INLS 180 Human Information Interaction

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INLS 180 Human Information Interaction

• Session 18
• Dissemination of Information

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Dissemination of Information

• Uses a proactive approach take the information
  to users/ patrons/ customers before they seek it
• Requires understanding of the environment and
  user needs for form as well as content
• Applies technology
• Diffusion is a special type of communication in
  which messages are concerned with a new idea

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Examples of Diffusion (or not)

• Public health department in Peru attempting to
  convince villagers to boil water
• Stopping scurvy in the British Navy
• Failed diffusion Dvorak keyboard

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Elements of Diffusion (Rogers, 1995)

• The process by which an innovation
• Is communicated through certain channels
• Over time
• Among the members of a social system

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Elements of Diffusion The Innovation

• An idea, practice, or object perceived as new by
  an adopter
• Technological innovation embodies the notion of
  benefits and consequences
• Characteristics relative advantage,
  compatibility, complexity, trialability,
  observability
• Re-invention

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Dvorak keyboard as an innovation

• Characteristics and effect on diffusion?
• relative advantage, compatibility, complexity,
  trialability, observability

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Elements of Diffusion Communication Channels

• Involves an innovation, an individual who has
  knowledge of it, an individual who does not have
  knowledge of it, and the means by which a message
  is exchanged between the individuals
• Mass media channels
• Interpersonal channels
• Communication is most effective when the
  participants are homophilous

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Elements of Diffusion Time

• Adopters categories
• Innovators, early adopters, early majority, late
  majority, and laggards
• Innovation-decision process
• Knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation,
  and confirmation
• An innovations rate of adoption within a system

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Stages in the Innovation-Decision Process
Communication channels
Knowledge
Persuasion
Decision
Implement- ation
Confirmation
Prior conditions
Adoption
Characteristics of decision maker
Perceived characteristics of the innovation
Rejection
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Elements of Diffusion Social System

• A set of interrelated units engaged in joint
  problem solving to accomplish a common goal.
• Social structure system norm
• Roles related to innovation
• Most innovative members
• Opinion leaders
• Change agents
• Types of innovation-decision optional,
  collective, authority
• Consequences
• Desirable, direct, anticipated or not

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Factors determining the rate of adoption of
innovations

• Perceived attributes of innovations
• Types of innovation decision
• Communication channels
• Nature of the social system
• Roles played by change agents and opinion leaders

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Examples of diffusion theory in LIS research

• Marshall, J. G. (1990). Diffusion of innovation
  theory and end-user searching data from Canadian
  health professionals. Library and Information
  Science Research, 12 55-69.
• Chatman, E. A. (1986). Diffusion theory A review
  and test of a conceptual model in information
  diffusion. JASIS, 37 (6) 377-386.

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Group Discussion Questions

• Your questions and key points from the readings?
• How do we, information professionals, employ
  social networks and elements of diffusion to
  disseminate information?
• Rogers (1995) stated that the innovation-decision
  process is an information-seeking and
  information-processing activity (p.14). Why is
  this the case? What part do we play in these
  information activities?
• What roles do social networks play in information
  dissemination?
• What are the roles and functions of change agents
  in the diffusion process? Do they share any
  similarities with our roles/functions in
  information dissemination? Any differences?
• One key question from your group