*Check out our recent post with the presentation materials and video from the event. 

Simmons ASIS&T in partnership with the Research Colloquium Series are sponsoring a talk about Social Media in Times of Natural Disaster with Helen Partridge on Monday, April 14th 12pm-1pm in Palace Road Building Room 308.

Social media have emerged as powerful vehicles for allowing collaboration and sharing of information during times of crisis. This project explored the nature of people’s information experiences in social media during the 2011 Queensland floods and Cyclone Yasi. Applying a qualitative research approach the project used interviews to gather data into when, where, why and how people use social media as part of their information experiences. Interviews were conducted with individuals in affected regions (i.e. Brisbane and Townsville). This presentation will report the key findings from the interviews with twenty-five Queenslanders. Nine key themes describing citizens information experience in social media emerged. The project also provides insights in the new and emerging research domain of ‘information experience.’ The presentation will discuss the current thinking and work being undertaken by QUT’s Information Studies Group into this evolving domain of scholarly enquiry.