Communication Ecologies: Analyzing Adoption of False Beliefs in an Information-Rich Environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 650-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Walter ◽  
Sandra J. Ball-Rokeach ◽  
Yu Xu ◽  
Garrett M. Broad
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Analytical Tool ◽  
Communication Ecology ◽  
Current Article ◽  
Communication Practices ◽  
Practical Implications

The continued fragmentation of information and the proliferation of communication resources necessitate a shift toward perspectives that situate communication practices in a multilevel ecosystem. The current article offers a method to map and analyze communication ecologies—defined as the networks of communication connections that individuals depend on in order to construct knowledge and achieve goals—as social networks. To demonstrate the potential of communication ecologies as an analytical tool in science communication, we report on the results of a feasibility study ( N = 654) in the context of climate science and vaccine safety. The article discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the communication ecology approach.

Science communication and mediatised environmental conflict: A cautionary tale

2021 ◽  
pp. 096366252098513
Author(s):  
Claire Konkes ◽  
Kerrie Foxwell-Norton
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Political Communication ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Environmental Conflict ◽  
Cautionary Tale ◽  
James Cook ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
Tenured Position

When Australian physicist, Peter Ridd, lost his tenured position with James Cook University, he was called a ‘whistleblower’, ‘contrarian academic’ and ‘hero of climate science denial’. In this article, we examine the events surrounding his dismissal to better understand the role of science communication in organised climate change scepticism. We discuss the sophistry of his complaint to locate where and through what processes science communication becomes political communication. We argue that the prominence of scientists and scientific knowledge in debates about climate change locates science, as a social sphere or fifth pillar in Hutchins and Lester’s theory of mediatised environmental conflict. In doing so, we provide a model to better understand how science communication can be deployed during politicised debates.

scholarly journals “A matter of time”: Evidence-making temporalities of vaccine development in the COVID-19 media landscape

2021 ◽  
pp. 0961463X2110322
Author(s):  
Mia Harrison ◽  
Kari Lancaster ◽  
Tim Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Production ◽  
News Media ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Development Time ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Calendar Time ◽  
Public Science ◽  
Communication Practices ◽  
Epistemic Object

This article investigates how evidence of the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines is enacted in news media via a focus on the temporality of vaccine development. We argue that time constitutes a crucial object of and mechanism for knowledge production in such media and investigate how time comes to matter in vaccine evidence-making communication practices. In science communication on vaccine development, the vaccine object (along with the practices through which it is produced) undergoes a material-discursive shift from an imagined “rushed” product to being many years in the making and uninhibited by unnecessarily lengthy processes. In both these enactments of vaccine development, time itself is constituted as evidence of vaccine efficacy and safety. This article traces how time (performed as both calendar time and as a series of relational events) is materialized as an affective and epistemic object of evidence within public science communication by analyzing the material-discursive techniques through which temporality is enacted within news media focused on the timeline of COVID-19 vaccine development. We contend that time (as evidence) is remade through these techniques as an ontopolitical concern within the COVID-19 vaccine assemblage. We furthermore argue that science communication itself is an important actor in the hinterland of public health practices with performative effects and vital evidence-making capacities.

From campfire to coliseum: motivations for using social networks

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Castro Pires de Souza Chimenti ◽  
Marco Aurelio de Souza Rodrigues ◽  
Marcelo Guedes Carneiro ◽  
Roberta Dias Campos
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Collective Narrative

Purpose Through a literature review, a gap has been identified regarding the role of competition as a driver of social network (SN) usage. This study aims to design to address this gap, seeking motivators for SN usage based on how SN consumption may be related to users’ experience of competition. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of competition in social media usage. Design/methodology/approach The authors used an exploratory qualitative approach, conducting a set of focus groups with young social media users. Data was analyzed with software. Findings Two new drivers for SN use are proposed, namely, competition and collective narrative. Research limitations/implications This is an exploratory study, and it does not seek to generalize results or quantify causal relationships among variables. Practical implications This paper offers SN managers a deeper understanding of key growth drivers for these media. Social implications This research can help society understand and debate the impacts of SNs on users’ lives, providing insights into drivers of excessive usage. Originality/value This paper proposes the following two SN usage drivers yet to be described in the literature: competition and collective narrative.

scholarly journals SUstaiNability: a science communication website on environmental research

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Gravina ◽  
M. Muselli ◽  
R. Ligrone ◽  
F.A. Rutigliano
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Direct Involvement ◽  
Participatory Journalism

Abstract. Social networks allow anyone to publish information; such a boundless possibility is useful for participatory journalism, but is highly prone to create/diffuse mistakes and misunderstandings in scientific issues. In 2013 we created a website (http://www.sunability.unina2.it) containing research products from Second University of Naples (Italy), and shared them on Facebook and Twitter to analyze the effectiveness of these platforms in science divulgation. The study suggests that (i) regular updating of websites enhances users' interest; (ii) Campania citizen are more interested in pollution than natural hazards. Our results strongly point to the need for direct involvement of researchers in web-mediated scientific dissemination.

scholarly journals A first-person theory of documentation

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Gorichanaz
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Analytical Tool ◽  
First Person ◽  
Visual Artists ◽  
Art Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Person Perspective ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Person Experience

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to first articulate and then illustrate a descriptive theoretical model of documentation (i.e. document creation) suitable for analysis of the experiential, first-person perspective. Design/methodology/approach Three models of documentation in the literature are presented and synthesized into a new model. This model is then used to understand the findings from a phenomenology-of-practice study of the work of seven visual artists as they each created a self-portrait, understood here as a form of documentation. Findings A number of themes are found to express the first-person experience of art-making in these examples, including communicating, memories, reference materials, taking breaks and stepping back. The themes are discussed with an eye toward articulating what is shared and unique in these experiences. Finally, the themes are mapped successfully to the theoretical model. Research limitations/implications The study involved artists creating self-portraits, and further research will be required to determine if the thematic findings are unique to self-portraiture or apply as well to art-making, to documentation generally, etc. Still, the theoretical model developed here seems useful for analyzing documentation experiences. Practical implications As many activities and tasks in contemporary life can be conceptualized as documentation, this model provides a valuable analytical tool for better understanding those experiences. This can ground education and management decisions for those involved. Originality/value This paper makes conceptual and empirical contributions to document theory and the study of the information behavior of artists, particularly furthering discussions of information and document experience.

scholarly journals The impact of Influencer marketing on consumer buying behavior in social networks

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miglė Černikovaitė
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Buying Behavior ◽  
Shared Information ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Conceptual Research ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Scientific Topic ◽  
Customer Satisfaction And Loyalty ◽  
Consumer Buying Behavior

Purpose – the purpose of the article is to analyze the impact effect of Influencers marketing on consumer buying behavior by determining which partnership opportunities are most relevant. Research methodology – the theoretical analysis of scientific literature and quantitative statistical analysis of empirical research results. Findings – the research in Lithuania has shown that before making a decision to purchase a product or a service, most respondents are actively seeking information in social networks by reading other costumers feedback. Moreover, the survey reveals that recommendations, comments, shared information about certain brands by Influencers are the most important factors in changing buying behavior. Research limitations – the main limitations of research may be the geographical research area – Lithuania and social networks (Facebook). Practical implications – understanding of Influencers impact on consumer buying behavior. Originality/Value – this scientific topic is rather new. Scientists, like Matsumura, Yamamoto, & Tomozawa (2008), investigated Influencers and Consumer Insights impact in the Blogosphere; Thakur, Srivastava (2015) presented a Conceptual research model of Influencers impact of Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty and etc. However, there is a lack of research investigating the impact of Influencer marketing on consumer buying behavior. This research aims to fill this gap in the Lithuanian case

Using enterprise social networks as a knowledge management tool in higher education

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niall Corcoran ◽  
Aidan Duane
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Enterprise Social Networks ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The management of organisational knowledge and the promotion of staff knowledge sharing are largely neglected in higher education institutions. The purpose of this study is to examine how enterprise social networks can enable staff knowledge sharing in communities of practice in that context. Design/methodology/approach The study is framed as an Action Research project, covering three cycles over a 12-month period. During the Diagnosing phase, a conceptual model was developed for empirical testing. Data were collected through 30 semi-structured interviews and a number of focus groups. This was supplemented by content analysis and reflective journaling. Findings The findings support the conceptual model and provide insight into the antecedents necessary for the creation of an enterprise social network-enabled knowledge-sharing environment, the motivators for and barriers to participation, and the perceived organisational and individual benefits of increased staff knowledge-sharing activity. Research limitations/implications As the study has a higher education focus, all of the findings may not be generalizable to other types of organisation. Further development of the conceptual model and testing in other contextual settings will yield greater generalizability. Practical implications A number of findings have practical implications for the management of higher education institutions, such as the evidence of a divide between faculty and other staff. In general, the study findings provide an opportunity for educationalists to better understand the scope and impact of employing social media platforms for knowledge sharing. Originality/value This paper adds to the growing body of work on organisational implementations of social media, and should be of interest to practitioners and researchers undertaking similar projects.

It’s not what you know, it’s who: how top management’s social network impacts innovation in cultural and creative enterprises in China

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Creative Industries ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Cultural And Creative Industries ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings The authors explore the links between top management social networks and innovation performance in cultural and creative industries in China and propose that the relationship between social networks and innovation performance are mediated by organizational learning. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document