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Andrea H. Tapia, Nicklaus A. Giacobe, Nicolas LaLone, & Pamela J. Soule. (2015). Scaling 911 Messaging for Emergency Operation Centers During Large Scale Events. In L. Palen, M. Buscher, T. Comes, & A. Hughes (Eds.), ISCRAM 2015 Conference Proceedings ? 12th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Kristiansand, Norway: University of Agder (UiA).
Abstract: In this paper we imagine that one day soon, mass crisis events will result in thousands of people trying to get emergency help multiple via multiple mediums. Public Access Service Points and 911 Centers will not be able to meet the demand of text-message calls for help during a large scale disaster. While 911 dispatchers will need to respond directly to each individual text message, we present the development and testing of a system that aims to provide this data, in real-time, directly to emergency managers during a large-scale crisis. The system is designed to accept, sort, triage and deliver hundreds of direct text messages from the PSAP and provide them directly to emergency management staff, who can leverage their content. In the hands of the emergency manager, these data can be used to inform resource allocation decisions, enhance their operational situational awareness, and potentially improve the response to the crisis.
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Andrea H. Tapia, Nicolas LaLone, Elizabeth MacDonald, Reid Priedhorsky, & Hall Hall. (2014). Crowdsourcing rare events: Using curiosity to draw participants into science and early warning systems. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 135–144). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: This research presents a centralized boundary object website and mobile app focused on allowing participants to participate in developing an early warning system through space weather and the beauty of the aurora borealis. Because of the beauty and majesty of auroral activity, people will seek information about when and where these unpredictable events occur. This activity, commonly referred to as nowcasting, can be combined with scientific data collected from observatories and satellites and serve as an early warning system with potentially far greater accuracy and timeliness than the current state of the art. We believe that long-term engagement with a citizen science tool will help bridge the many social worlds surrounding the aurora borealis and lead to the development of an early warning system that may correlate the visibility of the northern lights to violent space weather. We hope this will lead to other real time crowdsourced early warning systems in the future.
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Andrea H. Tapia, Nicolas LaLone, & Hyun-Woo Kim. (2014). Run amok: Group crowd participation in identifying the bomb and bomber from the Boston marathon bombing. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 265–274). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: In this paper we tell a version of the story of the bombing of the Boston Marathon. At first, two online groups gathered images, video and textual information concerning the bombing of the Boston Marathon and shared these with the FBI and amongst themselves. Secondly, these groups then created mechanisms to conduct their own investigation into the identities of the perpetrators. Finally, the larger national media followed the results of these online group investigations and reported these as fact to a national audience. We choose Twitter as our data repository and conducted quantitative analyses of tweets sent during the Boston Bombing. The implications for not incorporating public crowd participation within the standard operating procedures of emergency services may result in either a loss of public confidence in the slow-moving nature of official response to uncontrollable, dangerous and irresponsible public and media participation that exacerbates the negative effects of any disaster.
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Nicolas LaLone, & Andrea Tapia. (2016). Three Lessons from Aurorasaurus about Public Facing Information System Design. In A. Tapia, P. Antunes, V.A. Bañuls, K. Moore, & J. Porto (Eds.), ISCRAM 2016 Conference Proceedings ? 13th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Abstract: Response-focused information systems have the same data processing needs as citizen science initiatives. We present three lessons learned over a three-year period with a public facing information system devoted to early warning and event detection that will benefit designers of similar systems. First, we urge those creating information systems inside of crisis response to look for proxy events that will serve as an inexpensive means through which to pursue proof-of-concept or to explore pre-existing fully tested products. Second, we urge information system designers to engage the communities and gatekeepers of enthusiast communities surrounding the event that information system is meant to serve. It will not only help development, but also increase the chances of that system?s success. Finally, aiming for self-interest rather than event-interest will allow users to feel involved; ultimately aiding participation and retention.
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Nicolas Lalone, Jess Kropczynski, & Andrea Tapia. (2018). The Symbiotic Relationship of Crisis Response Professionals and Enthusiasts as Demonstrated by Reddit's User-Interface Over Time. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 232–244). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: Since the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting of 2012, the web aggregation community Reddit has been an enthusiast-driven, public-facing source of information about crisis response efforts. We describe the evolution of Reddit's software from the Boston Marathon Bombing of 2013 to the Ferguson unrest throughout 2014. Initially, Reddit was built to aggregate verified news but beginning with the Aurora movie theater shooting, Reddit began to aggregate and verify breaking news. In response to criticism of Reddit's actions during the Boston Marathon Bombing, Reddit re-designed their software in an effort to more accurately mimic crisis response professionals by fostering rigor, information control, and tighter bureaucracy. Reddit's ability to swiftly change its software serves as an example of the possibilities of crisis informatics in practice. We highlight the processes that Reddit has taken to maintain its efficacy even within the current issues surrounding information verification and automated spreading of rumors and falsehoods.
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