[Air-l] CI Researchers Network

[Michael Gurstein]

Hi Ellis,

Glad to oblige (this is from a forthcoming piece in the Community Technology
Review)...

"What is Community Informatics?

Community Informatics (CI) is the application of information and
communications technologies (ICTs) to enable community processes and the
achievement of community objectives including overcoming “digital divides”
both within and among communities.  But CI also goes beyond discussions of
the “Digital Divide” to examine how and under what conditions, ICT access
can be made usable and useful to the range of users and particularly
excluded populations and communities, for example to support local economic
development, local cultural retention and creation, and civic empowerment.

CI is emerging as the framework for systematically approaching Information
Systems from a “community” perspective and parallels Management Information
Systems (MIS) in the development of strategies and techniques for managing
community use and application of information systems.  As well, it is
closely linked with the variety of Community Networking research and
applications.

CI is based on the assumption that geographically-based communities (also
known as “physical” or “geo-local” communities) have characteristics,
requirements and opportunities that require different strategies for ICT
intervention and development from the widely accepted implied models of
individual or in-home computer/Internet access and use. Because of cost
factors of course, much of the world is unlikely to have in-home Internet
access in the near future.  Also, CI addresses the questions of those with a
concern for ICT use in Developing Countries as well as among the poor, the
marginalized, the elderly, or those living in remote locations in Developed
Countries.

CI represents an area of interest both to ICT practitioners and academic
researchers and to all those with an interest in community-based information
technologies.  CI addresses the connections between the academic theory and
research, and the policy and pragmatic issues arising from the tens of
thousands of "Community Networks", "Community Technology Centres",
Telecentres, Community Communications Centres, and Telecottages currently in
place globally.

As an academic discipline CI draws resources and participants from a wide
range of backgrounds including Computer Science, Management, Information and
Library Science, Planning, Sociology, Education, Social Policy and Rural,
Regional, and Development Studies.  As a practice, CI is of interest to
those concerned with Community and Local Economic Development both in
Developing and Developed Countries and has close connections with those
working in such areas as Community Development, Community Economic
Development, Community Based Health Informatics, Adult and Continuing
Education, and Agricultural Extension." (I'd be pleased to send the full
article to anyone with an interest).

To summarize, CI is about the practice of applying ICT's to the concerns and
objectives of communities.  If a difference could be identified, A(o)IR
would seem to approach the Internet from the perspective of "area" or
"topical" studies (think Women's Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Black
Studies), while Community Informatics approaches the Internet from the
perspective of practice,  applications, and policy (think Management
Information Systems, Health Informatics, E-Government).

(Interestingly in some work I'm currently involved in we are finding a very
considerable overlap between the concerns and strategies of Virtual
Communities and ICT enabled Geo-Communities and there is a considerable
interest and involvement from Virtual Communities researchers and
practitioners in CI activities.)

For the elist discussing substantive Community Informatics issues send an
email

to: Majordomo at vcn.bc.ca

message:

subscribe communityinformatics


For the elist discussing issues of concern to Community Informatics
researchers send an email

to: Majordomo at vcn.bc.ca

message:

subscribe ciresearchers


(Hope this helps,)

regs,

Mike Gurstein

Michael Gurstein, Ph.D.
(Visiting) Professor:  School of Management
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, NJ

-----Original Message-----
From: Ellis Godard [mailto:ellisgodard at starband.net]
Sent: January 20, 2002 5:17 PM
To: air-l at aoir.org
Cc: mgurst at vcn.bc.ca
Subject: RE: [Air-l] CI Researchers Network


Could you say something about what "community informatics" means, and how
the content of this list will differ from the many others previously noted
on AIR-L?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: air-l-admin at aoir.org [mailto:air-l-admin at aoir.org]On Behalf Of
> Michael Gurstein
> Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2002 1:56 PM
> To: community informatics; Air-L at Aoir. Org; DIGITALDIVIDE discussion
> group; COMMUNET at LIST.UVM.EDU; ISWORLD at LISTSERV.HEANET.IE
> Cc: Wal Taylor; lleiva at ar.inter.net; loquay at regards.cnrs.fr
> Subject: [Air-l] CI Researchers Network
>
>
> At the recent Global Community Networking Congress in Buenos Aires, an
> international group of Community Informatics (CI) researchers met
> and agreed
> to establish an informal network linked to an email list and a website.
>
> Wal Taylor <w.taylor at cqu.edu.au> of Central Queensland University
> volunteered to establish a website, Annie Chéneau-Loquay
> [loquay at regards.cnrs.fr] volunteered to establish a database of CI
> Researchers, I volunteered to establish an e-list for CI Researchers with
> Spanish language assistance from Luciano Leiva [lleiva at ar.inter.net]of
> Argentina.
>
> You are welcome to subscribe to the elist or communicate to any
> of the above
> concerning their activities.
>
> The CIResearchers elist is expected to be a low volume list primarily
> concerned with matters related to CI Research and particularly
> professional/academic issues--conferences, publications, courses
> and so on.
>
> to subscribe send an email
>
> to: majordomo at vcn.bc.ca
>
> message:
>
> subscribe CIResearchers
>
> Archive:  http://www.vcn.bc.ca/lists/ciresearchers
>
> (Feel free to forward this message to other lists or individuals as
> appropriate.)
>
> Mike Gurstein
>
> Michael Gurstein, Ph.D.
> (Visiting) Professor:  School of Management
> New Jersey Institute of Technology
> Newark, NJ
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Air-l mailing list
> Air-l at aoir.org
> http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l