Soft networks for bridging the gap between research and practice: illuminative evaluation of CHAIN

Objectives To explore the process of knowledge exchange in an informal email network for evidence based health care, to illuminate the value of the service and its critical success factors, and to identify areas for improvement.Design Illuminative evaluationSetting Targeted email and networking service for UK healthcare practitioners and researchers.Participants 2800 members of a networking service.Main outcome measures Tracking of email messages, interviews with core staff, and a qualitative analysis of messages, postings from focus groups, and invited and unsolicited feedback to the service.Results The informal email network helped to bridge the gap between research and practice by serving as a rich source of information, providing access to members' experiences, suggestions, and ideas, facilitating cross boundary collaboration, and enabling participation in networking at a variety of levels. Ad hoc groupings and communities of practice emerged spontaneously as members discovered common areas of interest.Conclusion This study illuminated how knowledge for evidence based health care can be targeted, personalised, and made meaningful through informal social processes. Critical success factors include a broad based membership from both the research and service communities; a loose and fluid network structure; fight targeting of messages based on members' interests; the presence of a strong network identity and culture of reciprocity; and the opportunity for new members to learn through passive participation

An Analysis of Node/Peer Discovery Approach and Routing Algorithms in Mobile & Traditional Peer-to-Peer Networks

Mobile devices are becoming an increasingly indispensable part of people’s everyday life, in the form of mobile phones, PDAs and laptop computers to communicate or share data between them. Centralized client-server networks are being transformed to distributed peer-to-peer networks. Lessons learned from fixed networks have been applied in cellular network. So, there are many challenges faced by traditional and mobile peer-to-peer networks therefore, in this study we examine a comparative analysis of node/peer discovery approach and routing algorithms employed in both traditional and mobile peer-to-peer networks. A qualitative methodology approach was used for data sources. Documents related to node/peer discovery approach and routing algorithms were studied. A comparative method and content analysis were used to analyze the data collected. Findings of the study indicated that there are two clear differences in the aspects of neighboring node/peer discovery approach beside the similarities. The study also showed another differences and similarities in the aspect of routing algorithms. This thesis hopes to offer all necessary useful tips of the divergence on these two aspects and thus to make a contribution allowing researchers to know such divergence

Rethinking lurking

No abstract available

Rethinking lurking

No abstract available

Cilfachau electronig : geni'r Gymraeg ar-lein, 1989-1996

Mae'r erthygl yn olrhain datblygiadau cynhara'r iaith Gymraeg ar-lein, gyda ffocws arbennig ar y blynyddoedd cyn i'r We Fyd Eang chwarae rhan flaenllaw ar y Rhyngrwyd. Rhoddir crynodeb byr o natur dameidiog rhwydweithio cyfrifiadurol cynnar. Dangosir wedyn fod grwpiau gweithgar, er mor fach eu maint, a oedd yn dangos diddordeb yn y Gymraeg wedi bodoli mewn amryw fforymau trafod electronig o 1989 ymlaen. Ymhellach, dadansoddir natur y mannau trafod a ddefnyddiwyd gan siaradwyr Cymraeg yn y 1990au cynnar, o ran eu ehangder daearyddol a'r pynciau trafod poblogaidd. Rhoddir dystiolaeth meintiol o boblogrwydd cymharol y mannau trafod hynny, ynghŷd a dadansoddiad byr o'r ffordd yr ymatebodd y wasg Gymraeg i'r Rhyngrwyd yn y dyddiau cynnar hyn

Social Influence In Computer-Mediated Communication: The Effects On Group Meeting Outcomes

Studies of managers and knowledge workers reveal that they spend a significant amount of their time in meetings, suggesting that meetings are an important part of one's working life. Findings in Group Support Systems research suggest that using computer-mediated communication enhances idea production in group meetings. Nevertheless, little attention has been given to how the communication medium, in electronic brainstorming, influences group meeting performance. Using a laboratory experiment, 259 subjects were randomly assigned to 51 groups. Three different treatment conditions were used: no public screen, public screen presented at the end of the meeting session, and public screen provided throughout. The results show that there is a significant performance difference between groups under the three treatment conditions. The findings of this study offer striking evidence that there are social group processes that may account for these performance differences including the self-evaluation potential, social loafing and performance matching effects. Implications of these findings for both researchers and practitioners are discussed

Communication Between Process and Structure: Modelling and Simulating Message Reference Networks with COM/TE

Focusing on observable message signs and referencing structures, communication processes can be described and analysed as message reference networks which are characterized by dynamic pattern evolution. Computational simulation provides a way of obtaining insights into the factors driving such processes. Our paper describes a theoretical framework for communication-oriented modelling — the COM approach — that is centred around the notion of social visibility as a reputation mechanism. The approach contrasts with agent-based social networks on the one hand, and with bibliometric document networks on the other. In introducing our simulation environment COM/TE, typical properties of message reference networks are discussed in terms of a case study which deals with the impact of different media and styles of communication on emergent patterns of social visibility.Communication, Communication-Oriented Modelling, Message Sign, Dynamic Networks, Bottom-up Approach, Temporality, Social Visibility, Reputation, Socionics

Temporalstrukturen der Kommunikation

"Ausgangspunkt des Beitrags ist die These, dass die soziologische Theorie bisher den Strukturen der Kommunikation zu viel Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet hat im Gegensatz zu den Ereignissen, die diese Strukturen herbeiführen und ihre Veränderung bewirken. Dagegen zeigt der Blick auf die Mikrofundierung der Kommunikation, dass sie grundlegend temporal strukturiert ist. Der Beitrag diskutiert drei unterschiedliche Varianten der sozialtheoretischen Fassung der Temporalität von Kommunikation (Systemtheorie, Diskurstheorie und Praxistheorie) sowie ausgewählte Ergebnisse empirischer Kommunikationsforschung. Aus der Perspektive des 'Communication Oriented Modelling' (COM) schlägt er Modellierungen von Kommunikationsereignissen vor, die der Rhythmizität, dem Mehrebenencharakter und der Prozessdynamik von Kommunikation gerecht werden." (Autorenreferat