Fred Stutzman
Graduate Teaching Fellow
UNC School of Information and Library Science
Email: fred@fredstutzman.com
Phone: (919) 260-8508
Website: http://fredstutzman.com/
Wednesday, 6:00PM – 8:30PM, Manning Hall 304
http://ibiblio.org/fred/inls_490/
Authentication credentials: Username: inls490, Password: inls490
Wednesday, 4:00PM – 5:30PM, Manning Hall 213. Other times by appointment.
Important Dates
September 2Presentation Sign-up
September 9 Time Diary Due
October 14 Group Assignment Due
November 4 Final Project Proposal Due
December 9 Final Project Presentations
December 15Final Projects Due
This course is a primer on the study of online social networks. By taking this class, you will learn about social network sites - what they are, who uses them and how they are used, and how they affect our lives. We will explore the theory, methods and findings of a growing literature on the study of online social networks. General issues, such as the historical lineage of online social networks, as well as major themes like privacy and technological adoption are covered. We will also explore applications and use cases, particularly with regards to international adoption of online social networks, social action through online social networks, and other emergent themes in the area. This course should provide you a strong set of fundamentals for exploring the multiple facets of our pervasive online sociality.
What is an online social network? At the artifactual level, we can employ something like boyd and Ellison’s (2007) definition:
We define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.
With this definition, we can easily imagine a site like Facebook or Myspace, or perhaps even Twitter or FriendFeed as a social network. Another way of looking at online social networks might be as a social phenomena. Fred Turner (2006) and Howard Rheingold (1993) discuss online social networks as just that – our social networks, online. Pervasive adoption of computing devices combined with mass connectivity (Horrigan, 2008) has introduced new forms of rich, mediated interaction. We can maintain contact with more people, irrespective of geographical distance, than at any time prior. At the same time, we are faced with emergent challenges such as protecting our privacy, presenting a consistent identity, and tending to an ever-expanding network of relationships.
This course will provide a lens for exploring these challenges and opportunities. To do so, we will cross a number of disciplines: Sociology, Communications, Psychology, Library and Information Science are examples. We will cross this ground with the goal of building a breadth of knowledge on the topic. I find that this method provides the familiarity necessary for engaging in future research and analysis of online social networks or social software – whether it be in school, on the job, or for your start-up (there have been a few!).
There is no required text for INLS 490.
We will read a combination of primary research papers and chapters, overview studies, and popular press articles. These readings are organized by week in the syllabus, and are available online via the course website. If you have any trouble downloading the files, please let me know as soon as possible.
This class will employ a mixture of lecture and seminar formats. The class begins with a video and discussion of current topics in social networks. To suggest a video or story for discussion, please bookmark the link with tag "inls490" in http://delicious.com.
In addition to active participation in class, there are four assignments you will be expected to complete this semester. The first assignment is an analysis and presentation of an online social network. The second assignment is a time diary, during which you will record and reflect upon your use of online social networks over a two-day period. The third assignment, to be completed as group work, requires you to create online documentation for a specific complex issue with online social networks. The final assignment is a term project. Further instructions on your assignments follow. All assignments should be emailed to the instructor in PDF, RTF or Word .doc format (.docx will be returned for revision).
Each class, two students will present an overview and analysis of an online social network. In the presentation, the student should cover the history, adoption and growth of the social network. Special attention should be paid to geographic and demographic aspects of adoption. The student should also cover the forms of interaction on the site, novel features, and what differentiates it in the market. The purpose of this assignment is to give the class exposure to a wide range of online social networks, therefore the presentation should be treated as a briefing to management or colleagues; screenshots, references and sources are required. Finally, the student will be limited to seven slides and twelve minutes for the presentation.
Sign-ups for these presentations is held on September 2. To prepare, students should make a list of 10-15 online social networks about which they would like to present. If you need inspiration, please visit http://mashable.com or http://techcrunch.com - these sites have literally covered hundreds of online social networks. Duplicate presentations will not be permitted, nor will presentations on Facebook, Myspace or Twitter. A rubric will be provided for this assignment.
A time diary is a research instrument used for the recording of daily activities. Over two days, you will record your use of online social networks, focusing on the following: Mode, time of day, time spent, interaction partners, activities and goals. Upon the completion of your time diary, you will provide a two-page reflection on your activities in the online social network over the two days. A specific instrument and rubric will be provided for this assignment.
This assignment, to be conducted as group work, requires the development of online documentation for a specific "issue" with online social networks. Example issues may include how to use privacy settings on a social network, or how to manage one's reputation across social networks. As an online assignment, the final deliverable may be, but is not limited to, a webpage, a flash animation, or a digital movie. The deliverable should document the problem, provide an in-depth solution using screenshots and sensible design. Sources and links for more information and expected. Groups will then demonstrate the deliverable in class. A rubric will be provided for this assignment.
The term project will be a substantive original piece of literature, research or a topical project in the area (research proposals acceptable as well). I encourage you to develop a project that is relevant to your area of interest; to this extent I am quite flexible in the types of projects I’ll approve. As social networks pose interesting questions to industry, the academy and society at large, there are many opportunities for you to develop a project that is relevant to your interests.
Twice during the semester you will be asked to deliver a short description of your project idea to the class. During these sessions, you will deliver a two-minute description of your project.
You will be required to turn in a project proposal. The project proposal should be a 2-page description of your project; you will be expected to present your idea, rationale and why the project is relevant to your interests.
As this project counts for 40% of the overall grade, significant effort is expected. The final project should be professional, written in academic tone and style, and should not include any typographic errors. The instructor is flexible in terms of fitting the project to the student’s discipline or interests. I would suggest that you talk to me early and often about your project; if you keep me in the loop, I’m happy to provide feedback, guidance and connections. Group work (max group size: 2) is allowed, though group projects must reflect the substantive work of all parties.
Project presentations will occur on the last day of class, December 9. On this day you will be expected to deliver a 5 slide, 5 minute presentation or demonstration of your term project. Term project writeups will be due at 5PM on Friday, May 1. All assignments should be emailed to the instructor in PDF, RTF or Word .doc format (.docx will be returned for revision).
Analysis of an Online Social Network: 15%
Time Diary: 15%
Group Project: Documenting an Issue with an Online Social Network: 20%
Term Project Proposal: 5%
Term Project: 35%
Graduate students are graded on the H/P/L/F scale, and undergraduates are graded on the A-F scale.
Points Earned | Graduate Grade | Undergraduate Grade |
95-100% | H | A |
85-94% | P+ | B |
80-84% | P | C |
74-79% | P- | D |
70-73% | L | D- |
< 70% | F | F |
I reserve the right to amend this syllabus.
Attendance is required at each class. Students with more than two absences will be penalized a half-grade for each subsequent absence.
Students are expected to conform to the Honor Code in all academic manners. For more information about the Honor Code, please visit the following URL: http://honor.unc.edu/honor/.
* Turner, F. (2006). From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism. Chicago, Illinois: University Of Chicago Press.
8/26 - Week 1: Introductions and Course Overview
Discussion of syllabus and assignments, introductions, online social networks problems exercise.
Due: Nothing due.
Due for next class: Prepare list of online social networks for presentation sign up.
Discussion of basic concepts, overview of the field. Time diary distributed.
Due: Sign up for presentation slots.
Due for next class: Time diary assignment due.
* boyd, d. and Ellison, N. (2007). Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13 (1).
* boyd, d. and Hogan, B. (2009). Would the real social network please stand up? Retrieved July 28, 2009 from http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/07/28/would_the_real.html.
* Lampe, C., Ellison, N. B., and Steinfeld, C. (2008). Changes in use and perception of Facebook. In CSCW '08: Proceedings of the ACM 2008 conference on Computer supported cooperative work, New York, NY, USA, 2008 (pp. 721-730). ACM.
9/9 - Week 3: Online Social Networks in Everyday Life
Discussion of time diary, exploring the effects of online social network use.
Due: Time diary assignment, presentations begin.
Due for next class: Nothing due.
* Ellison, N. B., Steinfeld, C., and Lampe, C. (2007). The Benefits of Facebook "Friends:" Social Capital and College Students' Use of Online Social Network Sites. Journal of Computer Mediated Communications, 12(4).
* Lenhart, A. (2009). Adults and Social Network Websites. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved January 14, 2009 from http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/272/report_display.asp.
* Thompson, C. (September 7, 2008). I'm So Totally, Digitally Close to You. New York Times.
9/16 - Week 4: Researching Online Social Networks
Discussion of research methods in online social networks, with case examples.
Due: Nothing due.
Due for next class: Project groups will be selected and meet.
* Aday, L. A. (1996). Matching the Survey Design to Survey Objectives. In Designing and Conducting Health Surveys: A Comprehensive Guide (pp. 25-43). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
* Moreno, M. A., Fost, N. C., and Christakis, D. A. (2008). Research Ethics in the Myspace Era. Pediatrics, 121(1), 157--161.
* Walton, N. (June 14, 2009). Facebook and research. Retrieved June 14, 2009 from http://www.researchethics.ca/blog/2009/06/facebook-and-research.html.
* Zimmer, M. (2009). "But the Data is Already Public”: On the Ethics of Research in Facebook. University of Milwaukee. (Slides)
9/23 - Week 5: Privacy I, Theories and Action
Exploring privacy in online social networks, group selection and first meeting.
Due: Project groups selected.
Due for next class: Send group topic to instructor.
* Grigoriadis, V. (2009). Do You Own Facebook? Or Does Facebook Own You? New York Magazine (5 April).
* Lampinen, A., Tamminen, S., and Oulasvirta, A. (2009). All My People Right Here, Right Now: management of group co-presence on a social networking site. In GROUP '09: Proceedings of the ACM 2009 international conference on Supporting group work, New York, NY, USA, 2009 (pp. 281--290). ACM.
* Palen, L. and Dourish, P. (2003). Unpacking" privacy" for a networked world. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems, New York, NY, USA, 2003 (pp. 129-136). ACM Press.
* Solove, D. J. (August 18, 2008). Do Social Networks Bring the End of Privacy? Scientific American. Retrieved August 18, 2008 from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-social-networks-bring.
9/30 - Week 6: Privacy II, Recent Work
Instructor to present two recent studies using theoretical lens from previous class, group meetings.
Due: Group topic sent to instructor.
Due for next class: No meeting next week, but group projects due 10/14.
* Stutzman, F. and Hartzog, W. (2009) TBD
* Stutzman, F. and Kramer-Duffield, J. (2009) TBD
10/7 - Week 7: Class Cancelled
Please use this week to prepare your group projects.
Due for next class: Group projects due 10/14
10/14 - Week 8: Online Social Networks: Historical and Theoretical Perspectives
Group project demonstrations, theoretical and historical overview of mediated communication.
Due: Group projects.
Due for next class: Nothing due.
Required (Selections)
* Fischer, C. S. (1992). America Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
* Standage, T. (1998). The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's Online Pioneers. New York, NY: Berkley Trade.
* Thurlow, C., Lengel, L., and Tomic, A. (2004). Computer Mediated Communication: Social Interaction and the Internet. London: SAGE Publications.
10/21 - Fall Break, no class meeting
10/28 - Week 9: Using Online Social Networks for Action
Case studies of how online social networks can affect political, charitable, informational and business outcomes.
Due: Nothing due.
Due for next class: Final project proposals.
* Kanter, B. (August 13, 2009). Foundations That Tweet: Profile Patterns. Retrieved August 13, 2009 from http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2009/08/foundations-that-tweet-profile-patterns.html.
* Kanter, B. (February 03, 2009). Twestival: Are Fundraising Groundswells A Massive Opportunity or Distraction for Nonprofit Organizations? Retrieved February 03, 2009 from http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2009/02/twestival-are-fundraising-groundswells-a-massive-opportunity-or-distraction-for-nonprofit-organizati.html.
* Shirky, C. (2008). Designing for generosity. Video: http://www.poptech.org/popcasts/?viewcastid=215
* Smith, A. (April 15, 2009). The Internet's Role in Campaign 2008. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved April 16, 2009 from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/6--The-Internets-Role-in-Campaign-2008.aspx.
11/4 - Week 10: Studying Recent Adopters of Online Social Networks
Instructor and colleagues to present study of recent adopting online social network users; discussion of final project proposals.
Due: Final project proposals.
Due for next class: Nothing due.
* Lenhart, A. (2009). Adults and Social Network Websites. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved January 14, 2009 from http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/272/report_display.asp.
* Martin, M. (September 28, 2008). Old People Facebook Disasters. Salon Magazine. Retrieved November 19, 2008 from http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/09/29/old_people/index.html.
* Stutzman, F. (2009) TBD.
11/11 - Week 11: International Adoption of Online Social Networks
Exploring international adoption of online social networks.
Due: Nothing due.
Due for next class: Nothing due.
Required (View these online)
* Social network popularity around the world. Pingdom. Retrieved August 12, 2008 from http://royal.pingdom.com/2008/08/12/social-network-popularity-around-the-world/.
* World Map showing the popularity of social networks (SNS) around the world. Oxyweb. Retrieved November, 2008 from http://www.oxyweb.co.uk/blog/socialnetworkmapoftheworld.php.
* TBD
11/18 - Week 12: Online Social Network use and Transitions
Online social networks and information needs during transitions.
Due: Nothing due.
Due for next class: Nothing due.
* Cummings, J. N., Lee, J. B., and Kraut, R. (2006). Communication technology and friendship during the transition from high school to college. In Kraut, R., Brynin, M., and Kiesler, S. (Eds.), Computers, Phones, and the Internet: Domesticating Information Technology (pp. 265-278). USA: Oxford University Press.
* Quan-Haase, A. (2007). University Students' Local And Distant Social Ties: Using and integrating modes of communication on campus. Information, Communication & Society, 10(5), 671 - 693.
* Stutzman, F. (2009) TBD.
11/25 - Thanksgiving recess, no class meeting
12/2 - Week 13: Mobile and Ubiquitous Online Social Networks: The Future
Exploring the next generation of online social networks; class wrap up.
Due: Nothing due.
Due for next class: Final project presentations.
* Counts, S. and Fisher, K. E. (2008). Mobile Social Networking: An Information Grounds Perspective. In Proceedings of the 41st Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2008), Los Alamitos, CA, USA, 2008 (pp. 153). IEEE Computer Society.
* Ling, R. and Yttri, B. (2006). Control, Emancipation and Status: The Mobile Telephone in the Teen's Parental and Peer Group Control Relationships. In Kruat, R., Brynin, M., and Kiesler, S. (Eds.), Computers, Phones and the Internet: Domesticating Information Technology. New York: Oxford University Press.
* Lugano, G. (2008). Mobile social networking in theory and practice. First Monday, 13(11).
12/9 - Week 14: Final Projects
Final presentations. All projects due at 5PM on December 15.
Due: Final project presentations.