Why bother to share information for little visible return? Publication in press with Information Research

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Hazel Hall

Talking to imagined citizens? Information sharing practices and proxies for e-participation in hyperlocal democratic settings has recently been accepted for publication in Information Research.

This work is concerned with the extent to which existing models of information sharing based on the tenets of exchange are applicable across a full range of contexts. Specifically, in this paper, Peter Cruickshank and I deploy an information sharing practice-based approach to explore the means by which hyperlocal representatives in Scotland handle their information sharing roles, and how they address their relationships with online ‘lurker’ audiences. Continue reading →

Investigating the online and offline contexts of day-to-day democracy as participation spaces: newly published research by Ella Taylor-Smith and Colin Smith

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Hazel Hall

Congratulations to Centre for Social Informatics colleagues Dr Ella Taylor-Smith and Dr Colin Smith on the publication of their article ‘Investigating the online and offline contexts of day-to-day democracy as participation spaces’ in Information, Communication and Society.

The main theme of the article is citizen-led participation in democracy, and the online and offline spaces – introduced as ‘participation space’ – in which people work together to influence those in power, and to improve their communities. The findings draw upon a sociotechnical analysis of data from three case studies to expose the relationship between activities of local, grassroots democracy and the characteristics of the online and offline spaces in which it occurs. Continue reading →

Practices of community representatives in exploiting information channels for citizen democratic engagement: paper available on OnlineFirst

Posted on May 8, 2018 by Hazel Hall

The first of the seven articles that I recently co-authored for the Journal of Librarianship and Information Science (JoLIS) has now been published as an OnlineFirst paper, with the option to download it as a PDF.

In the paper entitled ‘Practices of community representatives in exploiting information channels for citizen democratic engagement‘ my co-authors Pete r Cruickshank and Bruce Ryan and I explore how elected (yet unpaid) community councillors in Scotland exploit information channels for democratic engagement with the citizens that they represent. Continue reading →

Information Literacy for Democratic Engagement (IL-DEM) project: findings

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Hazel Hall

Peter Cruickshank, Dr Bruce Ryan and I recently completed the I nformation Literacy for Democratic Engagement (IL-DEM) project. This work set out to investigate levels of digital and information literacy within Scotland’s Community Council system. It was supported by a grant from the CILIP Information Literacy Group.

We explored how community councillors develop the skills required to inform and engage with the citizens that they represent, and how libraries support this work. In doing so have extended further two established research streams within the Centre for Social Informatics: (1) Cruickshank and Ryan’s work on digital engagement in local democracy (such as our DigiCC workshops), and (2) mine with Christine Irving on information literacy and life-long learning. This work also builds upon our group’s track record in library and information science research. Continue reading →

Information Literacy for Democratic Engagement: project update #IL-DEM

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Hazel Hall

The Centre for Social Informatics is currently undertaking a project entitled Information Literacy for Democratic Engagement (IL-DEM). Supported by a grant from the CILIP Information Literacy Group, our work investigates levels of digital and information literacy within Scotland’s Community Council system.

Specifically Peter Cruickshank, Dr Bruce Ryan and I are exploring how community councillors develop the skills required to inform and engage with the citizens that they represent, and how libraries support this work. In doing so we’re extending two established research streams within the Centre for Social Informatics: Cruickshank and Ryan’s work on digital engagement in local democracy (such as our DigiCC workshops), and mine with Christine Irving on information literacy and life-long learning. This work also builds upon our group’s track record in library and information science research. Continue reading →

Online and offline spaces for democracy: Dr Ella Taylor-Smith to present at Skeptics on the Fringe 2016

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Hazel Hall

Edinburgh is a fun place to be in August during the festival season. Amongst all the comedy, theatre, dance, music etc. there are also some more ‘serious’ events, many of which are led by academic experts. As ever, Edinburgh Skeptics is offering an excellent programme of such talks (free of charge), one of which is to be delivered by my colleague Dr Ella Taylor-Smith next Monday 15th August. Continue reading →

Digital engagement report published #digiCC

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Hazel Hall

The Centre for Social Informatics has just published a report on digital engagement for community councils and registered tenant organisations. The report presents findings from the Scottish Government sponsored workshops led in October and November 2015 by my research centre colleagues Peter Cruickshank and Dr Bruce Ryan. In addition, the report includes links to all the workshop presentation and outputs (such as videos, slides and photographs), and to further reading and resources. Continue reading →

Hazel Hall

Professor of Social Informatics, Edinburgh Napier University

Tag Archives: democracy

Online and offline spaces for democracy: Dr Ella Taylor-Smith to present at Skeptics on the Fringe 2016