An Online Social Network for Emergency Management Connie White, Linda Plotnick, Jane Kushma, Roxanne Hiltz and Murray Turoff

One Place for the Emergency Domain to Interact

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

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

For our purposes, we would characterize a social network as Links from and to people with other people, groups or information objects. Such objects might be messages, photos, videos, wall postings, notifications, current activities, events, widgets, etc. Such hyper-links are either at one extreme created by intelligent agents or at the other extreme by the people themselves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Emergency Management Student Survey International Student Body Surveyed N = 81 63% Male, 37% Female 80% between ages 18 – 35 65% IAEM or CERT

International Student Body Surveyed

N = 81

63% Male, 37% Female

80% between ages 18 – 35

65% IAEM or CERT

Rank Order of Technology Most Used Presently by Emergency Management Students Email Search Engine Social Network Wikis (knowledge exchange center) Blogs Skype, Voice Over Internet Protocol

Email

Search Engine

Social Network

Wikis (knowledge exchange center)

Blogs

Skype, Voice Over Internet Protocol

Rank Order of Present Personal Use of Online Social Networks by Emergency Management Students Social Contacts Fun Work Hobbies Relationships

Social Contacts

Fun

Work

Hobbies

Relationships

Rank Order of What Emergency Management Students think Social Networks would be good for: Sharing Information Communication with Others Networking Share documents, files and other digital resources for all. (tie) Uploading Videos and Locating Experts

Sharing Information

Communication with Others

Networking

Share documents, files and other digital resources for all.

(tie) Uploading Videos and Locating Experts

Present Uses of Communications in an Online Social Network for Emergency Management Mass Communication for Large Groups Fast Simultaneous Distribution Selective List or Mass Email, Notifications, Post on Wall, Status Message Ease of Use – transition Global Cheap, low setup and overhead Peer to Peer Feedback

Mass Communication for Large Groups

Fast Simultaneous Distribution

Selective List or Mass Email, Notifications, Post on Wall, Status Message

Ease of Use – transition Global

Cheap, low setup and overhead

Peer to Peer Feedback

Information Advantages on an Online Social Network for Emergency Management Share Information Distribute/Contribute Lessons Learned Best Practices Build Digital Resource Repository More Diverse due to Global membership

Share Information

Distribute/Contribute

Lessons Learned

Best Practices

Build Digital Resource Repository

More Diverse due to Global membership

Networking Advantages in Online Social Network for Emergency Management Build New Relationships Maintain Existing Relationships Strengthen Existing Relationships Easier than managing business cards Bridge Gaps Posting Jobs – LinkedIn functions

Build New Relationships

Maintain Existing Relationships

Strengthen Existing Relationships

Easier than managing business cards

Bridge Gaps

Posting Jobs – LinkedIn functions

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

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

Creative Ways of Using an Online Social Network for Emergency Management Chat features with Experts Inform Media/Press of Updates Training Tutorials, Classes, Research Trigger Other Technology Mentoring New Emergency Managers Specialized Network of Experts Form Teams Emergency Notification Systems

Chat features with Experts

Inform Media/Press of Updates

Training Tutorials, Classes, Research

Trigger Other Technology

Mentoring New Emergency Managers

Specialized Network of Experts

Form Teams

Emergency Notification Systems

Concerns of Using an Online Social Network for Emergency Management Information Integrity/Corruption/Falsification User Identification/Credibility/Authenticity Privacy of Members Compromised Technology Reliability Unprofessional Conduct Online (flaming) Security of Information Stalkers, Terrorists Virus or other digital threats

Information Integrity/Corruption/Falsification

User Identification/Credibility/Authenticity

Privacy of Members Compromised

Technology Reliability

Unprofessional Conduct Online (flaming)

Security of Information

Stalkers, Terrorists

Virus or other digital threats

There are recent studies indicating the level of accuracy is high from online mass collaboration during crisis. Vieweg, et al’s research backs this finding: “For the inductively-derived issue of distributed problem-solving in times of disaster, the research objective is showing that the phenomenon of collective intelligence does, in fact, exist, and can exist in a directed fashion around focused tasks with self—regulated and accurate results.”

Will it Work? Will people use it? Will people perceive and use social networks for serious work?

Will people use it?

Will people perceive and use social networks for serious work?

Younger Generation Is More Likely to Use an Online Social Network 80% surveyed were under 35 85% used Internet all day, every day 100% knew of online social networks 94% were members of at least one social network 40% were Facebook members

80% surveyed were under 35

85% used Internet all day, every day

100% knew of online social networks

94% were members of at least one social network

40% were Facebook members

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

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

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