissemination, social media for feedback on service quality, social media for participation, and social media for internal work collaboration. This study demonstrates that social media tools are not a monolithic group and calls for greater research attention to the complex interactions among social media technology, task and organizational context.     

Understanding risks,benefits, and strategic alternatives of social media applications in the public sector

Social media such as blogs, microblogs or electronic social networks can transform the ways in which we relate to other people and organizations. Government organizations are experimenting with social media to communicate with their constituents, and many analysts see in these media a powerful set of tools to reinvent government–citizen relationships. In this paper, we present the perceptions of risks, benefits and strategic guidelines about social media applications gathered from 250 public servants from Central Mexico, most of them working in information technology, as web masters or responding to Freedom of Information Act requests. The conclusions of the analysis are 1) that governments' participation in social media may result in improved communication and citizen participation, more transparency, and transfer of best practices among government agencies; 2) that a good implementation strategy is necessary to realize these benefits and to avoid risks; and 3) that the implementation of social media highlights the importance of updating laws and regulations, and of promoting changes in government culture and organizational practices.     

From e-government to we-government: Defining a typology for citizen coproduction in the age of social media

This paper examines the evolution of citizen coproduction in the age of social media, web 2.0 interactivity, and ubiquitous connectivity. The paper first discusses the re-emergence of citizen coproduction – whereby citizens perform the role of partner rather than customer in the delivery of public services – as a fashionable policy option in the face of persistent budget deficits and the advent of new channels for mass collaboration. Finding a plethora of competing labels, models, and concepts for coproduction in the age of social media, the paper proposes a unified typology to support systematic analysis based on the overarching categories of “Citizen Sourcing,” “Government as a Platform,” and “Do-It-Yourself Government.” To demonstrate its use, the typology is applied to leading U.S. government implementations. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential implications for public administration, the remaining limitations and rising social concerns, and the possible emergence of a new social contract that empowers the public to play a far more active role in the functioning of their government.     

Social media affordances in the context of police transparency: An analysis of the first public archive of police body camera videos

As more police departments adopt body cameras (BCs), there is a hope that the devices will help usher in a new era of police accountability. Turning to the first online archive of BC footage, this article examines the emergent possibilities and problems that arise when human actors interact with technical designs in applied contexts. Communication affordance theory is used as a framework to situate the archive within discussions about police use of social media, visibility, transparency, and police–community relations. A web application using YouTube’s public API was used to analyze the usage and interaction statistics of the archive. Then, a focus group was conducted to discuss the usability of the archive and its benefits and drawbacks for police–community relations. Findings show that despite the visibility of social media, the videos have low view counts, little interaction, are not easily searchable, and raise more questions about police–community relations than they answer.     

Government innovation through social media

Social media in government is becoming one of the major trends in Electronic Government (e-government) research and practice worldwide. During the last few years, several authors have addressed the potential of social media for the innovation of public sector organizations. Most of these contributions have focused on the technical dimensions of social media, while other aspects have not attracted equal attention. In contrast, this introductory article interrogates the role of social media in the basic areas of e-government: government information flows and the availability of government information; the use of information technology to create and provide innovative government services; the impact of information technology on the relationships between the governed and those governing; and the increasing importance of information policies and information technologies for democratic practices. Accordingly, the next few pages propose and develop three dimensions of social media in government: tools, goals, and topics. We think that these dimensions could help to better understand the use of social media in government settings. Then, after a brief review of current trends in social media and government research, we present the articles included in this special issue. Finally, we present some practical lessons and suggest ideas for future research. This special issue could be seen as a starting point for the development of innovation through social media in public administrations around the world.     

Lib2．0环境下信息服务的创新与思考

本文通过对Web2．0和Lib2．0的含义简介,指出在Lib2．0的发展过程中图书馆服务理念的变化,并对Lib2．0时期的信息服务内容的创新进行了研究与探讨,最后提出在图书馆信息服务中需要注意的问题。     

图书馆2.0下开展掘客信息服务

图书馆2.0为信息服务带来新的契机。本文简要介绍了掘客的概念及其主要特点,并提出了利用掘客技术加强网站建设,以弥补图书馆传统信息服务过程中的一些不足。     

Social media effects on fostering online civic engagement and building citizen trust and trust in institutions

This paper tests the extent to which social media is shaping civic engagement initiatives to build trust among people and increase trust in their institutions, particularly the government, police and justice systems. A survey of 502 citizens showed that using social media for civic engagement has a significant positive impact on trust propensity and that this trust had led to an increase in trust towards institutions. Interestingly, while group incentives encouraged citizens to engage online for civic matters, it is civic publications through postings on social media that intensify the urge of citizens for civic action to address social issues. Post-hoc analysis via ten interviews with social activists was conducted to further examine their perceptions on trust towards institutions. The overall findings suggest that institutions, in their effort to promote a meaningful and trusting citizen engagement, need to enhance trust among the public by fostering social capital via online civic engagement and closing the public–police disengagement gap.     

Library2．0在图书馆OPAC中的应用及影响

在介绍Web2．0及其常用技术的基础上,重点探讨了Library2．0在图书馆OPAC中的应用,并指出Library2．0在图书馆OPAC中的应用将丰富书目数据库的内容。完善OPAC的功能。     

Web2.0工具在美国高校图书馆的应用现状及启示

论文以2013年美国新闻与世界报道的大学排名中前100所高校图书馆作为调研对象,以网站浏览的方式对其Web2.0技术的应用现状进行调查,使用定量分析和内容分析的方法对调查结果进行统计,介绍Web2.0技术在美国高校图书馆应用现状,希望为我国高校图书馆的发展提供一些启示与参考。     

Web 2.0时代OPAC发展及书目创新服务的思考

简述Web2.0、图书馆2.0以及OPAC 2.0的概念和特点，从Web2.0时代图书馆OPAC“以用户为中心”的理念出发，对其相关功能的加强、改进和革新进行详细分析。在此基础上，深入思考为适应这种OPAC的发展趋势，图书馆书目服务机构应如何转变传统思路，如何为提升书目服务效率采取各项有效措施。     

Using ICTs to create a culture of transparency: E-government and social media as openness and anti-corruption tools for societies

In recent years, many governments have worked to increase openness and transparency in their actions. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are seen by many as a cost-effective and convenient means to promote openness and transparency and to reduce corruption. E-government, in particular, has been used in many prominent, comprehensive transparency efforts in a number of nations. While some of these individual efforts have received considerable attention, the issue of whether these ICT-enabled efforts have the potential to create a substantive social change in attitudes toward transparency has not been widely considered. This paper explores the potential impacts of information and ICTs – especially e-government and social media – on cultural attitudes about transparency.     

Social media in Chinese government: Drivers,challenges and capabilities

By the end of 2012, Chinese microblogging accounts had reached 309 million. Among them, over 176,000 accounts were opened and managed by Chinese government agencies, as new channels to disclose government information provide public services and interact with citizens. This study investigates the external drivers and challenges that Chinese government agencies are faced with and the internal capabilities of Chinese government agencies in using social media. The study further discusses the relationship and dynamics between the external environment and internal capabilities of Chinese government agencies in using social media. Based on the findings, the paper provides some recommendations to government agencies in China and other countries faced with similar challenges.     

Web 2.0 and Information Literacy Instruction: Aligning Technology with ACRL Standards

The purpose of this article is to report on how Web 2.0 tools in an online information literacy instruction course aligned with ACRL's Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. A qualitative case study was undertaken on an online graduate course related to information literacy instruction. Data collected included: course activities, assignments, emails, online discussions, and surveys. The educational theory of constructivism and its adherence to reflection, active learning, and social interaction was used to find patterns in the data. Activity theory provided a framework for data analysis and interpretation related to the patterns of activities that took place while students used each Web 2.0 tool. Web 2.0 was found to enhance all five information literacy standards. These standards related to collaboration, information organization, creativity, discussion, and technology education.     

Twitter as a tool for citizen engagement: An empirical study of the Andalusian municipalities

This paper provides a general overview of the way local governments use Twitter as a communication tool to engage with their citizens. More concretely, it tries to identify factors associated with both the channel activity and citizen engagement, to understand the relationship between media type and citizen engagement and to analyse whether different content generated different levels of engagement. A sample of the 29 most populated Andalusian local governments is examined. The results show that the majority of Andalusian local governments have an official corporate Twitter account with certain level of activity. There is no, however, a significant relationship between the population of a municipality and its citizen's engagement, and there is a significant negative relationship between audience and engagement and between activity and engagement. The findings of the study also show the particular media and content types generate higher engagement than others. This paper contributes to the literature on social media and has practical implications for local governments.     

Views and Dreams: A Delphi Investigation into Library 2.0 Applications

The study's purpose was to investigate the views and opinions of librarians about the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies into library operations and services. The Delphi technique was chosen as the method of inquiry in this study, in which a group of panelists graded the desirability and probability of a list of statements. Thirty-nine librarians from United States and Canada participated in the study by answering the questionnaire. The study consisted of two rounds. In the first, participants were asked to grade seventeen statements and answer four open questions posted on a Web site. In the second round, participants were asked to provide an explanation for answers that fell outside of the consensus. The study investigated the panelists’ views on the following issues: (a) the changing nature of libraries and of the information profession, (b) user-generated content at the library, (c) the library's role as a learning center, and (d) adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in libraries. Participants’ answers also revealed issues with the marketing of library services. Findings revealed a big difference between what participants viewed as desirable and what they thought as probable for most issues. Furthermore, participants were skeptical on the ability and willingness of librarians and libraries to make the necessary changes to adapt to the new information reality brought on by Web 2.0 technologies.     

Web2.0环境下的资源发现与服务传递:以Primo和Encore为例

Web2.0环境下图书馆面临一些问题,包括商业化信息服务系统带来的冲击、OPAC不能满足用户的检索需求以及电子资源服务系统的局限性。本文以Primo和Encore为例,首先对新一代资源发现和服务传递系统的功能进行了解析,包括一站式检索、丰富的信息组织和揭示、个性化和社会化功能,然后探讨了Primo和Encore的不同。最后展望了图书馆信息服务系统的发展趋势,包括进行统一资源管理,浏览和搜索并重以及在用户的环境中嵌入服务。     

Alignment 2.0: Strategic use of new internet technologies in government

This paper challenges the view that strategies for using Web 2.0 should primarily be based upon technological characteristics. The value of the organizational strategic alignment approach for developing specific operational Web 2.0 strategies for government organizations is explored both theoretically and empirically. On the basis of a review of the literature we conclude that there are no a priori reasons why the idea of a fit between IT strategy and business strategic orientation cannot be applied to the development of operational Web 2.0 strategies for government organizations. The empirical exploration based on intervention research at the Dutch Department of Education results in the identification of five configurations: organizational transparency, organizational interactions, policy sector transparency, policy sector interactions and process and policy innovation. These configurations are logically consistent with the strategic orientations of the three directorates of the Department of Education. This overview does not pretend to be exhaustive but validates the idea that an alignment approach leads to differences in operational strategies. The configuration approach provides organizations with useful a starting point for developing their Web 2.0 strategies.