Social informatics (SI) is the systematic, interdisciplinary study of the design, uses and consequences of information technologies (IT) that takes into account their interaction with institutional and cultural contexts. Thus, it is the study of the social aspects of computers, telecommunications, and related technologies. Social informatics examines issues such as the ways that IT shape organizational and social relations, or the ways in which social forces influence the use and design of IT. SI research examines human behaviors and interactions that may, or may not, directly involve the use of a computer system. For example, SI researchers are interested in questions about topics such as the future consequences of IT developments, or individual and group information-seeking behavior.

[Definition adapted from Rob Kling, 'SOCIAL INFORMATICS', Encyclopedia of IS, Kluwer Publishing, July 5, 2001].

Our work is both conceptual and applied. Current faculty interests include the following projects:

• The digital divide: human and social aspects of information use in community resources.
• Cross-cultural communication -- examining the language and social interactions of group members in various institutions and organizations.
• Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning:
  - how to build a virtual community of teens interested in discussing math (the Math Forum project);
  - how students in virtual learning environments collaborate for effective learning outcomes.
  
• Experimenting with technology and course environments for online communities of inquiry:
  - enabling students to structure and locate information effectively;
  - designing instructional environments and scaffolding for student engagement;
  - leveraging the social network of "thought leaders" in a community of inquiry.
  
• Distributed Collaboration In Boundary-Spanning Design:
  - methods for collaborative knowledge sharing across stakeholders in early requirements analysis and IS design;
  - approaches to defining technology-supported solutions to "wicked problems" that span organizational boundaries;
  - achieving involvement and collaborative learning in problem-solving groups, particularly by members of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups.
  
• The role of the information technology worker as they connect users with computers, examining the move from adoption of new technologies (diffusion) to the integration of technologies into everyday life.
• How we may relate the knowledge-classification schemes of one community to that used by another.
• How we may derive information and knowledge categories that reflect how people categorize themselves (with applications for data mining).
• The impact of various technologies on collaboration and learning in higher education.