The socio-technical design of a library and information science collaboratory

• Introduction. We present a prototype collaboratory, a socio-technical platform to support sharing research data collection instruments in library and information science. No previous collaboratory has attempted to facilitate sharing digital research data collection instruments among library and information science researchers. Method. We have taken a socio-technical approach to design, which includes a review of previous research on collaboratories; an empirical study of specific needs of library and information science researchers; and a use case design method to design the prototype collaboratory. Scenarios of future interactions, use cases, were developed using an analytically-driven approach to scenario design. The use cases guided the implementation of the prototype collaboratory in the MediaWiki software package. Results. The prototype collaboratory design is presented as seven use cases, which each describe central uses of the collaboratory and together illustrate how human system interaction has been facilitated in the prototype collaboratory. Conclusion. Future research includes usability testing to complement the analytically-generated scenarios of use and to expand with the production of use cases for specific groups of users.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap -- Biblioteks- och informationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Media and Communications -- Information Studies (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Information sharing

Scientific collaboration

Collaboratories

Prototype design

Use cases

Computer mediated information behaviour

Library and Information Science

Biblioteks- och informationsvetenskap

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)