Papers by Veronica Johansson
Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe and explore the current state of internet regula... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe and explore the current state of internet regulation through content filters in Swedish public libraries. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected through an electronic survey directed to library managers of Sweden’s 290 main municipal libraries. 164 answers were returned, yielding a 57% response rate. The analysis comprises descriptive statistics for quantitative data and an activity theory approach with focus on contradictions for qualitative counterparts. Findings In total, 33% of the responding libraries report having content filters; 50% have not; and a surprising 18% do not know. There is a strong correlation between internet misuse and positive attitudes towards filters, and, reversely, between lack of misuse and lack of active stances concerning filters. Rather than seeing this as weakness, the authors suggest that there is strength in a context-bound flexibility open to practical experience and weighting of values, ethi...
Journal of Librarianship and Information Science
The Local Information Working Group (LIWG) of Thailand’s provincial university libraries holds ma... more The Local Information Working Group (LIWG) of Thailand’s provincial university libraries holds main responsibility for digitising Thai local information (LI), a resource that shares many characteristics with what in other contexts is described as Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK). This study therefore explores how the digitisation activities of the LIWG correlate with claims of culturally responsive and responsible ILK representation, and how this work can be understood through the perspective of Bhabha’s Third Space. The study is based on interviews with 23 LIWG members, collected in 2016–2017. A guided, qualitative content analysis focused on uncovering themes of digitisation tools and methods with Third Space relevance as supporting or hindering essentialism, fixity and hybridity in LI representations. The findings illustrate that whereas the digitisation itself, field studies, language choices and outreach activities offer certain Third Space potential, this is underdeveloped...
Journal of Documentation
PurposeRepresentations of time are commonly used to construct narratives in visualisations of dat... more PurposeRepresentations of time are commonly used to construct narratives in visualisations of data. However, since time is a value-laden concept, and no representation can provide a full, objective account of “temporal reality”, they are also biased and political: reproducing and reinforcing certain views and values at the expense of alternative ones. This conceptual paper aims to explore expressions of temporal bias and politics in data visualisation, along with possibly mitigating user approaches and design strategies.Design/methodology/approachThis study presents a theoretical framework rooted in a sociotechnical view of representations as biased and political, combined with perspectives from critical literacy, radical literacy and critical design. The framework provides a basis for discussion of various types and effects of temporal bias in visualisation. Empirical examples from previous research and public resources illustrate the arguments.FindingsFour types of political effec...
På uppdrag av ledningen vid Institutionen för biblioteks- och informationsvetenskap, Högskolan i ... more På uppdrag av ledningen vid Institutionen för biblioteks- och informationsvetenskap, Högskolan i Borås, genomfördes hösten 2017 intervjuer med femton strategiskt valda professionsföreträdare för en undersökning om efterfrågade kompetenser idag och trender framöver för webbrelaterade yrken. Resultatet är ämnat att ligga till grund för professionsanpassning och utveckling av nuvarande webbredaktörprogram vid samma lärosäte. Intervjuutsagorna analyserades med en blandning av kvantitativt och kvalitativt orienterad innehållsanalys för att komma åt såväl trender och tendenser som variationer i och motiv för deltagarnas åsikter. Analysen visar på fem huvudsakliga tendenser. Den främsta av dessa är att de mest efterfrågade kompetenserna kan sammanfattas i termer av ”strategiska” och handlar om att kunna se helheter, kopplingar mellan och flöden över olika plattformar, enheter och tjänster i ett större sammanhang, med stor tonvikt på kunskaper om dataanalys och marketing/marknadsföring. Den...
We describe in this extended abstract the emergent, multi-disciplinary research project CiLC-S – ... more We describe in this extended abstract the emergent, multi-disciplinary research project CiLC-S – Crowdsourcing Long COVID Sweden. The information science related part of the project aims to explore i) information needs and strategies of persons afflicted by long term health problems after a COVID-19 infection, and ii) alternative digital methods for inclusive, safe and efficient data collection for research and social response in the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this presentation is to introduce the project and share some early ethical and methodological experiences as a foundation for discussions of current and future possibilities for information science research to respond to individual and societal information needs in the COVID-19 pandemic and similar large-scale social crises through innovative research questions and data collection methods.
Journal of Documentation, 2021
PurposeThe article introduces selected theoretical approaches to time and temporality relevant to... more PurposeThe article introduces selected theoretical approaches to time and temporality relevant to the field of library and information science, and it briefly introduces the papers gathered in this special issue. A number of issues that could potentially be followed in future research are presented.Design/methodology/approachThe authors review a selection of theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of time that originate in or are of particular relevance to library and information science. Four main themes are identified: (1) information as object in temporal perspectives; (2) time and information as tools of power and control; (3) time in society; and (4) experiencing and practicing time.FindingsThe paper advocates a thorough engagement with how time and temporality shape notions of information more broadly. This includes, for example, paying attention to how various dimensions of the late-modern time regime of acceleration feed into the ways in which information is operat...
Information Research, 2017
Introduction. This paper argues for a reconceptualisation of critical literacy into critical lite... more Introduction. This paper argues for a reconceptualisation of critical literacy into critical literacies as a merger of respective strengths in two traditions: the elaborate politicised conceptions ...
Time, I have come to realise, is a strange and fascinating thing. I have now spent several years ... more Time, I have come to realise, is a strange and fascinating thing. I have now spent several years researching the temporal (and geographical) as structuring devices for information and found both to be highly interesting constructs and research objects. In one's own life, time seems, perhaps, slightly less fascinating but equally peculiar. In one way, it feels like I have done this forever (has life ever been different?); in another, like I have only just started. And by another temporal order, it is undeniably time to stop writing. The best way to do that is of course by trying to formulate into words the one dominant emotion at this time, namely that of gratitude towards all the persons that, in different capacities, have helped along the road. Whatever errors that remain in the text are my responsibilities alone. My first thank you goes to the study participants and the persons that helped me set up the two case studies. Without their welcoming attitudes and generosity with their time this dissertation could never have come about. I feel very privileged to have been allowed to meet all of them and to have had the opportunity to observe and learn from their knowledge and skills in the important work that they do. My next thank you goes to my two outstanding supervisors, Louise Limberg and Jan Nolin. I cannot imagine more inspiring and proficient guides and support through the phases and challenges of producing a dissertation. Their seemingly endless patience, forthcoming responses and swift thorough feedback on issues big and small throughout this whole time will never cease to amaze me. In particular, I viii want to thank Louise for encouraging me to study people 'first-hand' and for helping me see more and new areas of library and information science, and Jan for never failing to bring out details or provide wider perspectives on all sorts of issues and for conveying such joy over theoretical discussions. A special thank you also to Per Gyberg from the Department of Technology and Social Change at Linköping University who made an impressively sharp and encouraging job as opponent on a very rough version of this text. I am also very grateful for the competent, critical, thorough readings and sound advice offered by Lars Seldén and Mats Dahlström who acted as "grönläsare" (faculty assigned readers) of the dissertation. In addition, some of my colleagues have also kindly stepped up and contributed with their special knowledge on various issues by reading and commenting on parts of this text or project at times when I needed feedback, input and help to move forward: my deepest thank you for this to Jenny Johannisson, Helena Francke, Mikael Gunnarsson, Olof Sundin and Jutta Haider. Thank you also to Andreas Jacobsson for reassuring reading at the final stages. In similar ways, the whole group of doctoral students and the research seminars at the Swedish School of Library and Information Science (SSLIS) has provided a solid base and I am thankful for the comments and help on earlier texts that I have also received in that forum. Thank you in particular to Jenny Lindberg, Esther Ebole Isah, Linnéa Lindsköld and Anna Lundh for excellent travelling companionships (both literally and metaphorically). At conferences, PhD courses and through research networks I have also had the fortune to present parts of my work to distinguished scholars from different departments and fields. I want to thank
This article applies an information policy perspective on electronic document research, technolog... more This article applies an information policy perspective on electronic document research, technology and practice. Notions of emergent, global, information and knowledge economies, some of whose basic requirements are the proliferation and commodification of flexibly accessible information in the form of electronic documents, serve as conceptual background. In this setting, electronic document technologies are developed in a social context characterised by strong interests and actors, a context which is also, in turn, affected by new technology. Therefore, power, control and negotiations are central concepts in the analysis of this low transparent process of mutual shaping. The conclusions suggest that an information policy analysis of electronic documents can help disclose ontological elements in the form of embedded ideologies and epistemologies; norms and values that de facto determine the issue of power and control over information resources in society. In conclusion, promising avenues for future research on electronic documents from information policy perspectives are presented.
New Library World, 2004
Government practices concerning self‐administered, direct Internet publishing of material are bur... more Government practices concerning self‐administered, direct Internet publishing of material are burgeoning. In this situation, local public libraries can balance democratically unfavourable consequences of new ICT practices in early e‐government initiatives, an important task, especially considering that the intermediary and disseminating functions of traditional mass media are being questioned. Using Habermas’s theories on public spheres and mass media, the concept of intermediary in today’s society is discussed in the context of international information policy documents and public library manifestos. Against this background, two Swedish cases concerning work within a municipal library and regional politics are presented. In conclusion, it is suggested that public libraries have both the obligation and the possibility to counteract tendencies toward shallow representation of public administration, fragmentation of societies and documents, and dislocations of responsibilities from go...
Purpose-Representations of time are commonly used to construct narratives in visualisations of da... more Purpose-Representations of time are commonly used to construct narratives in visualisations of data. However, since time is a value-laden concept, and no representation can provide a full, objective account of "temporal reality", they are also biased and political: reproducing and reinforcing certain views and values at the expense of alternative ones. This conceptual paper aims to explore expressions of temporal bias and politics in data visualisation, along with possibly mitigating user approaches and design strategies. Design/methodology/approach-This study presents a theoretical framework rooted in a sociotechnical view of representations as biased and political, combined with perspectives from critical literacy, radical literacy and critical design. The framework provides a basis for discussion of various types and effects of temporal bias in visualisation. Empirical examples from previous research and public resources illustrate the arguments. Findings-Four types of political effects of temporal bias in visualisations are presented, expressed as limitation of view, disregard of variation, oppression of social groups and misrepresentation of topic and suggest that appropriate critical and radical literacy approaches require users and designers to critique, contextualise, counter and cross beyond expressions of the same. Supporting critical design strategies involve the inclusion of multiple datasets and representations; broad access to flexible tools; and inclusive participation of marginalised groups. Originality/value-The paper draws attention to a vital, yet little researched problem of temporal representation in visualisations of data. It offers a pioneering bridging of critical literacy, radical literacy and critical design and emphasises mutual rather than contradictory interests of the empirical sciences and humanities.
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Papers by Veronica Johansson