Socio-Informatics : A Practice-based Perspective on the Design and Use of It Artifacts

This book is about how computer systems might be designed to serve their users rather better. It deals with how to study the natural behaviour of users to see how computer systems might best help them, and how one might also involve them in the design of computer systems that will assist them in their everyday practices.

Volker Wulf, Professor in Information Systems and New Media, University of Siegen,Volkmar Pipek, Associate Professor for Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Media, University of Siegen,Gunnar Stevens, Professor for Management Information Systems, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Science,Markus Rohde, Research Associate, University of Siegen,David Randall, Senior Professor, University of Siegen

Volker Wulf is a Professor in Information Systems and New Media at the University of Siegen. He is also the Director of the School of Media and Information (iSchool) at the University of Siegen. In addition, he heads the business field of User-oriented Software Engineering (USE) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FhG-FIT) in Sankt Augustin.

Volkmar Pipek has studied Computer Science and Economics at the University of Kaiserslautern, focussing on Database Systems and Artificial Intelligence. Currently he is an Associate Professor for Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Media with the Institute for Information Systems at the University of Siegen, Germany. He currently chairs to the board of trustees of the International Institute for Socio-Informatics (IISI).

Dave Randall is a senior professor at the University of Siegen in Germany and visiting professor at Linnaeus University in Sweden. He has published in excess of 100 peer reviewed papers and has undertaken consultancy work with organizations such as Vodafone; Hitachi; Orange; Microsoft; a hospital trust; Xerox; and the Children's Society.

Markus Rohde studied psychology and sociology at the University of Bonn and is one of the founders of the International Institute for Socio-Informatics (IISI) and co-editor of the International Report on Socio-Informatics (IRSI). Since 2004 he is working as a research associate at the Institute for Information Systems and New Media at the University of Siegen, since 2008 as research manager for Community Informatics.

Kjeld Schmidt holds a degree in sociology from the University of Lund, Sweden (1975) and is professor of Organization, Technology and Work at Copenhagen Business School and senior professor at the University of Siegen.

Gunnar Stevens has studied Computer Science at the University of Frankfurt and Bonn, focusing on Mathematical Logic and Cooperative Systems. Since 2015, he is professor for Management Information Systems at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Science, Germany. His work was featured with the IBM Eclipse Innovation Award in 2005 and the PhD Award of the IHK Siegen-Wittgenstein in 2010.