Today large information systems (IS) are constructed in order to enhance the quality, access, participation, democracy, service and efficiency of public information systems. Part of the purpose is to give the individual citizen an increase in the experienced quality of life through easier access to public information and services.
Traditionally, information systems have been developed for a relatively homogenous group within a company or organisation, but with the citizens as users, there are new demands on considerations taken during the development process. The users, in this case citizens, are a large and heterogeneous group of individuals, with different backgrounds and prerequisites such as education, age, religion, culture and other socio-economic factors, which situate questions such as democracy, ethics, gender and participation more prominently in the use as well as development of IS.
In the CITIZYS-group, we try to constantly start out from the citizens’ perspectives and to relate this strongly with practical realisations.
These objectives contributes by multidisciplinary and cross perspective coverage and the project has many different angles. However, the aim of our research is always to analyse hinders and facilitators of and contribute to create:
Our basic view scientifically, rests on social constructionist and critical theory which highlights the different actors in the processes of developing and using information systems (producers as well as consumers/end-users/citizens). This also implies that the relations between these different actors come into focus. With this in mind, the development of different user-centred systems models is important in order to be able to move from vision to practice. Another relevant perspective is the more general and structural focus on important actors on a macro level in society and their respective handling of democratic aspects of this development. Such a viewpoint connects the structural to the actor-oriented levels of analysis and also makes it possible to consider the processes of creating knowledge and awareness as well as creating practical tools for more effective system development.
RwT-model (Lindblad-Gidlund 2005), an example of a way of analysing relations with technology.
The research is carried out in a multi-disciplinary fashion, combining informatics, political science, sociology, and media and communication studies.
CoordinatorDr. Katarina Lindblad-GidlundKatarina.Lindblad-Gidlund@miun.se
ResearchersDr. Olof Nilssonolof.nilsson@miun.se
Dr. Susan Holmbergsusan.holmberg@miun.se
Dr. Ulrica Löfstedtulrica.lofstedt@miun.se
PhD-StudentsJohanna Sefyrinjohanna.sefyrin@miun.se
Anders LarssonAnders.Larsson@calaha.se
Ulrika Danielsson ulrika.danielsson@miun.se
Hans Wiklundhans.wiklund@miun.se
Katarina Giritli-Nygrenkatarina.giritli-nygren@miun.se
Rob Kling Center for Social InformaticsDemo-Net
Dr Olof Nilsson is on a one-year post doc at Cork University, IrelandOn-going editorial work with a book called: What is forgotten and hidden in Swedish eGovernment researchDoctoral dissertation: Ulrika Löfstedt with e-Services for and by CitizensThe project Föräldramötet was nominated to Guldlänken, a national competition rewarding the best swedish e-services in public sector for citizens and businesses www.guldlanken.se.
2008-03-20Translated myths: general and specific interpretations of eGovernmentKatarina Lindblad-Gidlund & Katarina Giritli-Nygren2008-04-18Dilemmas of eGovernment – Rationalisation of business or improved work situation for employees?Johanna Sefyrin2008-05-16Who’s afraid of eGovernment?Katarina Giritli-Nygren2008-06-05MedianalysSusan Holmberg