Our goal for this paper discusses the main research ethical concerns that arise in internet research and reviews existing research ethical guidance in relation to its application for educating digital citizens. In recent years we have witnessed a revolution in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that has transformed every field of…

Currently a large number of college students belong to social networks and spend several hours a week on them. Some sectors of society, like parents and teachers, are concerned about the negative impact on their academic work and in their personal lives. However, because the potential positive impacts have not been explored enough, this research…

Increasing workloads and decreasing budgets have left school district staff struggling to handle all their responsibilities, and regular communication across the district and into the community often suffers. Information may be delayed, inconsistent, or simply ranked low on the priority lists of busy administrators. Even transmitting information…

The Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) is a group of people interested in small college computing issues. It is a blend of people from all over the country who use computers in their teaching, academic support, and administrative support functions. ASCUE has a strong tradition of bringing its members together to pool their…

Nebrask@Online is a computer-based electronic information and communication service created by the Nebraska Library Commission. This article discusses its development, describes the operation of an online service and options for network development, and describes the public/private partnership that emerged as a model for network management…

Discusses findings from national surveys conducted from 1995 to 2000 concerning access, community and political involvement, and social interaction of Internet users. Concludes that Internet usage is: becoming more equally accessible and widely used; associated with increased community and political involvement; and associated with significant,…

There has been tremendous growth within the past decade in the number of individuals who have joined "the information highway" and have become empowered to use a computer to gain information about their world. In the United States, there are relatively few governmental restrictions imposed upon citizens who seek to communicate with…

Presents a cooperative information system for remote medical imaging diagnosis. General computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) problems addressed are definition of a procedure for the design of user-centered cooperative systems (conceptual level); and improvement of user feedback and optimization of the communication bandwidth in highly…

Examines the growing demand for e-mail reference (Aska) service and how librarians can best manage an electronic help desk. Discusses problems of minimal information and anonymous patrons, followed by views on restricting/not restricting access to the service. Suggests ways to try to screen requests and specify a clientele. Notes the importance of…

Describes the experience of creating a remote exploratorium by combining network media with design environments to support distance learning; the Agentsheets Remote Exploratorium provides learners access to interactive exhibits via the World Wide Web. Discusses issues of reliability, communication, and efficiency. (AEF)

Using data from a two-year study of three community networks, five defining characteristics of effective information communities are described: emphasis on collaboration among diverse information providers; capacity to form around people's needs to access and use information; capacity to exploit information sharing qualities of emerging…

Growing numbers of libraries are experimenting with a new form of interactive reference to extend service to their patrons at the point-of-need and time-of-need. Examines digital reference for the altered user culture and point-of-need service products. Describes a pilot project offering chat reference service. Discuses developing service…

This paper explains the similarities and differences between electronic mail and computer conferencing, and identifies the features one should look for in a modern conferencing system. It also clarifies some related terminology. Advantages of computer conferencing are first outlined, including: time- and space- independence; text-based medium;…

The Urban University and Neighborhood Network, a group dedicated to bringing together Ohio's urban universities and neighborhood-based organizations (NBOs), has been studying NBO access to the Internet. Of 189 Ohio NBOs responding to a survey, only 3 have full access to the Internet. The small size and small budget of many of the state's NBOs…

This paper proposes a user-centered framework for intranet design that is based on an understanding of people, their typical problems, information behaviors, and situated contexts. It is argued that by adopting such an approach, intranets can be designed which facilitate organizational information access and use. The first section of the paper…