A sociological approach to the design of information systems

Abstract

Conventional information systems, founded on objectivist assumptions, are inappropriate for social scientists. Starting from a sociological standpoint, this article proposes an alternative type of system, developed during research with a group of subject specialists.

Conceptual organization and retrieval of text by historians: The role of memory and metaphor

“…Somehow individuals organize personal collections of files to optimize their own patterns of use, yet also in ways that enable them to relate their files to the work of others. Cognitive categories, while individualized, are also somewhat consensual in nature: they are shaped by agreement within a social group, such as colleagues in the same research field (Swift, Winn, & Bramer, 1979;Douglas, 1986). For "knowledge workers, " organizing the information they use must represent an enormous chore.…”

“…While the vocabulary common to American historians could be a target for implementation (see Swift, Winn, and Bramer (1979) for an example of the social scientist's vocabulary), the use and relative importance of terms varied widely among the historians interviewed, except in the areas of time and geography. Ways to extend the office metaphor for historians, therefore, could focus on chronological and geographic facets of the information, rather then standardization of the vocabulary for topics.…”

“…Restorick (1986) has suggested the importance, in filing system designs, of matching the user's perception of the way information is characterized and stored in conventional office settings. Hence, the design of information systems and interfaces is best based on studies of user characteristics, as also suggested by Swift, Winn & Bramer (1979), Borgman, Case, and Meadow (1985) and Croft and Thompson (1987).…”

Processing and indexing of digital multimedia documents

“…22 In light of this perspective, an innovative indexing strategy was drawn up within the framework of social and educational sciences, creating a 'multi-modal' as a defined orientation. 23 This orientation provides users with documents grouped according to category, offering researchers multiple points of departure. The perspective of semantic indexing offers 'different points of view upon which diverse researchers could express their interest'.…”

Operationalizing the notion of information as a subjective construct

“…Dervin (1983, p. 160) Neil1 (1987, p. 196), and Popper ( 1972, p. 3) have termed this the "empty bucket" view of an information user: that a person needing information is an empty receptacle who can be filled with information, which has a "thing" like quality. It is thought that such conceptions of information and information need do not adequately serve researchers in the "softer" disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities (Brittain, 1979, p. 711;Swift et al, 1979). And there is some question as to whether even researchers in the socalled "hard" sciences are best served by these objective notions of what constitutes information, particularly in the "softer," less "purposive" phases of their research.…”