August 8, 2007
Laysia Palen
Citizen Communications in Crisis: Anticipating
a Future of ICT-Supported Public Participation
Abstract
Recent world-wide crisis events have drawn
new attention to the role information communication technology (ICT) can play
in warning and response activities. Drawing on disaster social science, we consider
a critical aspect of postimpact disaster response that does not yet receive much
information science research attention. Public participation is an emerging,
large-scale arena for computer-mediated interaction that has implications for
both informal and formal response. With a focus on persistent citizen communications
as one form of interaction in this arena, we describe their spatial and temporal
arrangements, and how the emerging information pathways that result serve different
post-impact functions. However, command-and-control models do not easily adapt
to the expanding datagenerating and -seeking activities by the public. ICT in
disaster contexts will give further rise to improvised activities and temporary
organizations with which formal response organizations need to align.
Return to L3D Calendar Page