TY - JOUR

T1 - Documents as social actors: a study of digital tutorials using actor-network-theory and the concept of documentary practices

AU - Schreiber, Trine Louise

PY - 2019/12/15

Y1 - 2019/12/15

N2 - Introduction. Digital tutorials designed in a user participation project in 2018 are seen as documents. The aim is to analyse the social roles of these documents and to demonstrate how two theoretical approaches, actor-network-theory (ANT) and the concept of documentary practices, complement each other in such analysis.Method. Using ethnographic methods, i.e. interviews and participant-observation, the author followed the design processes of the tutorials and the translations among actors involved. Analysis. First, the paper applies ANT-based concepts of network and translation in analysis of four documents. Second, an analysis including the concept of documentary practices is suggested and discussed (e.g. Frohmann, 2004a; Lundh and Dolatkhah, 2016).Results. Each document represents different networks and practices. By opening up documents, libraries obtain information about strategies shaped by relationships and translations. Thus, document analysis might become an important tool for improving organisational practices.Conclusions. The ANT analysis revealed the relationships and translations by which the four documents were constituted. Using Frohmann´s approach, it was shown that the documents were connected to different documentary practices. The two approaches generated insights into how activities as part of a user participation project could bring particular forms of documents and their outcomes into being.

AB - Introduction. Digital tutorials designed in a user participation project in 2018 are seen as documents. The aim is to analyse the social roles of these documents and to demonstrate how two theoretical approaches, actor-network-theory (ANT) and the concept of documentary practices, complement each other in such analysis.Method. Using ethnographic methods, i.e. interviews and participant-observation, the author followed the design processes of the tutorials and the translations among actors involved. Analysis. First, the paper applies ANT-based concepts of network and translation in analysis of four documents. Second, an analysis including the concept of documentary practices is suggested and discussed (e.g. Frohmann, 2004a; Lundh and Dolatkhah, 2016).Results. Each document represents different networks and practices. By opening up documents, libraries obtain information about strategies shaped by relationships and translations. Thus, document analysis might become an important tool for improving organisational practices.Conclusions. The ANT analysis revealed the relationships and translations by which the four documents were constituted. Using Frohmann´s approach, it was shown that the documents were connected to different documentary practices. The two approaches generated insights into how activities as part of a user participation project could bring particular forms of documents and their outcomes into being.

UR - http://InformationR.net/ir/24-4/colis/colis1932.html

M3 - Journal article

VL - 24

JO - Information Research

JF - Information Research

SN - 1368-1613

IS - 2

ER -