Designing social media analytics tools to support non-market institutions: Four case studies using Twitter data

This research investigates the design of social media tools for non-market institutions, such as local government or community groups. At the core of this practice-based research is a software tool called LocalNets. LocalNets was developed to collect, analyse and visualise data from Twitter, thereby revealing information about community structure and community assets. It is anticipated that this information could help non- market institutions and the communities with which they work. Twitter users send messages to one another using the ‘@mention’ function. This activity is made visible publicly and has the potential to indicate a Twitter user’s participation in a ‘community structure’; that is, it can reveal an interpersonal network of social connections. Twitter activity also provides data about community assets (such as parks, shops and cinemas) when tweets mention these assets’ names. The context for this research is the Creative Exchange Hub (CX), one of four Knowledge Exchange Hubs for the Creative Economy funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Under the theme of ‘Digital Public Space’, the CX Hub facilitated creative research collaborations between PhD researchers, academics and non-academic institutions. Building on the CX model, this PhD research forged partnerships between local councils, non-public sector institutions that work with communities, software developers and academics with relevant subject expertise. Development of the LocalNets tool was undertaken as an integral part of the research. As the software was developed, it was deployed in relevant contexts through partnerships with a range of non-market institutions, predominantly located in the UK, to explore its use in those contexts. Four projects are presented as design case studies: 1) a prototyping phase, 2) a project with the Royal Society of Arts in the London Borough of Hounslow, 3) a multi-partner project in Peterborough, and 4) a project with Newspeak House, a technology and politics co-working space located in London. The case studies were undertaken using an Action Design Research method, as articulated by Sein et al. Findings from these case studies are grouped into two categories. The first are ‘Implementation findings’ which relate specifically to the use of data from Twitter. Second there are six ‘situated design principles’ which were developed across the case studies, and which are proposed as having potential application beyond Twitter data. The ‘Implementation findings’ include that Twitter can be effective for locating participants for focus groups on community topics, and that the opinions expressed directly in tweets are rarely sufficient for the local government of community groups to respond to. These findings could benefit designers working with Twitter data. The six situated design principles were developed through the case studies: two apply Burt’s brokerage social capital theory, describing how network structure relates to social capital; two apply Donath’s signalling theory – which suggests how social media behaviours can indicate perceptions of community assets; and two situated design principles apply Borgatti and Halgin’s network flow model – a theory which draws together brokerage social capital and signalling theory. The principles are applicable to social media analytics tools and are relevant to the goals of non-market institutions. They are situated in the context of the case studies; however, they are potentially applicable to social media platforms other than Twitter. Linders identifies a paucity of research into social media tools for non-market institutions. The findings of this research, developed by deploying and testing the LocalNets social media analytics tool with non-market institutions, aim to address that research gap and to inform practitioner designers working in this area

Psychosocial impact of undergoing prostate cancer screening for men with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

OBJECTIVES: To report the baseline results of a longitudinal psychosocial study that forms part of the IMPACT study, a multi-national investigation of targeted prostate cancer (PCa) screening among men with a known pathogenic germline mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. PARTICPANTS AND METHODS: Men enrolled in the IMPACT study were invited to complete a questionnaire at collaborating sites prior to each annual screening visit. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics and the following measures: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Impact of Event Scale (IES), 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36), Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer, Cancer Worry Scale-Revised, risk perception and knowledge. The results of the baseline questionnaire are presented. RESULTS: A total of 432 men completed questionnaires: 98 and 160 had mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, respectively, and 174 were controls (familial mutation negative). Participants' perception of PCa risk was influenced by genetic status. Knowledge levels were high and unrelated to genetic status. Mean scores for the HADS and SF-36 were within reported general population norms and mean IES scores were within normal range. IES mean intrusion and avoidance scores were significantly higher in BRCA1/BRCA2 carriers than in controls and were higher in men with increased PCa risk perception. At the multivariate level, risk perception contributed more significantly to variance in IES scores than genetic status. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to report the psychosocial profile of men with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations undergoing PCa screening. No clinically concerning levels of general or cancer-specific distress or poor quality of life were detected in the cohort as a whole. A small subset of participants reported higher levels of distress, suggesting the need for healthcare professionals offering PCa screening to identify these risk factors and offer additional information and support to men seeking PCa screening

Henkilöstön vaihtuvuus ja siihen liittyvät tekijät telemarkkinointialalla : case: Gainer Oy

Tämä opinnäytetyö toteutettiin toimeksiantosopimuksena Gainer Oy:lle, joka on toiminut telemarkkinoinnin alalla jo vuodesta 1984. Opinnäytetyön tutkimusstrategiaksi valittiin case study eli tapaustutkimus. Käytimme tutkimusmenetelmänä kvalitatiivista eli laadullista tutkimusta. Tavoitteenamme oli tutkia ja selvittää henkilöstön vaihtuvuutta ja siihen liittyviä tekijöitä alalla, jossa henkilöstön vaihtuvuus koetaan ongelmaksi. Teoriaosuudessa käsittelemme teoreettisen viitekehyksen liittyen työnantajan keinoihin vaikuttaa työntekijän sitouttamiseen. Tämä on jaettu kahteen osa-alueeseen, jotka ovat rekrytointi sekä työhyvinvointi ja osaamisen kehittäminen. Empiirisessä osiossa päädyimme käyttämään puolistrukturoitua teemahaastattelua, joka toteutettiin suurimmaksi osaksi puhelimitse sekä muutama haastattelu tehtiin kasvotusten. Teemahaastattelu valikoitui parhaimmaksi menetelmäksi johtuen aiheen moniulotteisuudesta. Avoimella haastattelulla emme olisi välttämättä saaneet merkittävää tietoa samassa mittakaavassa kuin puolistrukturoidulla mallilla. Opinnäytetyön tuloksena päädyimme esittämään toimeksiantajalle muutamia kehitysehdotuksia. Haastatteluista johdetuilla päätelmillä saatettaisiin parantaa rekrytoinnin onnistumista, joka osaltaan parantaa kannattavuutta niin tuloksellisesti, kuin henkilöstön resurssejakin säästäen. Kehitysehdotuksia muodostui myös muihin osa-alueisiin liittyen. Näillä on myös vaikutusta henkilöstön yleiseen työhyvinvointiin ja työssä jaksamiseen.This thesis was carried out as a commission agreement for Gainer Oy, which has operated in the field of telemarketing since 1984. Our study was carried out as a case study using qualitative approach as our research method. Our objective was to study personnel turnover and matters relating to it in a field where personnel turnover is seen as a problem. In the theoretical section of the study we deal with the theoretical frame of reference related to the employer's means to influence employee engagement. This is divided into two sections that are recruiting, and occupational health and development of skills. In the empirical part of our study, we ended up using half-structured theme interviews, which were mainly carried out by telephone. A few interviews were carried out face-to-face. Theme interview was selected to be the best method because of the multidimensionality of the subject. By using open interviews, we would not necessarily have received as much significant information as by using the half-structured model. As a result of our study, we presented a few development proposals for our client/commissioner. The conclusions drawn from the interviews may lead to more successful recruiting, which in turn improves viability both in terms of productivity and by saving the resources of the personnel. There were also other development proposals concerning other areas. The results of the study may also help to improve the general well-being at work and coping with one’s workload