LIB 4900 – Social Informatics – Fall 2015

Glossary assignment: Please add definitions using your own unique wording for these terms. If there is a definition already, feel free to add your own version on the line below (make sure you put your name and the date in parentheses after your work).

If you’ve found a really good quote related to one of these words, feel free to add it like this: As [insert author’s name here] put it in [insert title of the work you’re citing here], “[quote goes here.]”

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Affordance

• An element of an object that has been designed that invites behavior from the user (even if that element wasn’t expressly designed to invite that behavior). In Universal Principles of Design, Lidwell, Holden, and Butler say an affordance is “a property in which the physical characteristics of an object or environment influences its function” (p. 22). (Stephen Francoeur, 8/25/2015)

Big data

• Big data is a term that refers to the systemic collection, storage, and processing of a wide variety of data (mostly in digital format) e.g. transaction, geospatial, sensor data, customer data. The digital data is stored in “Big Data Centers” i.e. server farms or data farms. Typically “big data” is analyzed by various methods and algorithms and processed to answer a particular question, solve a problem, or gain insight. (Leonid Korchin 09/05/2015)

Computerization

• To make use of computers to solve problems. To digitize physical objects (books, papers, essays) and to use computers to process, store, and analyze computerized information. (Leonid Korchin 9/09/2015, www.dictionary.reference.com)

Data

• Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis
• The quantities, characters, or symbols in which operations are performed by a computer (Jake Winckowski, 9/4/15)
• Data is a set of numbers or facts that, without context, do not have meaning for the average person. Data must be interpreted before it becomes meaningful. (Damla Bek, 9/17/15)

Diary study

• A diary study asks is a qualitative means of collecting information from a group of participants, who are asked to keep and frequently update a diary based on their experiences interacting with, for example, an ICT. (Damla Bek, 11/28/15)

Discourse

• Discourse is a communication of your thought or idea through talk, words or discussion. The synonyms of discourse are conversation, discussion or chat. (Jia Jun, 9/17/2015)  

Focus groups

• Group of about 12 people with common characteristics who have been selected to discuss a topic, often used in market research or political analysis (Nina K., 10/06/15, http://psychologydictionary.org/focus-group/)

Human-computer interaction

• The study of how people and organizations interact with computers, and how to design, implement, and use computer systems that are easy, quick and productive. (Nina Kutsenko, 09/16/15)

Informatics

• Putting technology to work to solve complex problems such as privacy, security, healthcare, education, and challenges in our environment. (Nina Kutsenko, 09/16/15, http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/)

Information

• Information is data with meaning or data in context. Data that is organized for a particular subject/discipline/study. (Leonid Korchin 9/09/2015)
• Information is an applied form of data. It is data with enough to surrounding context to mean something to people, but it is not necessarily in its most practical form. (Damla Bek, 9/17/15)
• Information is the meaningful reasoning of the data. Information is the key thing behind knowledge. (Ashif,11/1/15)

Information literacy

• Ability to identify what information is needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the best sources of information for a given need, locate those sources, evaluate the sources critically, and share that information. These skills are used for academic purposes, such as research papers and group presentations (Nina K., 10/06/15,                                  http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/info_literacy/)

Information and communication technologies

• Also known as Information Technology (IT), the use of hardware and software to move, store and manipulate information. (Leonid Korchin – Information and Communication Technology, International Encyclopedia of Organizational Studies)

Interpretation (of research data)

Knowledge

• Facts, information, and skills acquired by an individual through experience or education. The theoretical or practical understanding of a subject (Jake Winckowski, 9/4/15)
• Knowledge is applied information. It is pieces of information that are infused with a person’s own values and understanding of the broader system. (Damla Bek, 9/17/15)
• Knowledge means knowing our self. Knowledge is the key reason behind the human survival. We shaped our life based on our knowledge. (Ashif Ahmed, 11/1/15)

Literature review

• Literature review is a term that is associated with scholarly research. It is a process that is undertaken by a researcher seeking to answer a research question; it is used in any disciplinary field. “Standing on the shoulders of giants” is an analogy that can be thought of when describing what literature review is. The process itself involves reading and analyzing research material from previous authors that have pertinent information about your own research question. Literature review is important because you are giving credit and recognition to authors that have provided you with the groundwork material for your own research. (Leonid Korchin, 11/11/15)

Methodology

• Methodology is a set of rules or methods to solve or interpret an issue. The synonyms of methodology are procedure, technique, way, process. (Jia Jun, 9/17/2015)

Mutual shaping

• Mutual shaping is the  theory that challenges the belief that society and technology are synchronous and go hand-in-hand. Instead, it suggests that society and technology actually helps influence and shape one another in many different ways. (Dale Spencer, 9/17/15)

Norms

Norms are attributes that defines a human being. A person learn how to interact with his fellow human beings through norms. Norms are the products of culture,tradition and values. Norms varies from society to society.(Ashif Ahmed, 9/16/15)

Organization

• An organized body of people with a particular purpose; EX: Business, society, team,  association (Jake Winckowski, 9/4/15)
• An united group of people based on mutual understanding.Anything that brings people together can be considered as organisation.(Ashif,11/1/15)

Qualitative research:

(Jacob, 1988) “is a generic term for investigative methodologies described as ethnographic, naturalistic, anthropological, field, or participant observer research. It emphasizes the importance of looking at variables in the natural setting in which they are found. Interaction between variables is important. Detailed data is gathered through open ended questions that provide direct quotations. The interviewer is an integral part of the investigation”. Looking at the whole scope of the field and its components (Raymond, 12/1/15).

Quantitative research

• Is the scientific (empirical) investigation and observation of a subject using statistical, mathematical or computational methods/techniques. It helps to make and use mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses about said subject. For example using statistics and surveys to find out information about the population, such as Census. (Raymond Kim 9/17/15)

Social informatics

• Social informatics takes a critical, pointed approach to studying cultural response to information and communications technology. It recognizes that there is no way to universalize our experiences with ICTs. (Damla Bek 9/19/2015)

Social science research

• (Dana Dance-Schissel) “Social science research investigates human behavior. This lesson defines social science research, explains the methods used and the topics studied within the field” To find out why people behave in certain ways social science researchers follow the scientific research method to conduct their studies (Raymond 12/1/15).

Semi-structured interview

• Is a type of research method used in social sciences where you style your questions and interview towards a less structured layout. This way there is more openness in what can be asked. The interviewer revolves these unplanned (but well thought out) questions towards a certain theme(s). This can result in more creativity or new answers/results (Raymond 12/1/15).

Structured interview

• On the other hand is the Structured interview where there is a hard layout of what is going to be asked. These same questions are asked in the same order and set to multiple people most of the time for a survey. This allows for reliable content, as well as a comparison for different groups (Raymond 12/1/15).

Surveys

• Survey is a method to ask people questions in order to get information about what they do or think about something. The synonym is interview. (Jia Jun, 9/17/2015)

Technology

• Technology is the application of science to create something that is useful to solve the problem and help the society. The examples of technology are computer, phone, printer and etc. Anything that helps people life easy. (Jia Jun, 9/17/2015)

Ubiquitous computing

• Has another name/term called Pervasive Computing. Ultimately is the technological direction we’re taking to embed microprocessors in almost everything, to communicate information to us. It’s called ubiquitous or pervasive because it means “existing everywhere”. Which makes a lot sense considering how technology is everywhere and soon won’t be uncommon to see it in on small things like for example a door. (Raymond 12/1/15).

Usability

• Usability means the ability of being used. The synonyms are available, fit, serviceable. (Jia Jun, 9/17/2015)

Values

• Important and lasting beliefs shared by an individual about what is good or bad and desirable or undesirable. Values have a major influence on a persons behavior (Jake Winckowski, 9/4/15)
• Value is the key reason behind the human unification. Value is the knowing what’s good for us and what not. There has to be a reason behind the the human acts. Value is the reason behind the human acts.(Ashif,11/1/15)

Wisdom

• Posessing the quality of experience, knowledge, and good judgement (Jake Winckowski, 9/4/15)