Illinois Digital Scholarship: Preserving and Accessing the Digital Past, Present, and Future

Since the University's establishment in 1867, its scholarly output has been issued primarily in print, and the University Library and Archives have been readily able to collect, preserve, and to provide access to that output. Today, technological, economic, political and social forces are buffeting all means of scholarly communication. Scholars, academic institutions and publishers are engaged in debate about the impact of digital scholarship and open access publishing on the promotion and tenure process. The upsurge in digital scholarship affects many aspects of the academic enterprise, including how we record, evaluate, preserve, organize and disseminate scholarly work. The result has left the Library with no ready means by which to archive digitally produced publications, reports, presentations, and learning objects, much of which cannot be adequately represented in print form. In this incredibly fluid environment of digital scholarship, the critical question of how we will collect, preserve, and manage access to this important part of the University scholarly record demands a rational and forward-looking plan - one that includes perspectives from diverse scholarly disciplines, incorporates significant research breakthroughs in information science and computer science, and makes effective projections for future integration within the Library and computing services as a part of the campus infrastructure.Prepared jointly by the University of Illinois Library and CITES at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaig

Understanding User Acceptance of Micro-Blog Services in China Using the Extended Motivational Model

The growing popularity of micro-blogs has drawn an increasing amount of attention from users keen to expand friendship, facilitate information sharing and information seeking. Given the extensive use of micro-blog services, there is a pressing need to understand users’ behavioral intentions in micro-blog services. Although there are some studies exploring the factors explaining micro-blog users’ acceptance, none of research has been reported from both of the technological characteristics and network effects of micro-blog services. This study extended motivational model with socio-technical approach as a theoretical framework to examine the roles of technological factors and network effect factors in determining micro-blog users’ behavioral intentions. This study suggests that interactivity, convenience, accessibility, network size, existing social contacts, performance expectancy, sense of belonging and hedonic expectancy together provide a strong explanation for micro-blog use intention. The results of this study provide directions for system administrators and service providers to achieve higher levels of micro-blog usage by developing multi-faceted strategies

Understanding Twitter Usage: What Drive People Continue to Tweet

In this study, we proposed a research model to investigate the factors influencing users’ continuance intention to use Twitter. Building on the uses and gratification framework, we have proposed four types of gratifications for Twitter usage, including content gratification, technology gratification, process gratification, and social gratification. We conducted an online survey and collected 124 responses. The data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares. Our results showed that content gratifications and new technology gratification are the two key types of gratifications affecting the continuance intention to use Twitter. We conclude with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications. We believe that this study will provide important insights for future research on Twitter

Broadband : towards a national plan for Scotland

The development of national broadband plans has been used by many countries to join up different areas of governmental and regulatory activities and to set ambitious targets for ubiquitous access to and use of the latest fixed and wireless networks and services. For Scotland this requires working within EU and UK legislative frameworks, which have also provided the bulk of the finance for interventions. It also requires an understanding of the significant weaknesses of urban broadband adoption compared to other UK and EU nations and of its e-commerce supply and demand. While resources are being targeted at rural and remote areas, more are needed to close the social digital divide, which is unavoidable if the stated ambition of being world class is to be achieved

THE URGE TO CHECK SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES: ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES

Social networking sites (SNSs), combined with the rapid growth trajectory of mobile devices, and widespread deployment of mobile data services, have evolved as a primary platform for daily social interaction. While the majority of users enjoy frequent interactions with their friends and family members, some users suffer from incessant urges to check up on the lives of others on their social networks. In the last decade, the use of SNSs has received much attention in the IS literature. Not until recently, researchers have begun to examine the dark side of using SNSs. In this study, we attempt to advance existing literature by exploring the role of urges in the context of SNSs. Particularly, we propose a research model that examines the antecedents and consequences of the urge to check SNSs. We will test the model with SNS users using structural equation modeling. We believe that current work will enrich the existing literature on the dark side of SNS use, and raise the awareness in the community regarding this emerging phenomenon

Integrating big data into a sustainable mobility policy 2.0 planning support system

It is estimated that each of us, on a daily basis, produces a bit more than 1 GB of digital content through our mobile phone and social networks activities, bank card payments, location-based positioning information, online activities, etc. However, the implementation of these large data amounts in city assets planning systems still remains a rather abstract idea for several reasons, including the fact that practical examples are still very strongly services-oriented, and are a largely unexplored and interdisciplinary field; hence, missing the cross-cutting dimension. In this paper, we describe the Policy 2.0 concept and integrate user generated content into Policy 2.0 platform for sustainable mobility planning. By means of a real-life example, we demonstrate the applicability of such a big data integration approach to smart cities planning process. Observed benefits range from improved timeliness of the data and reduced duration of the planning cycle to more informed and agile decision making, on both the citizens and the city planners end. The integration of big data into the planning process, at this stage, does not have uniform impact across all levels of decision making and planning process, therefore it should be performed gradually and with full awareness of existing limitations

Using Technology Enabled Qualitative Research to Develop Products for the Social Good, An Overview

This paper discusses the potential benefits of the convergence of three recent trends for the design of socially beneficial products and services: the increasing application of qualitative research techniques in a wide range of disciplines, the rapid mainstreaming of social media and mobile technologies, and the emergence of software as a service. Presented is a scenario facilitating the complex data collection, analysis, storage, and reporting required for the qualitative research recommended for the task of designing relevant solutions to address needs of the underserved. A pilot study is used as a basis for describing the infrastructure and services required to realize this scenario. Implications for innovation of enhanced forms of qualitative research are presented

Development of a community e-portal constellation: Queensland Smart Region Initiative

A community e-portal facilitates dynamic (developing), value (financial and non-financial), constellation (collaborative networks), which supports community integration and economic growth. The OECD has identified that social cohesion rather than narrow economic gain is the most significant outcome for societies where all citizens, through learning and the transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes, leads to becoming more effective and proactive participants in civil and economic processes. In this work, action research facilitated design, development, and implementation of a community-portal dynamic-value constellation to support networked value chains, community, and local government connectivity. The research gives insights through working closely with stakeholders. The research domain represents a novel value creation model, incorporating technologies and solutions in the context of virtual enterprises, partnerships and joint ventures and other market-driven value constellations, where partners dynamically come together in response to or in anticipation of new market opportunities. Such constellations, however, bring with them significant operational and logistical challenges, about which there has been very little prior knowledge

Social media and public value

Thesis (M.M. (Public & Development Management))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Governance, 2015.In South Africa, there are a number of government institutions that have established social media presence. However social media technology is a relatively new phenomenon and not much is known about what citizens perceive to be valuable during social media interactions with government. This has resulted in government being unable to meet social media demands from citizens. This research is aimed at exploring citizens’ perceptions of how Facebook can effectively be used by government, and to what extent social media can create public value. A public sector organization was used as a case study for this research and online semi structured interviews were conducted on Facebook with citizens who have visited the organisation and are social media users. Face to face interviews were also conducted with citizens who are not social media users to understand the reasons for non-use. The literature review revealed the benefits of social media use in various functions of government globally. Facebook is the preferred social media platform for all forms of communication for participating citizens and is mainly accessed through mobile technology. This is line with literature confirming Facebook as the leading social media platform globally and in South Africa. The findings of the study revealed that effective social media implementation in government can support key four dimensions of public value – efficiency, transparency, accountability, citizen engagement. In terms of trust, social media can facilitate trust, however the entrenchment of trust is dependent upon government achieving public outcomes that improves the lives of people and not necessarily social media use alone. The findings further showed that an enabling environment should be created for successful social media implementation - comprising of a social media strategy, a capacitated operational environment with skills and expertise on social media and ongoing support from the highest structures in government. The key barriers to social media use were identified as English illiteracy, costs related to Internet connectivity, which marginalized some communities resulting in social exclusion. Recommendations were provided in terms of using this study as a model for social media implementation across all three spheres of government