Using a Network Approach to Transform from a Municipality to Municipal Community

This paper presents a social network approach to help the government in their transformation to a leaner organization. We will first explain how social network analysis can contribute to this transformation. After that we will present some results from a pilot study that was conducted in Enschede Zuid in the Netherlands. We will conclude the paper with some remarks regarding our experiences and a future outlook for this approach towards a lean local government that acts as a director, rather than as a player in the field

Seeking Health Information on the Internet

The primary objective of this research is to obtain insight into information seeking behaviour on the Internet with regard to health information. Theories from two research areas are used to explain the use of the Internet for health information: health behaviour and the adoption and use of new technologies. The data was gathered through a pencil-and-paper questionnaire (N=123), between August and October 2003. All respondents were experienced with using the Internet to seek health information. Using both lineair and logistic regression we investigate how demographic differences (e.g. age, gender, marital status), internet accessibility (e.g. physical, use patterns) and user needs (e.g. general health situation, limitations) influence: 1) the frequency of going online for health information 2) the kind of health information that is sought after, 3) the online sources that people use for health information (e.g. portals, newsletters, various websites). Results show that gender, Internet experience and physical limitations are significant for the frequency of going online. For the kinds of information that people look for only gender has significant influence. Furthermore, the places that people look for health information are influenced significantly by gender and (to lesser extent) whether people have an Internet connection at home. There is also a significant difference between men and women with regard to the number of websites visited and the way they use the gathered information. This investigation shows that men and women seek information differently. As a consequence, different groups are confronted with different risks

Measuring Internet Behavior: Total Time Diary and Activity Diary as Research Methods

The central research question in this paper is: How do Total Time Diaries and Activity Diaries measure online behaviour? First a comparison is made between diaries and other methods to obtain information about user behaviour on the internet. Also the practical value of both Total Time and Activity diaries is discussed. The research question is answered by examining two diary studies on online behaviour conducted in the Netherlands in 2001 and 2003. Theoretical issues as well as practical issues that need to be taken into account to perform such a study successfully are addressed. Also the practical applicability of diaries as research instruments is elaborated on. This examination shows that, although not fully optimised yet, diaries are a good way to gain both quantitative as well as qualitative information on Internet behaviour

Designing online audiovisual heritage services: an empirical study of two comparable online video services

The purpose of this study is to seek input for a new online audiovisual heritage service. In doing so, we assess comparable online video services to gain insights into the motivations and perceptual innovation characteristics of the video services. The research is based on data from a Dutch survey held among 1,939 online video service users. The results show that online video service held overlapping antecedents but does show differences in motivations and in perceived innovation characteristics. Hence, in general, one can state that in comparison, online video services comply with different needs and have differences in perceived innovation characteristics. This implies that one can design online video services for different needs. In addition to scientific implications, the outcomes also provide guidance for practitioners in implementing new online video service