Beyond communication - research as communicating: making user and audience studies matter - paper 2

<br><b>Introduction.</b> This is the written version of the keynote address (Making user studies matter: Thank you Mister Feynman and Monsieur Foucault) delivered by senior author Dervin. The paper is linked to the Invited Paper in this issue and like that paper, reports on a proj...

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Main Authors: Brenda Dervin, CarrieLynn Reinhard, Fei C. Shen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Borås 2006-01-01
Series:Information Research: An International Electronic Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:http://informationr.net/ir/12-1/paper287.html
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author Brenda Dervin
CarrieLynn Reinhard
Fei C. Shen
author_facet Brenda Dervin
CarrieLynn Reinhard
Fei C. Shen
author_sort Brenda Dervin
collection DOAJ
description <br><b>Introduction.</b> This is the written version of the keynote address (Making user studies matter: Thank you Mister Feynman and Monsieur Foucault) delivered by senior author Dervin. The paper is linked to the Invited Paper in this issue and like that paper, reports on a project involving a dialogue between researchers and practitioners in library and information science, human computer interaction, and communication focusing on gaps in our understandings of users and audiences as well as in our efforts to collaborate with each other to conduct and apply research to the design and implementation of information, library, communication, and media systems. Argument. Our main conclusion in Paper 1 was that the traditional modes used for communication in social science research are not doing the job for user and audience studies. We set out five propositions relating to this conclusion: (1) the traditional modes of communicating in the research enterprise are not working; (2) Do the social sciences matter? Some serious and fundamental attacks; (3) a call to focus on the special problematics of the social sciences: agency, structure, power and the good; (4) eschewing scientific recipes and scholarly creeds and bringing back the joys of adventuring and muddling; (5) the paradox of communicatingfreedom is another word for nothing left to lose. <br><b>Conclusion.</b> We argue for shared dialogue in communicating across the three fields studied here: this will introduce uncertainty, but, rather than relying upon 'authority', the individual will be encouraged through the exploration of that uncertainty, to make their own sense of the offerings of others.
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spelling doaj-art-39e9854a1c4b46589d14ed8c806e1c262025-02-02T22:01:25ZengUniversity of BoråsInformation Research: An International Electronic Journal1368-16132006-01-01121287Beyond communication - research as communicating: making user and audience studies matter - paper 2Brenda DervinCarrieLynn ReinhardFei C. Shen<br><b>Introduction.</b> This is the written version of the keynote address (Making user studies matter: Thank you Mister Feynman and Monsieur Foucault) delivered by senior author Dervin. The paper is linked to the Invited Paper in this issue and like that paper, reports on a project involving a dialogue between researchers and practitioners in library and information science, human computer interaction, and communication focusing on gaps in our understandings of users and audiences as well as in our efforts to collaborate with each other to conduct and apply research to the design and implementation of information, library, communication, and media systems. Argument. Our main conclusion in Paper 1 was that the traditional modes used for communication in social science research are not doing the job for user and audience studies. We set out five propositions relating to this conclusion: (1) the traditional modes of communicating in the research enterprise are not working; (2) Do the social sciences matter? Some serious and fundamental attacks; (3) a call to focus on the special problematics of the social sciences: agency, structure, power and the good; (4) eschewing scientific recipes and scholarly creeds and bringing back the joys of adventuring and muddling; (5) the paradox of communicatingfreedom is another word for nothing left to lose. <br><b>Conclusion.</b> We argue for shared dialogue in communicating across the three fields studied here: this will introduce uncertainty, but, rather than relying upon 'authority', the individual will be encouraged through the exploration of that uncertainty, to make their own sense of the offerings of others.http://informationr.net/ir/12-1/paper287.htmlUser studies in research and practice across disciplines
spellingShingle Brenda Dervin
CarrieLynn Reinhard
Fei C. Shen
Beyond communication - research as communicating: making user and audience studies matter - paper 2
Information Research: An International Electronic Journal
User studies in research and practice across disciplines
title Beyond communication - research as communicating: making user and audience studies matter - paper 2
title_full Beyond communication - research as communicating: making user and audience studies matter - paper 2
title_fullStr Beyond communication - research as communicating: making user and audience studies matter - paper 2
title_full_unstemmed Beyond communication - research as communicating: making user and audience studies matter - paper 2
title_short Beyond communication - research as communicating: making user and audience studies matter - paper 2
title_sort beyond communication research as communicating making user and audience studies matter paper 2
topic User studies in research and practice across disciplines
url http://informationr.net/ir/12-1/paper287.html
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