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Book part
Publication date: 31 January 2024

Georg Grossmann, Alice Beale, Harkaran Singh, Ben Smith and Julie Nichols

Cultural heritage archiving is experiencing an increase in digitalisations of artefacts in the last 15 years. The reason behind this trend is a demand for providing information…

Abstract

Cultural heritage archiving is experiencing an increase in digitalisations of artefacts in the last 15 years. The reason behind this trend is a demand for providing information about the artefact in a more accessible way to the audience, for example, through online delivery or virtual reality. Other reasons might be to simplify and automate the management of artefacts. Having a ‘digital copy’ of artefacts, allows one to search an archive and plan its storage and dissemination in a comprehensive manner. With the increased digitalisation comes an increased use of artificial intelligence [AI] applications. AI can be very beneficial in classifying artefacts automatically through machine learning [ML] and natural language processing [NLP]. For example, an algorithm can identify the source and age of artefacts based on an image and can do this much faster for a large collection of photos than a human. Although AI provides many benefits, it also presents challenges: Sophisticated AI techniques require certain insights on how they work, need specialists to customise a solution, and require an existing large dataset to train an algorithm. Another challenge is that typical AI techniques are regarded as black boxes, which means they decide, but it is not obvious why a decision has been made. This chapter describes a project in collaboration with the South Australian Museum [SAM] on the application of AI to extract material lists from a description of artefacts. A large dataset to train an algorithm did not exist, and hence, a customised approach was required. The outcome of the project was the application of NLP in combination with easy-to-customise rules that can be applied by non-IT specialists. The resulting prototype achieved the extraction of materials from a large list of artefacts within seconds and a flexible solution that can be applied on other collections in the future.

Details

Data Curation and Information Systems Design from Australasia: Implications for Cataloguing of Vernacular Knowledge in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-615-3

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 August 2018

Claudio Gnoli

The current debate between two theoretical approaches in library and information science and knowledge organization (KO), the cognitive one and the sociological one, is addressed…

Abstract

Purpose

The current debate between two theoretical approaches in library and information science and knowledge organization (KO), the cognitive one and the sociological one, is addressed in view of their possible integration in a more general model. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Personal knowledge of individual users, as focused in the cognitive approach, and social production and use of knowledge, as focused in the sociological approach, are reconnected to the theory of levels of reality, particularly in the versions of Nicolai Hartmann and Karl R. Popper (three worlds). The notions of artefact and mentefact, as proposed in anthropological literature and applied in some KO systems, are also examined as further contributions to the generalized framework. Some criticisms to these models are reviewed and discussed.

Findings

Both the cognitive approach and the sociological approach, if taken in isolation, prove to be cases of philosophical monism as they emphasize a single level over the others. On the other hand, each of them can be considered as a component of a pluralist ontology and epistemology, where individual minds and social communities are but two successive levels in knowledge production and use, and are followed by a further level of “objectivated spirit”; this can in turn be analyzed into artefacts and mentefacts. While all these levels are relevant to information science, mentefacts and their properties are its most peculiar objects of study, which make it distinct from such other disciplines as psychology and sociology.

Originality/value

This analysis shows how existing approaches can benefit from additional notions contributed by levels theory, to develop more complete and accurate models of information and knowledge phenomena.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 74 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 July 2009

Connie Svabo

The paper aims to provide an overview of the vocabulary for materiality which is used by practice‐based approaches to organizational knowing.

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Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to provide an overview of the vocabulary for materiality which is used by practice‐based approaches to organizational knowing.

Design/methodology/approach

The overview is theoretically generated and is based on the anthology Knowing in Organizations: A Practice‐based Approach edited by Nicolini, Gherardi and Yanow. The overview is built by cross‐reading the analyses in this book. The intellectual traditions which are scrutinized all agree that action is materially embedded – objects and artifacts are central to both knowing and learning. But what is their understanding of materiality? The paper explores which concepts are used, how the interaction between social and material realities is presented, and the role materiality is perceived to have in relation to action.

Findings

Findings are that, within the practice‐based approach, common terms for materiality are “artifact” and “object”. The interaction between social and material realities is grasped as several processes: object‐oriented activity, symbolization, embodiment, performance, alignment and mediation. Material artifacts both stabilize and destabilize organizational action. They may ensure coordination, communication, and control, but they may also create disturbance and conflict.

Originality/value

The paper lists a range of options for conceptualizing how organizational action may be materially mediated. It points out that material entities may both stabilize and destabilize organizational action. It contributes to the further understanding of the tangible, artifactual and object‐related side of organizational knowing.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 16 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 September 2017

Fadia Bahri Korbi and Mourad Chouki

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the issue of knowledge transfer in the context of international asymmetric alliances. The objective is mainly to identify the barriers that…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the issue of knowledge transfer in the context of international asymmetric alliances. The objective is mainly to identify the barriers that can impede the knowledge transfer between asymmetric partners and to analyze the solutions adopted to overcome these barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a qualitative study involving six cases of asymmetric alliances between Tunisian small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) and European multinational corporations (MNCs).

Findings

The results of this research highlight a set of obstacles related to the context of asymmetric alliance itself and the nature of knowledge transferred by partners. The study emphasizes the importance of translation using artefacts by both partners and proximity with its geographical, organizational and technological dimensions to overcome these obstacles.

Research limitations/implications

The investigation of knowledge transfer in asymmetric alliances was based on the role played by only three proximity dimensions (geographical, organizational and technological), while other factors, such as institutional, social and cultural issues, were not considered. Indeed, future research may take these variables into account in studying solutions to overcome knowledge-transfer barriers in asymmetric alliances.

Practical implications

The paper calls the attention of asymmetric alliance managers to the importance of translation to perform work processes, facilitate knowledge transfer and overcome linguistic barriers. Managers should use virtual artefacts to reduce the constraints resulting from their geographical remoteness and to strengthen cooperation. Further, reinforcing geographical, organizational and technological proximity between partners involved in an international alliance is essential to facilitate knowledge transfer, essentially of tacit knowledge, and to accelerate innovation.

Originality/value

This study emphasizes the importance of the simultaneous role of artefacts, translation and proximity in overcoming obstacles related to the asymmetric alliance itself and the nature of knowledge transferred by partners. The results shed light on the issue of knowledge generation in asymmetric alliances.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 21 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 January 2020

Tracy Harwood, Tony Garry and Russell Belk

The purpose of this paper is to present a design fiction diegetic prototyping methodology and research framework for investigating service innovations that reflect future uses of…

1057

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a design fiction diegetic prototyping methodology and research framework for investigating service innovations that reflect future uses of new and emerging technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on speculative fiction, the authors propose a methodology that positions service innovations within a six-stage research development framework. The authors begin by reviewing and critiquing designerly approaches that have traditionally been associated with service innovations and futures literature. In presenting their framework, authors provide an example of its application to the Internet of Things (IoT), illustrating the central tenets proposed and key issues identified.

Findings

The research framework advances a methodology for visualizing future experiential service innovations, considering how realism may be integrated into a designerly approach.

Research limitations/implications

Design fiction diegetic prototyping enables researchers to express a range of “what if” or “what can it be” research questions within service innovation contexts. However, the process encompasses degrees of subjectivity and relies on knowledge, judgment and projection.

Practical implications

The paper presents an approach to devising future service scenarios incorporating new and emergent technologies in service contexts. The proposed framework may be used as part of a range of research designs, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed method investigations.

Originality/value

Operationalizing an approach that generates and visualizes service futures from an experiential perspective contributes to the advancement of techniques that enables the exploration of new possibilities for service innovation research.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 34 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 17 January 2022

Emmanuel Eze, Rob Gleasure and Ciara Heavin

The implementation of mobile health (mHealth) in developing countries seems to be stuck in a pattern of successive pilot studies that struggle for mainstream implementation. This…

1553

Abstract

Purpose

The implementation of mobile health (mHealth) in developing countries seems to be stuck in a pattern of successive pilot studies that struggle for mainstream implementation. This study addresses the research question: what existing health-related structures, properties and practices are presented by rural areas of developing countries that might inhibit the implementation of mHealth initiatives?

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted using a socio-material approach, based on an exploratory case study in West Africa. Interviews and participant observation were used to gather data. A thematic analysis identified important social and material agencies, practices and imbrications which may limit the effectiveness of mHealth apps in the region.

Findings

Findings show that, while urban healthcare is highly structured, best practice-led, rural healthcare relies on peer-based knowledge sharing, and community support. This has implications for the enacted materiality of mobile technologies. While urban actors see mHealth as a tool for automation and the enforcement of responsible healthcare best practice, rural actors see mHealth as a tool for greater interconnectivity and independent, decentralised care.

Research limitations/implications

This study has two significant limitations. First, the study focussed on a region where technology-enabled guideline-driven treatment is the main mHealth concern. Second, consistent with the exploratory nature of this study, the qualitative methodology and the single-case design, the study makes no claim to statistical generalisability.

Originality/value

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to adopt a socio-material view that considers existing structures and practices that may influence the widespread adoption and assimilation of a new mHealth app. This helps identify contextual challenges that are limiting the potential of mHealth to improve outcomes in rural areas of developing countries.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 35 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 July 2016

Jutta Haider

The purpose of this paper is to explore informational structures producing and organising the construction of waste sorting in Sweden. It shows how the issue is constructed by it…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore informational structures producing and organising the construction of waste sorting in Sweden. It shows how the issue is constructed by it being searched for in Google and how this contributes to the specific informational texture of waste sorting in Sweden. It is guided by the following questions: who are the main actors and which are the central topics featuring in Google results on popular, suggested searches for waste sorting in Sweden? What do the link relations between these tell the author about the issue space that is formed around waste sorting in Sweden? How is the construction of the notions of waste sorting and waste shaped in the information available through Google’s features for related and other relevant searches?

Design/methodology/approach

Waste sorting is discussed as a practice structured along moral rules and as a classification exercise. The study brings together two types of material, results from searches carried out in Google and lists of Google query suggestions for relevant search terms. These are analysed with a mixed method approach, uniting quantitative network analysis and qualitative content analysis of query suggestions. A sociomaterial approach theoretically grounds the analysis.

Findings

Waste sorting in Sweden emerges as an issue that is characterised by dense networks of rules and regulation, focused in public authorities and government agencies, which in turn address consumers, waste management businesses and other authorities. Search engine use and waste sorting in Sweden are shown to be joined together in various mundane everyday life practices and practices of governance that become visible through the search engine in form of search results and suggested searches. The search engine is shown to work as a fluid classification system, which is also created and shaped by its use.

Originality/value

The study offers a novel methodological approach to studying the informational structures of an issue and of its shaping through it being searched for. The sociomaterially grounded analysis of Google as a fluid classification system is original.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. 68 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2016

Stefania Mariano and Yukika Awazu

The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of artifacts in the knowledge management field in the past 18 years (1997-2015) and to identify directions for future research.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of artifacts in the knowledge management field in the past 18 years (1997-2015) and to identify directions for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a systematic literature review of 101 articles published in seven journals retrieved from EBSCO and Google Scholar online research databases. The framework for analysis included 13 codes, i.e. author(s), title, year of publication, typology, theoretical lens, categorizations, methods for empirical work, relevancy, level of analysis, keywords, findings, research themes and future research directions. Codes were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods.

Findings

The findings lacked cumulativeness and consistency in the current knowledge management debate. Empirical works outnumbered conceptual contributions by two to one, and the majority of papers focused at the organizational level of analysis. Knowledge management systems, knowledge sharing and digital archives were the major research themes connected to artifacts, together with other closely aligned concepts such as learning and online learning, knowledge transfer and knowledge creation.

Research limitations/implications

This study has temporal and contextual limitations related to covered time span (18 years) and journals’ subscription restrictions.

Originality/value

This paper is a first attempt to systematically review the role of artifacts in knowledge management research and therefore it represents a primary reference in the knowledge management field. It provides directions to future theoretical and empirical studies and suggestions to managerial practices.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 20 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2020

Bertrand Audrin

The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation of self-service technologies (SST) in two competitors and unravel the process of change in two related setups, offering…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation of self-service technologies (SST) in two competitors and unravel the process of change in two related setups, offering a comparison as well as an association of cases.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on two extensive case studies of SST adoption by leading retailers in a Western European country. The analysis is based on a material-discursive approach using Greimas actantial model to identify actors’ roles in the implementation process.

Findings

Results highlight the key role of technology and organizational identity as legitimizers of the change process. The findings also emphasize the role of competition in justifying change.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the specific situation of the market in the country of study (both retailers share 70 percent of the grocery market), this research offers a textbook example of the role of competition in technological change. This helps to understand the role of competition in technological change.

Originality/value

This study explores the implementation of SST in two competitors and unravels the process of change in two related setups, offering a comparison as well as an association of cases.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 48 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2004

Ruth Hedegaard

In many countries, there is a growing interest in cooperation among archives, libraries and museums. For the sake of the interested user it is important to make it easier to…

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Abstract

In many countries, there is a growing interest in cooperation among archives, libraries and museums. For the sake of the interested user it is important to make it easier to obtain information from the different institutions, and so to make a crossover strategy to give people access to their cultural heritage. The goal is to provide people with the opportunity to search material in archives, libraries and museums simultaneously. Consequently, it is necessary to try to create minimum standards for cataloguing and description with the starting point in the standards already accepted internationally. In Denmark there have been some interesting projects the objective of which has been to make it possible to search for material in several institutions at the same time. NOKS is one of these projects, it is an abbreviation for Nordjyllands Kulturhistoriske Søgebase, which is a database with material about the cultural history of the North of Jutland. The project involved nine institutions. The records from the institutions have been put together in one database, which can be reached via the Internet address www.noks.dk. The database consists of 115,000 records, among them 8,000 photos, including different types of material, printed material, books, leaflets, newspaper clippings, archives, museum items, etc.

Details

New Library World, vol. 105 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

Keywords

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