Natalie D. Baker, Spyridon Samonas, & Kristine Artello. (2015). (Not) Welcome to the US: Hyper-Ebola and the Crisis of Misinformation. 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: A hyperbolic portrayal of Ebola in the US resulted in a crisis of misinformation, when an actual outbreak never occurred. We study how online mass media uses discourse in the constitution of a culture of fear, and how non-expert actors (e.g. media) employ a specific line of discussion to legitimize actions outside of science. Strange nationalism is afantastical construction of foreign, invasive crises. This discourse was used in online media to create an imagined Ebola outbreak, which legitimized inappropriate disease management policies, since outbreak was positioned as fact. Information featured on mass media provides input to crisis and emergency management information systems, such as the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS). In this respect, online media play a key role in informing the public about crisis through the construction of real or imagined emergencies. How crisis is framed affects both public understanding and response by authorities.
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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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Nour Kanaan, & Anouck Adrot. (2018). Managing inter-organizational breaks in a context of cross-border crisis. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 245–253). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: Dysfunctions in interactions can impede communication between crisis responders. The literature in crisis management partially addresses this practical issue by outlining several types of “breaks” (Milburn, 1983). Breaks refer to social disruptions between organizations involved in crisis response that result in erosion of social links, conflicts amplifications and unstructured responsibilities allocation. However, research falls short of details about specification of these social breaks and how to address them, thereby leaving practitioners who need to handle this issue without clear practical guidelines. We draw on the concept of authority to help dealing with the occurrence of these breaks. The empirical analysis of this article focuses on a cross-border region between France and Germany, that is very likely to encounter inter-organizational breaks. This research in progress will contribute to understand the influence of authority on inter-organizational breaks and crisis response. We discuss the expected contribution of this research.
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Rachel L. Finn, Hayley Watson, & Kush Wadhwa. (2015). Exploring big ?crisis? data in action: potential positive and negative externalities. 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: As growing emphasis is placed on engaging with big ?crisis? data, including data from social media, GPS, and satellite, adequate policies and measures must be in place in order to use this data in an ethically and legally responsible manner. The current working paper introduces the BYTE study, which is working towards identifying and understanding the various positive and negative externalities, or impacts, associated with the use of big ?crisis? data. This insight paper provides a preliminary discussion of various externalities that may be encountered in this study. By doing so, the authors highlight the need for additional research in this area to promote ethically and legally responsible crisis data practices.
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Caroline Rizza, & Ângela Guimarães Pereira. (2014). Building a resilient community through social network: Ethical considerations about the 2011 Genoa floods. 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. 289–293). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: This paper considers the role of social media in the response to the flooding of 2011 in Genoa (Italy), caused by flash floods during torrential rainfall. Volunteer students created a Facebook page to communicate with citizens and organize support and rescue activities. In this paper, we first look at the story of the 2011 Genoa floods from the point of view of the news media to gain insights into the imaginaries behind the use of social media in situations of natural disaster. Second, we look at a communication partnership between citizenry and public authorities for its value in building resilience to disaster among communities. Ethical and social dimensions of these partnerships are analysed.
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Robin Batard, Frederick Benaben, Aurélie Montarnal, Christophe Prieur, & Caroline Rizza. (2018). Ethical, Legal and Social considerations surrounding the use of social media by citizens during Hurricane Irma in Cuba. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 268–275). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: While Hurricane Irma struck the Cuban Southern coasts, thousands of tourists were evacuated from this area and relocated in the Varadero peninsula. In a couple of days, all means for families and friends to connect with the tourists were down, leaving them without any information about the on-site situation. This paper focuses on the volunteer citizens' initiative to take advantage of social media, to enhance their own situational awareness in Varadero area, supporting fellow citizens to identify and localize their relatives. In particular, two Facebook groups that were created at the time are analyzed and their messages' content and objectives categorized. We will show that once more, social media has constituted opportunities for citizens to engage a specific response to the crisis, but at the same time has raised specific ethical and social issues.
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Sarah Bratt, Bryan Semaan, Lauren Britton, Bryan Dosono, & Franco Zeno. (2017). Translation in Personal Crises: Opportunities for Wearables Design. In eds Aurélie Montarnal Matthieu Lauras Chihab Hanachi F. B. Tina Comes (Ed.), Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management (pp. 266–279). Albi, France: Iscram.
Abstract: This paper reports on a qualitative study exploring personal crises that emerge during transitions. Personal crises, like crises caused by natural disasters, often lead to new behaviors and opportunities for technology appropriation and design. Through interviews with 14 military veterans re-integrating into civilian society, we find that the veterans' transitions involve several impediments related to translation work--the process through which people make sense of the conflicting rules and norms between former and present social realities. We developed guidelines for the design of new wearable devices that can aid veterans in the translation process by proposing a six-fold schema of design criteria for wearables--detection, nudging, portability/proximity, inconspicuousness, connectivity, and reflection--to empower veterans in managing personal crises, fostering resilience, and creating normalcy. Finally, we develop the concept of identity creep to explicate these translation-breakdowns.
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Keri K. Stephens, & Jessica L. Ford. (2014). Banning mobile devices: Workplace policies that selectively exclude can shape crisis communication. 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. 279–283). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: There is a growing need to understand how mobile devices are used to reach people in a crisis. This study focuses on how work organizations play a gatekeeping role in how their employees receive crisis information. Relying on research in the digital divide and organizational justice, this study compares two different types of organizations and their policies banning or allowing mobile devices at work. Three major themes emerged: having omnipotent supervisors, being powerless workers, and experiencing information holes. These themes highlight the burden placed on organizations to create more inclusive digital policies to ensure that employees do not fall through the net of crisis management systems. Additionally, these findings necessitate new discussions among crisis and emergency management scholars that include the current understanding of the digital divide, specifically as it relates to digital inequality in the workplace.
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Sung-Yueh Perng, & Monika Büscher. (2015). Uncertainty and Transparency: Augmenting Modelling and Prediction for Crisis Respons. 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: Emergencies are characterised by uncertainty. This motivates the design of information systems that model and predict complex natural, material or human processes to support understanding and reduce uncertainty through prediction. The correspondence between system models and reality, however, is also governed by uncertainties, and designers have developed methods to render ?the world? transparent in ways that can inform, fine-tune and validate models. Additionally, people experience uncertainties in their use of simulation and prediction systems. This is a major obstacle to effective utilisation. We discuss ethically and socially motivated demands for transparency.
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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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Vitaveska Lanfranchi. (2017). Machine Learning and Social Media in Crisis Management: Agility vs Ethics. In eds Aurélie Montarnal Matthieu Lauras Chihab Hanachi F. B. Tina Comes (Ed.), Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management (pp. 256–265). Albi, France: Iscram.
Abstract: One of the most used sources of information for fast and flexible crisis information is social media or crowdsourced data, as the information is rapidly disseminated, can reach a large amount of target audience and covers a wide variety of topics. However, the agility that these new methodologies enable comes at a price: ethics and privacy. This paper presents an analysis of the ethical risks and implications of using automated system that learn from social media data to provide intelligence in crisis management. The paper presents a short overview on the use of social media data in crisis management to then highlight ethical implication of machine learning and social media data using an example scenario. In conclusion general mitigation strategies and specific implementation guidelines for the scenario under analysis are presented.
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Hayley Watson, Lemi Baruh, Rachel L. Finn, & Salvatore Scifo. (2014). Citizen (in)security?: Social media, citizen journalism and crisis response. 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. 294–298). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: The use of social media in a crisis has been applauded, and is witnessing an increase in uptake among those involved in crisis management activities, including citizens. Whilst some challenges have been discussed elsewhere, somewhat lacking is a discussion on the impact of sharing information on the security of those that may have been recorded. Accordingly, this working paper aims to provide preliminary results of an initial mapping task that seeks to examine the impact of the use of social media in a crisis on the social and ethical wellbeing of the security of the citizen. Authors argue that the heightened involvement of citizen journalism results in the filtering of information after its online publication which raises concerns relating to the dissemination of false information and a threat to an individual's privacy. Such issues should be adequately addressed in the encouragement and use of citizen contributions in crisis response.
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Xaroula Kerasidou, Monika Büscher, & Michael Liegl. (2015). Don?t Drone? Negotiating Ethics of RPAS in Emergency Response. 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: This paper explores discourses of automation as a key ethical concern in the development of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems for disaster response. We discuss problems arising from ?humanistic? dichotomies that pit human against machine, military against civil uses and experts against laypersons. We explore how it may be possible to overcome human-technology dichotomies.
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