A few weblog research papers
May 31st, 2004I’m going to have to study these a bit further, but here are a few peer-reviewed papers on weblogs that came out of the International Symposium on Online Journalism Synposium held in April:
Blog, Blog, Blog: Experiences with web logs in journalism classes [PDF]
Eric M. Wiltse, Senior Lecturer, University of Wyoming
“This ethnographic educational evaluation examines how students create Web logs or blogs and how blogs can help students learn about journalism topics. Data analysis revealed three themes: technical problems, interaction, and writing style. Students learned to create blogs through modeling and social interaction. Blogs helped students learn about web design and current events. Writing in blogs helped students focus on class presentations. Results support social-cognitive learning theory.”
When the Audience is the Producer: The Art of the Collaborative Weblog [PDF]
Lou Rutigliano, Masters Student, University of Texas at Austin
“Collaborative group weblogs, which rely on the participation of tens of thousands of members for their content, are often cited as a format of journalism that is new and untapped. In the English language, the most popular and respected practitioners of this format are MetaFilter, Plastic, Kuro5hin, and Slashdot. This paper analyzes these four weblogs to determine how each balances audience freedoms and administrative control in their efforts to increase participation and interactivity without chaos.”
Weblogs and the Search for User-Driven Ethical Models [PDF]
J. Richard Stevens, Doctoral Student, University of Texas at Austin
“The freedom of the Internet has led to the rise of “amateur reporting” in the of weblogging. Around the world, thousands of individuals record their experiences, perspectives and opinions in online forums that reach large audiences. But are bloggers journalists? Some claim they amateur journalists, others they are something very different. Do they need their own code of ethics? How do traditional codes of journalism ethics translate to the Weblog environment? Can blogs contribute responsibly to the world of journalism, if they don’t follow the Journalism Code of Ethics? This paper sought to answer these questions in a qualitative fashion by reviewing the history of journalism ethics to better understand why journalists felt the need to establish their codes and determine how these reasons apply to the blogosphere.”
(via slashdot)