Computational sense: the role of technology in the education of digital librarians

The rapid progress of digital library technology from research to implementation has created a force for change in the curricula of library schools. The education of future librarians has always had to adapt to new technologies but the pace, complexity and implications of digital libraries pose considerable challenges. In this article we explore how we might successfully blend elements of computer science and library science to produce effective educational experiences for the digital librarians of tomorrow. We first outline the background to current digital librarian education and then propose the concept of computational sense as an appropriate meeting point for these two disciplines

Engaged Scholarship in IS Research

Engaged scholarship (Van de Ven 2007) offers a grand opportunity to address key challenges within the Information Systems (IS) discipline in a novel and constructive way. To explore this opportunity, we adapt the principles of engaged scholarship and apply them to analyze Scandinavian IS research through the lens of Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems (SJIS). We consider the Scandinavian tradition based on review papers in SJIS; we review all research papers published in SJIS over the past 20 years; finally, we discuss the possible role of engaged scholarship in shaping the future of Scandinavian IS research. We conclude with implications of engaged scholarship for IS research and practice in general

Computer Applications as Mediators of Design and Use

The present report constitutes together with 21 submitted papers the author's doctor's dissertation. This dissertation summarizes an understanding of computers as the materials that we shape in design, on the one hand, and the artifacts that we use, in work and other everyday activities on the other. The presented work is primarily methodological and design-oriented, i.e. it is concerned with changing computer applications and with understanding them as changing and as part of change

User Participation and Democracy: A Discussion of Scandinavian Research on System Development

Scandinavian research projects in system development have traditionally put a strong emphasis on user participation as a strategy for increasing working life democracy. The article analyses a few of these projects with respect to this goal. We argue that there has been a development from politics to ethics in system development research, and that the political dimension should be reintroduced. A reorientation of system development strategies aiming at increasing working life democracy can learn from the historical success stories, in particular the combination of global strategy and local action used in the trade union projects in the 60’s. Recent development in technology and working life will, however, introduce new challenges to system development

Participatory design and participatory development: a comparative review

This paper examines literature in the twin domains of participatory interactive systems design and participatory approaches to international development. As interactive systems are increasingly promoted as a possible means of achieving international development goals, designers generally agree that participatory design approaches should be applied. However, review of the literature reveals that these two different traditions have more complex relationships, and questions must be asked about: the aims of participation, the forms of participation that are being advocated, and the skills and strategies required of practitioners. The findings suggest that successful integration of participatory interactive systems design into development will require careful reflection on the nature of development and the approaches adopted.</p

The Scandinavian School Revisited: A Case Study on New Roles in the ISD Process

In the knowledge economy collaboration between practitioners and academic researchers becomes increasingly important. Practice as well as theory development becomes an important part of the curriculum for both practitioners and researchers. For the collaboration to succeed new roles arise. This study focuses on the roles in the information systems development process, and demonstrates how theoretical knowledge of academic researchers can be integrated in the information systems development process in a new and more refined way through different roles. This study, based on case study methodology, focuses on particularly the roles of the academic researchers within the field of Human Resource management. The objective of the information systems project is to develop a web portal for the purpose of collecting data on human resource practices and processes. The end-users of the portal are both practitioners and academic researchers. The study suggests that the researchers act as mediators through the fulfillment of the roles, which are naturally born out of the Scandinavian approach and the traditional software engineering approach to system development

Developing social responsibility of members of ISD project teams

Information systems development (ISD) affects individual workers, organizations (e.g., computerization of work places and quality of work) and the surrounding society (e.g., reliability and safety of software). It is relevant to consider social responsibility of those who design and implement information systems (IS) because of these effects of ISD. We combine results of studies on bases of orientations of ISD team members and the literature on responsibility to provide ISD team members with guidelines. These guidelines aim to develop team members’ sense of responsibility by focusing on the ISD process, the product itself and this product in the practice context. The guidelines are finally linked to IS education and practice of ISD, and recommendations for future research are presented

Elements of a Theory of Design Artefacts: a contribution to critical systems development research. PhD Thesis.

The thesis emphasises material mediation in design, use and research by introducing the concept of design artefacts as a unifying perspective. This concept is based on a dialectical materialist approach comprising activity theory as a general perspective (mainly Engestrøm), and specifically the notion of primary, secondary and tertiary artefacts (Wartofsky). This background is complemented with the notion of boundary objects (Star), as mediators in boundary zones. Systems development is understood as a zone where heterogeneous praxes meet to change a given praxis through the construction and introduction of new (computer) artefacts; this zone is mediated by design artefacts, which make different sense to the various praxes (boundary objects). Four main themes are addressed by the thesis: Firstly, the notion of design artefacts as an integrating perspective on systems development research and praxis, is introduced and developed. Secondly, a uniform notion of development tying use and design together, is discussed in relation to designing for development in use, and in relation to the notion of design as the transformation of artefacts. Thirdly, a pragmatic philosophy of science based on the understanding of theories as design artefacts, is proposed. Fourthly, the issue of innovation and creativity, together with the role of the individual is programmatically pointed to