The thesis approaches the issue of IS support for service work, understood as distributed knowledge work taking place as a negotiation between diverse interests. It is based on an ethnographically inspired, longitudinal case study of certification auditing according to a formal generic standard. A handful of certification auditors are followed closely, periodically and comprehensively over three years. Observations are combined with interviews of subjects and colleagues, added by exploration of other material. The practices of company ‘W’ is placed within a larger historical and institutional context. Research literature and theory is explored in four chapters from Social studies of science (STS), Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW), Information systems (IS), Information infrastructures (II) and Management literature. The aim is to identify basic characteristics of service work, its opportunities and challenges, from both the company’s and workers’ perspective. Main topics are Decision Making as negotiated sensemaking, contextual rationality and judgement; Sharing of understanding and meaning as ongoing practiced articulation work aiming for trust and an equifinal level of accord that will ‘find and allow common action’; Perseverance in a capable role that will allow calibration of distributed knowledge is vital for auditors. Common Information Spaces (CIS) is used as a framework to explore the heterogeneous circumstances of identity work in work practices; Predictability in production is sought through various strategies of standardization. Approaches to avoid and counter the inherent side-effects of standardization are described. The empirical results of the research project are presented and analysed in four chapters that look at the issue of i) being an accomplished service worker and ii) practicing service work. Both issues are addressed from a local, individual perspective, and from an organizational perspective in terms of the continuation of quality production. The thesis closes with a Conclusion of organized and standardized service work as displaying Practical drift, in response to the research question RQ0. How is IS supported distributed service work negotiated?, followed by implications for IS research and practice. The empirical case displays the role of information systems (IS) support in distributed service work - as part of a larger assembly of standardization measures, a broad-spectrum approach, displaying practical drift in its effect. The service work of certification auditing is characterized by ongoing negotiation of partly contradictory interests. It is heterogeneously standardized through material, rational/immaterial and social/organizational measures, many in place long before the advent of advanced IS. Traditionally, there are release mechanisms that, on the auditors’ discretion, alleviate the inappropriate effects of standardization. With new harmonising efforts the scope of this personal latitude needs to change, but when first implemented the IS along with new procedures start off as too tight. However, over time adaptations are made, making the overall process self regulatory with feedback mechanisms. On the whole, the thesis aims to contribute to the literature on information infrastructures, on knowledge work in general, and CSCW by drawing on insights from this specific collaborative work in controversial settings. The case provides practical insights for resilient systemizing of knowledge based global service work practices.

People work together to solve a wide variety of problems using different forms of cooperation for each class of problem. Modern technology is complex, and therefore it is unusual for an individual to attempt the development of a major project single-handedly. In an attempt to provide computer-based support for the problems that arise when two or more people attempt to cooperate to perform a task or solve a problem, the area of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) becomes relevant. The software development process almost invariably involves cooperation that crosses group, professional, and subcultural boundaries. The complexity of software development demands that highly integrated groups of analysts, designers, and users are involved in the process. Many development activities may occur concurrently. The area of CSCW and advanced information technology, with its enormous capabilities for transmitting and storing information, holds considerable promise for the software development process. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

Em uma de suas definções, a Terminologia representa o conjunto de princípios e métodos adotados no processo de gestão e criação de produtos terminológicos, tais como glossários e dicionários de termos. A sistematização desses métodos envolve a aplicação de ferramentas computacionais específicas e compatíveis com as tarefas terminológicas, contribuindo para o desenvolvimento desses produtos e a difusão de conhecimento especializado. Entretanto, principalmente no Brasil, a combinação da Terminologia e Informática é incipiente, e dentre as atividades do trabalho terminológico é comum a utilização de várias ferramentas não especializados para esse fim. Isso torna o trabalho dos terminólogos muito moroso, pois esse trabalho geralmente é feito por uma equipe multidisciplinar que deve ter acesso, a todo o momento, à versão mais atual das várias etapas da geração de um produto terminológico. Além disso, deixa o gerenciamento dos dados mais complicado, pois não existe um padrão de entrada e saída definido para os programas. Apoiado nos pressupostos da Teoria Comunicativa da Terminologia (TCT), este trabalho apresenta a proposta de desenvolvimento e avaliação do e- Termos, um Ambiente ColaborativoWeb composto por seis módulos de trabalho bem definidos, cujo propósito é automatizar as tarefas de gestão e criação de produtos terminológicos. Cada módulo do e-Termos possui a responsabilidade de abrigar tarefas inerentes ao processo de criação das terminologias, sendo atreladas a eles diferentes ferramentas de apoio lingüístico, que possuem a função de dar suporte às atividades de Processamento de Língua Natural envolvidas nesse processo. Além delas, há também ferramentas colaborativas, designadas para dar apoio às necessidades comunicacionais e de interação da equipe de trabalho. Particularmente com relação ao processo de avaliação proposto, uma de suas características é a capacidade de ser executado em um tempo curto, viabilizando a avaliação controlada de vários grupos, mas executada no ambiente de trabalho do público alvo. As principais contribuições desta pesquisa são o aspecto colaborativo instanciado na prática terminológica, a criação flexível da Ficha Terminológica, a possibilidade didática de uso para o ensino de terminologia, lexicografia e tradução e o processo de avaliação para sistemas colaborativos desenvolvido para o e-Termos, que combina Cenários de Uso e um Questionário de Pesquisa. Utilizando tecnologias Web e da área de Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) para o desenvolvimento da sua arquitetura computacional colaborativa, o e-Termos apresenta-se como um ambiente inovador para a pesquisa terminolóogica assistida por computador, pois automatiza um método prático que exp~oe os postulados da terminologia de orientação descritiva e evidencia todas as etapas do processo de criação de produtos terminológicos com o inédito diferencial colaborativo. Para certificar este êxito, o e-Termos tem recebido um número crescente de novas propostas de projeto, tendo até Agosto de 2009 mais de 130 usuários cadastrados, alocados em 68 diferentes projetos terminológicos / In one of its definitions, Terminology represents the set of principles and methods adopted in the creation and management of terminological products as glossaries and dictionaries of terms. A systematization of these methods includes the application of specific computational tools, compatible with terminological tasks, which contribute to developing such products and disseminating expert knowledge. However, especially in Brazil, the combination of Terminology and Computer Science is still incipient, and to perform the tasks of a terminological work it is typical to employ several nonspecialized tools, which make terminologists\' work very time-consuming, since it is usually carried out by a multidisciplinary team that should have access, all the time, to the latest versions of the various stages of the generation of a terminological product. Moreover, it makes data management more complex, because there is no input/output standard defined for programs. Based on the presuppositions of the Communicative Theory of Terminology (CTT), this thesis proposes the development and evaluation of e-Termos, a Web Collaborative Environment composed of six well-defined working modules, whose purpose is to automatize tasks for creating and managing terminological products. Each module in e- Termos is responsible for tasks inherent to the process of creating terminologies. Linked to these modules, there are different linguistic support tools that assist the Natural Language Processing activities included in the process. Besides them, there are also collaborative tools for supporting the communication and interaction needs of team members. As far as the proposed evaluation process is concerned, one of its features is that it can be run in a short time, making viable a controlled evaluation of several groups that is, however, run in the work environment of the target audience. The main contributions of this research are the collaborative aspect instantiated in terminological practice, the exible creation of Terminological Records, the possibility of being used for teaching terminology, lexicography and translation, and the evaluation of collaborative systems developed for e-Termos, which combines Scenario-based Evaluations and Surveys. Using Web technologies and Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) to develop its collaborative computational architecture, e-Termos is an innovative environment for computer-assisted terminological research, since it automatizes a useful method that represents the postulates of descriptive terminology and highlights all stages of the process of creating terminological products with the unprecedented collaborative differential. Confirming its success, e-Termos has been receiving a growing number of new project proposals, and in August 2009 has more than 130 registered users in 68 different terminological projects

Denna rapport behandlar en fältstudie genomförd på en kommunal teknisk förvaltning samt en analys av studiematerialet. En tekniklösning på konceptuell nivå arbetas fram. Metoder och synsätt för fältstudien beskrivs samt relationer till forskningsområden som CSCW och CSCL. Problembilden som kommer fram rör en åldrande personalkår där kunskap och erfarenhet önskas ta till vara. Kompetensutveckling och informationsspridning ligger högt på önskelistan hos personalen. Designkraven är bl a enkelhet, smidighet, mobilitet samt småskalighet.

There are many attempts to bridge paper digital gap, new artifacts and tools are being delivered continuously. Many of these artifacts work with paper and cooperate with other artifacts. Despite the fact that these artifacts are good enough to perform their work, they tend to be dull in exchanging data and cooperating with other artifacts. This causes a problem especially when artifact cooperation is essential. In order to solve this we need to have a standard to present the data used in the artifacts and facilitate communication among artifacts. Paper Digital Classes is a new standard that aims at providing a standard implementation of the artifacts in matters of data exchange and interoperability. / Med dagens teknik är det möjligt att skicka till exempel e-post direkt från ett papper utan att röra vid datorn. Genom att använda en särskild digital penna överförs texten man skriver på papper direkt till datorn. Jag har undersökt olika system och verktyg som berör läsning och överföring från papper till digitala dokument. Jag har utifrån min studie tagit fram en standard, PDC, Paper Digital Classes, som låter olika verktyg interagera som om de vore ett. PDC kan komma att få stor betydelse för framtida dokumenthantering. Tekniken underlättar att skicka e-post från ett pappersdokument, redigera pappersdokument och överhuvudtaget all interaktion mellan fysiska och digitala dokument. PDC kan också komma till god hjälp när det gäller att utveckla nya, användbara produkter. / Ashraf Habash Gamla Infartsv. 3A, lhg 510 371 41 Karlskrona (mob) +46 734 08 79 67 (work) +46 457 386 300

There are many attempts to bridge paper digital gap, new artifacts and tools are being delivered continuously. Many of these artifacts work with paper and cooperate with other artifacts. Despite the fact that these artifacts are good enough to perform their work, they tend to be dull in exchanging data and cooperating with other artifacts. This causes a problem especially when artifact cooperation is essential. In order to solve this we need to have a standard to present the data used in the artifacts and facilitate communication among artifacts. Paper Digital Classes is a new standard that aims at providing a standard implementation of the artifacts in matters of data exchange and interoperability. PDC has a direct industrial impact, this was noticed by Sparbanksstiftelsen Kronan and they have awarded me a scholarship for the project. / Med dagens teknik är det möjligt att skicka till exempel e-post direkt från ett papper utan att röra vid datorn. Genom att använda en särskild digital penna överförs texten man skriver på papper direkt till datorn. Jag har undersökt olika system och verktyg som berör läsning och överföring från papper till digitala dokument. Jag har utifrån min studie tagit fram en standard, PDC, Paper Digital Classes, som låter olika verktyg interagera som om de vore ett. PDC kan komma att få stor betydelse för framtida dokumenthantering. Tekniken underlättar att skicka e-post från ett pappersdokument, redigera pappersdokument och överhuvudtaget all interaktion mellan fysiska och digitala dokument. PDC kan också komma till god hjälp när det gäller att utveckla nya, användbara produkter. / Ashraf Habash Gamla Infartsv. 3A 371 41 Karlskrona (mob) +46 734 08 79 67 (work) +46 457 386 307 Ashrafhabash@msn.com www.uth.se

This project has been devoted to design a computer system with a tangible user interface, in the context of future supervision of remote drop-in dialysis patients. The tangible computer system was developed as an example of how two concepts in human work, accountability and awareness, can be supported through tangible user interfaces. A current trend within CSCW discusses accountability in design in terms of how software should make its own actions accountable. We choose to use an alternative route, namely to use the tangible interface for explicating nurses and patients actions for each other. Explicating actions is key benefit with a tangible interface in work environments that is physical co-located. We conclude that our strategy can be investigated further in settings where the work is carried out in a physical co-located space.

Our work, which this master thesis is based upon, has been committed to analysing the settings of large-scale events, proposing, and designing an IT-artefact that can be adapted to different contexts depending on the event. In order to give examples of the contexts of which the IT-artefact could be used, it was developed tailored to two temporary large-scale events. Throughout the thesis we have been struggling with the question of how it is possible to facilitate the co-ordination during large-scale events through visualising tasks and resources. Our aim has been that the design proposal shall support the sharing of tasks and resources to facilitate the cooperation among volunteers during the realisation of temporary large-scale events. We conclude that our design proposal of the IT-artefact should be investigated further in the settings presented in this thesis and others, as we see prospects to develop and adapt the design proposal to various large-scale events in the nearby future. / Vårt fokus är ett tekniskt stöd för funktionärer under storskaliga arrangemang. Våra samarbetspartners är Hultsfredsfestivalen och Vasaloppet. Vi sätter användning av teknik i fokus och utgår från behov hos användarna i den studerade kontexten. Detta har vi åstadkommit med stöd av etnografiska undersökningar, workshops, analys av materialet samt framtagande av en designlösning. Vår frågeställning om huruvida det är möjligt att underlätta koordinationen under storskaliga evenemang med hjälp av visualisering av arbetsuppgifter och resurser har lett till att vi har föreslagit en designlösning. Denna ska stödja och underlätta funktionärers arbete genom att tillhandahålla olika funktioner och stöd beroende på behoven hos funktionärerna vid respektive evenemang. Vårt syfte är att designlösningen ska stödja fördelningen av uppdrag och ett gemensamt utnyttjande av resurser för att underlätta samarbetet mellan funktionärer.

Abstract This thesis explores the integration of work practice and system design in deliberating upon how to increase the sensitivity of system design towards everyday work practice. The attempt to make work practice visible and intelligible for system design necessarily relates to two very different bodies of knowledge: the actual work activities and knowledge of practitioners, and what is considered relevant information for requirements analysis in system design. The strategy of this work comprises the integration of ethnographically informed study of work practice and participatory design by drawing on the longitudinal fieldwork of studying technologically mediated radiology work and promoting work practice based participatory design interventions into technology projects in the clinic of radiology. The adopted theoretical attitude of interweaving construction and reconstruction necessitates questioning and reconfiguring some of the taken-for-granted assumptions of disciplinary dichotomies and conventional frames of reference both with regard to ethnographic traditions focused on current practices as well as technology-centered and future-oriented system design. Radiology, with its ongoing and complex transition from film-based to digitally mediated work, has provided the concrete setting for thinking about the relations between researcher, designer and work practice practitioner in an attempt to find ways in which to sensitise system design towards everyday work practice. Establishing the relevance between ethnographic findings of work and design specifications requires a reformulation of work practice that appreciates the everyday fluency of work practice and recognises the endogenous change for the needs of system design. The possibilities of extending the multivoiced expertise prevalent in participatory design with an explicit interest on emic-etic views and knowledges inherent within ethnographic traditions is explored through reflecting on the changing researcher knowledge and location. The reflections are also used in developing a tool for work practice oriented participatory design and in constructing the role of participant interventionist. Through mutual exploration and constructive collaboration of ethnographic and participatory design traditions as well as scrutiny of actual design sessions, the dimensions of analytic distance, horizon of work practice transformations and situated generalisation are put forward as general interactions of work practice sensitive participatory design.

In der Dissertationsschrift wird die Entwicklung und Evaluation eines Unterrichtskonzeptes für computergestütztes kooperatives Lernen am beruflichen Gymnasium für Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie beschrieben. Das Konzept für Computer Supported Cooperative Learning (CSCL) wurde im Rahmen des sächsischen Landesschulversuches "Einführung der Fachrichtung Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie am beruflichen Gymnasium im Freistaat Sachsen" in Zusammenarbeit mit der Technischen Berufsschule Zürich erprobt. In der Dissertationsschrift werden Fachbegriffe der Didaktik der Informatik präzisiert. Desweiteren sind Forschungsmethoden, quantitative und qualitative Untersuchungsergebnisse sowie deren Auswertung insbesondere zur CSCL-Handlungskompetenz enthalten.