An Online Social Network for An Online Social Network for Emergency ManagementEmergency Management

Connie White, Linda Plotnick, Connie White, Linda Plotnick, Jane Kushma, Roxanne Hiltz Jane Kushma, Roxanne Hiltz

and Murray Turoffand Murray Turoff

One Place for the Emergency One Place for the Emergency Domain to InteractDomain to Interact

We propose to investigate whether We propose to investigate whether the social network paradigm can be the social network paradigm can be used to enable individuals and used to enable individuals and organizations to collaborate in organizations to collaborate in mutually beneficial ways, in all mutually beneficial ways, in all stages of emergency management: stages of emergency management: mitigation, preparation, response mitigation, preparation, response and recovery.and recovery.

For our purposes, we would For our purposes, we would characterize a social network ascharacterize a social network as

Links from and to people with other Links from and to people with other people, groups or information objects. people, groups or information objects.

Such objects might be messages, photos, Such objects might be messages, photos, videos, wall postings, notifications, current videos, wall postings, notifications, current activities, events, widgets, etc. activities, events, widgets, etc.

Such hyper-links are either at one extreme Such hyper-links are either at one extreme created by intelligent agents or at the created by intelligent agents or at the other extreme by the people themselves. other extreme by the people themselves.

““A social network that would allow the A social network that would allow the flexibility to be involved in both flexibility to be involved in both preparing for and responding to preparing for and responding to emergencies will need sufficient emergencies will need sufficient intelligence to allow the dynamic intelligence to allow the dynamic linkages of individuals to the linkages of individuals to the circumstances that they are involved circumstances that they are involved with or should be involved with.”with or should be involved with.”

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

1. Given a tool that allows for 1. Given a tool that allows for ascertaining group skills and ascertaining group skills and availability, would emergency groups availability, would emergency groups use such a tool to dynamically form a use such a tool to dynamically form a social network for collaboration in a social network for collaboration in a new situation? People as resources new situation? People as resources or the conveyers of resources are not or the conveyers of resources are not explicit in the current social network explicit in the current social network systems.systems.

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

2. Would emergency groups also use 2. Would emergency groups also use such a tool on a regular basis so as such a tool on a regular basis so as to reach out and build a larger to reach out and build a larger network or build a specialized network or build a specialized network of experts for emergency network of experts for emergency planning and response (Turoff, planning and response (Turoff, Chumer, Van de Walle, Yao, 2004)?Chumer, Van de Walle, Yao, 2004)?

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

3. Are there impediments to 3. Are there impediments to emergency groups using such tools emergency groups using such tools such as administrative policies or such as administrative policies or fear of raiding of human resources by fear of raiding of human resources by other groups? There is other groups? There is organizational resistance to speaking organizational resistance to speaking publicly about problems lest the publicly about problems lest the organization be viewed negatively in organization be viewed negatively in the public eye. the public eye.

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

4. How beneficial would a social 4. How beneficial would a social network be in a local geographical network be in a local geographical area and how do we integrate area and how do we integrate geographical information system geographical information system (GIS) type information both for (GIS) type information both for planning and dynamic response planning and dynamic response (Baumgart, Bass, Philips, and Kloesel, (Baumgart, Bass, Philips, and Kloesel, 2007)?2007)?

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

5. How do we improve time urgent 5. How do we improve time urgent situations and allow dynamic situations and allow dynamic integration of small user groups with integration of small user groups with the on going problems they should the on going problems they should be aware of with out creating more be aware of with out creating more information overload or stress for information overload or stress for those involved (White, Turoff, and those involved (White, Turoff, and Van de Walle, 2007)?Van de Walle, 2007)?

Emergency Management Student SurveyEmergency Management Student Survey

International Student Body SurveyedInternational Student Body Surveyed N = 81N = 81 63% Male, 37% Female63% Male, 37% Female 80% between ages 18 – 3580% between ages 18 – 35 65% IAEM or CERT65% IAEM or CERT

Rank Order of Technology Most Used Rank Order of Technology Most Used Presently by Emergency Management StudentsPresently by Emergency Management Students

1.1. EmailEmail

2.2. Search EngineSearch Engine

3.3. Social NetworkSocial Network

4.4. Wikis (knowledge exchange center)Wikis (knowledge exchange center)

5.5. BlogsBlogs

6.6. Skype, Voice Over Internet ProtocolSkype, Voice Over Internet Protocol

Rank Order of Present Personal Use Rank Order of Present Personal Use of Online Social Networks by Emergency of Online Social Networks by Emergency

Management StudentsManagement Students

1.1. Social ContactsSocial Contacts

2.2. FunFun

3.3. WorkWork

4.4. HobbiesHobbies

5.5. RelationshipsRelationships

Rank Order of What Emergency Rank Order of What Emergency Management Students think Social Management Students think Social

Networks would be good for:Networks would be good for:

1.1. Sharing InformationSharing Information

2.2. Communication with OthersCommunication with Others

3.3. NetworkingNetworking

4.4. Share documents, files and other Share documents, files and other digital resources for all.digital resources for all.

5.5. (tie) Uploading Videos and (tie) Uploading Videos and Locating ExpertsLocating Experts

Present Uses of Communications in anPresent Uses of Communications in anOnline Social Network for Emergency ManagementOnline Social Network for Emergency Management

Mass Communication for Large Mass Communication for Large GroupsGroups

Fast Simultaneous DistributionFast Simultaneous Distribution Selective List or Mass Email, Selective List or Mass Email,

Notifications, Post on Wall, Status Notifications, Post on Wall, Status MessageMessage

Ease of Use – transition GlobalEase of Use – transition Global Cheap, low setup and overheadCheap, low setup and overhead Peer to Peer FeedbackPeer to Peer Feedback

Information Advantages on anInformation Advantages on anOnline Social Network for Emergency ManagementOnline Social Network for Emergency Management

Share InformationShare Information Distribute/ContributeDistribute/Contribute Lessons LearnedLessons Learned Best PracticesBest Practices Build Digital Resource RepositoryBuild Digital Resource Repository More Diverse due to Global More Diverse due to Global

membershipmembership

Networking Advantages in Networking Advantages in Online Social Network for Emergency ManagementOnline Social Network for Emergency Management

Build New RelationshipsBuild New Relationships Maintain Existing RelationshipsMaintain Existing Relationships Strengthen Existing RelationshipsStrengthen Existing Relationships Easier than managing business cardsEasier than managing business cards Bridge GapsBridge Gaps Posting Jobs – LinkedIn functionsPosting Jobs – LinkedIn functions

Visuals PotentialVisuals Potential

Another strong area of consensus Another strong area of consensus amongst the subjects was that amongst the subjects was that having the ability to upload pictures having the ability to upload pictures and video would be a great asset. and video would be a great asset. Not only would this provide Not only would this provide information to the trained eye, but information to the trained eye, but also could be utilized later in also could be utilized later in lessons lessons learnedlearned. .

Creative Ways of Using anCreative Ways of Using anOnline Social Network for Emergency ManagementOnline Social Network for Emergency Management

Chat features with Experts Chat features with Experts Inform Media/Press of UpdatesInform Media/Press of Updates Training Tutorials, Classes, ResearchTraining Tutorials, Classes, Research Trigger Other TechnologyTrigger Other Technology Mentoring New Emergency ManagersMentoring New Emergency Managers Specialized Network of ExpertsSpecialized Network of Experts Form TeamsForm Teams Emergency Notification SystemsEmergency Notification Systems

Concerns of Using anConcerns of Using anOnline Social Network for Emergency ManagementOnline Social Network for Emergency Management

Information Information Integrity/Corruption/FalsificationIntegrity/Corruption/Falsification

User Identification/Credibility/AuthenticityUser Identification/Credibility/Authenticity Privacy of Members CompromisedPrivacy of Members Compromised Technology ReliabilityTechnology Reliability Unprofessional Conduct Online (flaming)Unprofessional Conduct Online (flaming) Security of InformationSecurity of Information Stalkers, TerroristsStalkers, Terrorists Virus or other digital threatsVirus or other digital threats

There are recent studies indicating the level of There are recent studies indicating the level of accuracy is high from online mass collaboration accuracy is high from online mass collaboration

during crisis. during crisis.

Vieweg, et al’s research backs this finding: Vieweg, et al’s research backs this finding:

“For the inductively-derived issue of distributed “For the inductively-derived issue of distributed problem-solving in times of disaster, the research problem-solving in times of disaster, the research

objective is showing that the phenomenon of objective is showing that the phenomenon of collective intelligence does, in fact, exist, and collective intelligence does, in fact, exist, and can exist in a directed fashion around focused can exist in a directed fashion around focused

tasks with self—regulated and accurate results.”tasks with self—regulated and accurate results.”

Will it Work?Will it Work?

Will people use it?Will people use it? Will people perceive and use social Will people perceive and use social

networks for serious work?networks for serious work?

Younger Generation Is More Likely Younger Generation Is More Likely to Use an Online Social Networkto Use an Online Social Network

80% surveyed were under 3580% surveyed were under 35 85% used Internet all day, every day85% used Internet all day, every day 100% knew of online social networks100% knew of online social networks 94% were members of at least one 94% were members of at least one

social networksocial network 40% were Facebook members40% were Facebook members

The Department of Homeland Security The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has acknowledged that they (DHS) has acknowledged that they see the potential in the power behind see the potential in the power behind social networks and desire to better social networks and desire to better understand how they could be used understand how they could be used for disastrous events for disastrous events (news.smh.com.au, 2008).(news.smh.com.au, 2008).

The EndThe End

for more information and the paper for more information and the paper http://sites.google.com/site/conniemwhite/http://sites.google.com/site/conniemwhite/