Introduction. This short paper presents preliminary findings from a study of archaeologist's info... more Introduction. This short paper presents preliminary findings from a study of archaeologist's information practices relating to data sharing and reuse. Method. Semi-structured remote interviews were carried out with 16 archaeologists relating to their research interests, their data creation, use and reuse practices, as well as the general views on the importance of data sharing and reuse in archaeology. Analysis. Analysis was undertaken using an inductive, thematic approach informed by Kemmis et. al.'s (2014) practice architectures model. Results. The findings demonstrate that participants' data sharing and reuse information practices feature cultural-discursive, material-economic, and socialpolitical arrangements and that these three forms of arrangements are often interrelated. Conclusion. The practice architectures framework can make a significant contribution to both finding solutions to some of the key issues that have hampered the development of the Open Data movement, as well as offering possibilities for new avenues of information practices research.
Information Research: an international electronic journal
This paper reports the findings of a study of the information practices of YouTube content creato... more This paper reports the findings of a study of the information practices of YouTube content creators. It uses the concept of practice architectures developed by Kemmis and his collaborators to explore the relationship between participants’ information practices and the practice architectures (cultural-discursive, material-economic, social-political) they occur in. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken via Zoom with 13 YouTube content creators. Two further participants who were unable to take part in interviews provided written responses to the interview guide questions. Analysis was undertaken using an inductive, thematic approach informed by the conceptual framework. Participants’ feedback on emerging themes was sought and incorporated into the findings. The study reports findings in relation to participants’ skills development (technical, writing, performance); research and the issue of paywalls restricting access to academic research; understanding their audience via YouTube ...
Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 2021
Authority and Agency have been central concepts in information science since its beginnings in 19... more Authority and Agency have been central concepts in information science since its beginnings in 19th century documentalism. This paper begins with a brief historical overview of how these concepts have been constructed in the traditional and user‐centred paradigms. It will then explore how an information practices perspective affords the possibility of seeing authority and agency not as oppositional but rather as synergistic: two sides of the same theoretical coin. This exploration will be contextualised by examples drawn from the author's own research over more than two decades across a range of studies. This body of research includes studies of academic, artistic and serious leisure communities.
Information Research: An International Electronic Journal, Dec 1, 2017
Introduction. The study examines the information practices of enthusiast car restorers in order t... more Introduction. The study examines the information practices of enthusiast car restorers in order to gain a greater understanding of embodied information practices. Conceptual framework. The study is informed by a range of different theoretical approaches including practice theory, sense-making and Foucauldian, multimodal and critical discourse analysis. Methodology. The study usesan ethnographic approach, using semi-structured interviews and in the garage ethnographic observation. Analysis was undertaken using an inductive, thematic approach. Findings. Enthusiast car restorers see the lack of information resources relating to their hobby as a challenge as much as a barrier. Car clubs and informal social networks of fellow enthusiasts provide both mentoring and moral support. Learning by doing is central to developing embodied knowledge. Participants describe working on their cars as providing them with a sense of achievement that was otherwise missing in their lives. Conclusion. The study’s findings show that enthusiast car restorers live in a complex in formation world, where social networks and learning by doing are central. The study’s findings in relation to alienation, achievement and identity suggest that research in to embodied practices may have a broader significance than has been hitherto recognised.
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the background and potential consequences of bib... more Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the background and potential consequences of bibliometrics being incorporated as a part of librarianship tasks and competencies. Approach: The discussion is based on previous literature as well as a questionnaire sent out to Swedish libraries with organized bibliometric activities. Findings: Incorporating bibliometrics into academic librarianship is part of a redefinition and widening of the professional role. This is motivated by ambitions to provide more complete services in the scholarly communication process, as well as to increase the visibility and status of libraries, not the least in relation to central university management. Underlying reasons are professional competencies such as metadata and bibliographic database management; and bibliometrics being strong within library and information science. Implications: Incorporating bibliometrics is a widening of the professional profile of librarianship, and may well increase the vi...
This paper presents the findings of a study exploring the information practices of members of a r... more This paper presents the findings of a study exploring the information practices of members of a religious organization. Its focus is the “Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery.” Particularly, this paper focuses on the study's findings in relation to participants’ information practices in constructing their understanding of “the Temple.” The study is informed by an information practices theoretical perspective, drawing on work from a variety of disciplines, including Castells’ space of flows, and Fisher's information grounds. Data was gathered from participant observation, interviews with both monks and devotees and email follow-ups, and analysis of the online presence of the temple through its website. Five social constructs for the temple appear frequently in the interviews: Virtual space; Physical/geographical place; Virtual space; Symbol; Process and practices; and Organization. Participants’ information practices are not only limited to spiritual purposes but also are linked to...
The aim of this special issue is to highlight the interdisciplinary nexus in a series of papers t... more The aim of this special issue is to highlight the interdisciplinary nexus in a series of papers that explore and investigate the intersections of archaeologies and the different areas of informatio ...
1. THE PHEONOMENA The aim of the research is to explore the relationship/s between members of two... more 1. THE PHEONOMENA The aim of the research is to explore the relationship/s between members of two discourse communities/communities of practice (academic researchers in performance studies and theatre professionals) and the works of a culturally iconic author (William Shakespeare). In doing so, it aims to further our understanding of a variety of phenomena relating to relating to collective sensemaking and the social construction of knowledge. One such concept is the ‘Death of the Author’ (Foucault, in Rabinow, 1984; Barthes, 1988) – the notion that meaning is not determined by authors but constructed through discourse. Another the inter-relationship of constructions of meaning and constructions of authority – what Foucault (1980) calls pouvoir-savoir – ‘power-knowledge’.
It's fair to say that this is a question I've heard more than once in my career - sometim... more It's fair to say that this is a question I've heard more than once in my career - sometimes from a student gazing in dismay at a reading list which includes Castells, Dervin and the occasional dead Frenchman - but also on occasion, from a senior member of the profession disgruntled that my students don't spend their every waking hour learning the Dewey Decimal System. While those asking this question usually intend it to be rhetorical, I thought I'd spend this column answering it.
Proceedings of the Annual Conference of CAIS / Actes du congrès annuel de l'ACSI, 2013
This paper reports the findings of a study of how members of a scholarly community (information b... more This paper reports the findings of a study of how members of a scholarly community (information behaviour researchers) construct the meaning/s & significance/s of an author whose work is prominent in their field (Brenda Dervin). Its findings reveal the essentially social nature of participants’ constructive processes.Cet article présente les résultats d’une étude sur la manière dont les chercheurs (chercheurs sur le comportement informationnel) construisent le (s) sens et la (les) signification(s) au sujet d’un auteur dont l’œuvre est dominante dans leur domaine (Brenda Dervin). Les résultats révèlent la nature essentiellement sociale des processus constructivistes des participants.
Creating Collaborative Advantage Through Knowledge and Innovation, 2007
This paper brings together approaches, theories and research from two complementary fields: knowl... more This paper brings together approaches, theories and research from two complementary fields: knowledge management and information behaviour research. Against a background of knowledge management in Australia, the paper describes Standards Australia's recently published AS 5037-2005 Knowledge Management-a guide (of which one author was the Committee Chair) as an exemplar of the ways in
'Knowledge is Power' has become a cliché in contemporary management discourse. Yet desp... more 'Knowledge is Power' has become a cliché in contemporary management discourse. Yet despite this, there has been relatively little attempt made by knowledge management writers to develop a credible conceptual foundation to examine the relationship between knowledge and ...
Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 2013
The works of William Shakespeare are more popular in the 21st century than ever before, Why are t... more The works of William Shakespeare are more popular in the 21st century than ever before, Why are theatre and audiences around the globe still drawn to his work? How do they make sense of these texts in ways that resonate with their cosmopolitan, contemporary audiences? This article uses the findings of a study interviewing 35 theatre professionals in Canada, Finland and the United Kingdom to explore these issues. Theoretically and methodologically, it is a bricollage, drawing on a range of approaches including Foucault’s discourse analysis, Hobsbawm’s invented traditions and Dervin’s Sense-Making to understand participants sense-making as an affective, embodied social practice. It argues that attempting to understand the significance of a major cultural icon such as Shakespeare in contemporary cosmopolitan civil society needs to recognise the many meanings, roles and significances that surround him and that this complexity makes it unlikely that any one theoretical lens will prove ad...
Critical Theory for Library and Information Science: …, 2010
... McKenzie, Pamela J. 2003.Connecting with Information Sources: How Accounts of Informa-tion S... more ... McKenzie, Pamela J. 2003.Connecting with Information Sources: How Accounts of Informa-tion Seeking Take Discursive Action. New Review of Information Behaviour Research 3: 16174. Olsson, Michael. ... London: Taylor Graham. Olsson, Michael. ...
Introduction. This short paper presents preliminary findings from a study of archaeologist's info... more Introduction. This short paper presents preliminary findings from a study of archaeologist's information practices relating to data sharing and reuse. Method. Semi-structured remote interviews were carried out with 16 archaeologists relating to their research interests, their data creation, use and reuse practices, as well as the general views on the importance of data sharing and reuse in archaeology. Analysis. Analysis was undertaken using an inductive, thematic approach informed by Kemmis et. al.'s (2014) practice architectures model. Results. The findings demonstrate that participants' data sharing and reuse information practices feature cultural-discursive, material-economic, and socialpolitical arrangements and that these three forms of arrangements are often interrelated. Conclusion. The practice architectures framework can make a significant contribution to both finding solutions to some of the key issues that have hampered the development of the Open Data movement, as well as offering possibilities for new avenues of information practices research.
Information Research: an international electronic journal
This paper reports the findings of a study of the information practices of YouTube content creato... more This paper reports the findings of a study of the information practices of YouTube content creators. It uses the concept of practice architectures developed by Kemmis and his collaborators to explore the relationship between participants’ information practices and the practice architectures (cultural-discursive, material-economic, social-political) they occur in. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken via Zoom with 13 YouTube content creators. Two further participants who were unable to take part in interviews provided written responses to the interview guide questions. Analysis was undertaken using an inductive, thematic approach informed by the conceptual framework. Participants’ feedback on emerging themes was sought and incorporated into the findings. The study reports findings in relation to participants’ skills development (technical, writing, performance); research and the issue of paywalls restricting access to academic research; understanding their audience via YouTube ...
Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 2021
Authority and Agency have been central concepts in information science since its beginnings in 19... more Authority and Agency have been central concepts in information science since its beginnings in 19th century documentalism. This paper begins with a brief historical overview of how these concepts have been constructed in the traditional and user‐centred paradigms. It will then explore how an information practices perspective affords the possibility of seeing authority and agency not as oppositional but rather as synergistic: two sides of the same theoretical coin. This exploration will be contextualised by examples drawn from the author's own research over more than two decades across a range of studies. This body of research includes studies of academic, artistic and serious leisure communities.
Information Research: An International Electronic Journal, Dec 1, 2017
Introduction. The study examines the information practices of enthusiast car restorers in order t... more Introduction. The study examines the information practices of enthusiast car restorers in order to gain a greater understanding of embodied information practices. Conceptual framework. The study is informed by a range of different theoretical approaches including practice theory, sense-making and Foucauldian, multimodal and critical discourse analysis. Methodology. The study usesan ethnographic approach, using semi-structured interviews and in the garage ethnographic observation. Analysis was undertaken using an inductive, thematic approach. Findings. Enthusiast car restorers see the lack of information resources relating to their hobby as a challenge as much as a barrier. Car clubs and informal social networks of fellow enthusiasts provide both mentoring and moral support. Learning by doing is central to developing embodied knowledge. Participants describe working on their cars as providing them with a sense of achievement that was otherwise missing in their lives. Conclusion. The study’s findings show that enthusiast car restorers live in a complex in formation world, where social networks and learning by doing are central. The study’s findings in relation to alienation, achievement and identity suggest that research in to embodied practices may have a broader significance than has been hitherto recognised.
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the background and potential consequences of bib... more Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the background and potential consequences of bibliometrics being incorporated as a part of librarianship tasks and competencies. Approach: The discussion is based on previous literature as well as a questionnaire sent out to Swedish libraries with organized bibliometric activities. Findings: Incorporating bibliometrics into academic librarianship is part of a redefinition and widening of the professional role. This is motivated by ambitions to provide more complete services in the scholarly communication process, as well as to increase the visibility and status of libraries, not the least in relation to central university management. Underlying reasons are professional competencies such as metadata and bibliographic database management; and bibliometrics being strong within library and information science. Implications: Incorporating bibliometrics is a widening of the professional profile of librarianship, and may well increase the vi...
This paper presents the findings of a study exploring the information practices of members of a r... more This paper presents the findings of a study exploring the information practices of members of a religious organization. Its focus is the “Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery.” Particularly, this paper focuses on the study's findings in relation to participants’ information practices in constructing their understanding of “the Temple.” The study is informed by an information practices theoretical perspective, drawing on work from a variety of disciplines, including Castells’ space of flows, and Fisher's information grounds. Data was gathered from participant observation, interviews with both monks and devotees and email follow-ups, and analysis of the online presence of the temple through its website. Five social constructs for the temple appear frequently in the interviews: Virtual space; Physical/geographical place; Virtual space; Symbol; Process and practices; and Organization. Participants’ information practices are not only limited to spiritual purposes but also are linked to...
The aim of this special issue is to highlight the interdisciplinary nexus in a series of papers t... more The aim of this special issue is to highlight the interdisciplinary nexus in a series of papers that explore and investigate the intersections of archaeologies and the different areas of informatio ...
1. THE PHEONOMENA The aim of the research is to explore the relationship/s between members of two... more 1. THE PHEONOMENA The aim of the research is to explore the relationship/s between members of two discourse communities/communities of practice (academic researchers in performance studies and theatre professionals) and the works of a culturally iconic author (William Shakespeare). In doing so, it aims to further our understanding of a variety of phenomena relating to relating to collective sensemaking and the social construction of knowledge. One such concept is the ‘Death of the Author’ (Foucault, in Rabinow, 1984; Barthes, 1988) – the notion that meaning is not determined by authors but constructed through discourse. Another the inter-relationship of constructions of meaning and constructions of authority – what Foucault (1980) calls pouvoir-savoir – ‘power-knowledge’.
It's fair to say that this is a question I've heard more than once in my career - sometim... more It's fair to say that this is a question I've heard more than once in my career - sometimes from a student gazing in dismay at a reading list which includes Castells, Dervin and the occasional dead Frenchman - but also on occasion, from a senior member of the profession disgruntled that my students don't spend their every waking hour learning the Dewey Decimal System. While those asking this question usually intend it to be rhetorical, I thought I'd spend this column answering it.
Proceedings of the Annual Conference of CAIS / Actes du congrès annuel de l'ACSI, 2013
This paper reports the findings of a study of how members of a scholarly community (information b... more This paper reports the findings of a study of how members of a scholarly community (information behaviour researchers) construct the meaning/s & significance/s of an author whose work is prominent in their field (Brenda Dervin). Its findings reveal the essentially social nature of participants’ constructive processes.Cet article présente les résultats d’une étude sur la manière dont les chercheurs (chercheurs sur le comportement informationnel) construisent le (s) sens et la (les) signification(s) au sujet d’un auteur dont l’œuvre est dominante dans leur domaine (Brenda Dervin). Les résultats révèlent la nature essentiellement sociale des processus constructivistes des participants.
Creating Collaborative Advantage Through Knowledge and Innovation, 2007
This paper brings together approaches, theories and research from two complementary fields: knowl... more This paper brings together approaches, theories and research from two complementary fields: knowledge management and information behaviour research. Against a background of knowledge management in Australia, the paper describes Standards Australia's recently published AS 5037-2005 Knowledge Management-a guide (of which one author was the Committee Chair) as an exemplar of the ways in
'Knowledge is Power' has become a cliché in contemporary management discourse. Yet desp... more 'Knowledge is Power' has become a cliché in contemporary management discourse. Yet despite this, there has been relatively little attempt made by knowledge management writers to develop a credible conceptual foundation to examine the relationship between knowledge and ...
Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 2013
The works of William Shakespeare are more popular in the 21st century than ever before, Why are t... more The works of William Shakespeare are more popular in the 21st century than ever before, Why are theatre and audiences around the globe still drawn to his work? How do they make sense of these texts in ways that resonate with their cosmopolitan, contemporary audiences? This article uses the findings of a study interviewing 35 theatre professionals in Canada, Finland and the United Kingdom to explore these issues. Theoretically and methodologically, it is a bricollage, drawing on a range of approaches including Foucault’s discourse analysis, Hobsbawm’s invented traditions and Dervin’s Sense-Making to understand participants sense-making as an affective, embodied social practice. It argues that attempting to understand the significance of a major cultural icon such as Shakespeare in contemporary cosmopolitan civil society needs to recognise the many meanings, roles and significances that surround him and that this complexity makes it unlikely that any one theoretical lens will prove ad...
Critical Theory for Library and Information Science: …, 2010
... McKenzie, Pamela J. 2003.Connecting with Information Sources: How Accounts of Informa-tion S... more ... McKenzie, Pamela J. 2003.Connecting with Information Sources: How Accounts of Informa-tion Seeking Take Discursive Action. New Review of Information Behaviour Research 3: 16174. Olsson, Michael. ... London: Taylor Graham. Olsson, Michael. ...
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