A practice theoretical exploration of information sharing and trust in a dispersed community of design scholars

Introduction

This paper presents an exploration of information sharing and trust in a geographically dispersed network of design scholars.

Method

The study used a practice theory approach to identify aspects of trust in relation to information sharing. The empirical material consists of 15 in-depth interviews with design scholars from four Nordic countries and field notes from workplace visits.

Analysis

The interview transcripts and field notes were categorised in accordance with three themes derived in synergy from practice theory and the empirical material.

Results

A number of strategies for assessing and creating trust in relation to information sharing were identified. Depending on the dimension of practice in analytical focus, different aspects of trust emerge.

Conclusions

Trust issues connected to information sharing appear in relation to the information to be shared, the people involved, the tools used for sharing, and the place where information sharing occurs.

The practice-theoretical perspective has proven effective in order to identify and capture the elusive phenomenon of trust in connection to information sharing.

URL : http://www.informationr.net/ir/18-4/paper595.html#.Uq2L36HYWuI