Master’s thesis is devoted to information transparency of the municipal authorities. The main idea of this paper – to investigate information work of the self-governing authorities as an activity which is aimed at the creation of the open communication between the municipal authorities and population. The author has developed recommendations for implementation of the information work in the Municipal Administration in accordance with the Federal Law. This research has realized in the urban district Reftinsky (Sverdlovsk region). / В магистерской диссертации рассматривается концепт информационной открытости муниципальной власти. Цель исследования – изучить информационную работу органов местного самоуправления как процесс, направленный на формирование поля информационного взаимодействия муниципальной власти с населением. Автор разработал рекомендации по организации информационной работы в Администрации муниципалитета в соответствии с требованиями федерального законодательства. Исследование реализовано в городском округе Рефтинский Свердловской области.

As a theme of study, public diplomacy has been at the margins of International Relations and Diplomatic Studies, despite recent increased academic interest. However, studies largely remain descriptive and within the rationalist/realist approach, creating theoretical shortcomings. Furthermore, in practice, new manifestations referred to as public diplomacy, have entered the field. A recent manifestation, the case of US public diplomacy in the ‘war on terror’ is viewed as being propaganda. This campaign has thus challenged existing ideas on public diplomacy. This study postulates that due to the political and academic dominance of the US, this case will have far-reaching theoretical and practical implications. These theoretical shortcomings and new manifestations pose the main research question: What is public diplomacy? Two sub-questions inform this question: How does the US practice public diplomacy? How does US public diplomacy manifest in the ‘war on terror’? A three-step analysis addresses these questions: firstly, a theoretical analysis of the concept public diplomacy with propaganda serving as a counter-reference; secondly, an empirical analysis of US public diplomacy; and, thirdly, a case study of US public diplomacy in the ‘war on terror’. The case study follows two steps, applying a critical approach to reach beyond rationalist premises. The case study has been restricted to information activities of the principal public diplomacy agents and institutions. The theoretical analysis of public diplomacy indicates that, despite the fact that both practices are foreign policy instruments, and that they have common roots and common dimensions that create a public diplomacy-propaganda nexus, public diplomacy is clearly distinguished from propaganda by its diplomatic essence. The analysis has identified criteria distinguishing public diplomacy and propaganda respectively. The empirical analysis of US public diplomacy indicates that it conforms to the theoretical model. However, US public diplomacy is distinguished by its macro level foreign policy projection of exceptionalism and reliance on military power. The first step of the case study, applying criteria for public diplomacy, has revealed that US public diplomacy in the ‘war on terror’ only partially constitutes public diplomacy. The second step, applying criteria for propaganda, has revealed significant evidence of a propaganda campaign. This study therefore concludes that the information activities in the ‘war on terror’ constitute propaganda more accurately. In the light of the negative socio- and geo-political effects of the ‘war on terror’ in the Middle East, this study proposes that academic analysis clearly demarcates public diplomacy from propaganda by means of the principles of diplomacy, and also that policy makers refrain from propagandistic practices in public diplomacy. / Dissertation (M (Diplomatic Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Political Sciences / M (Diplomatic Studies) / unrestricted

<p>Academic dissertaion for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science at the University of Gothenburg and the University of Borås to be publicly defended on Friday 21 October 2011 at 13.15 in lecture room M402, University of Borås, Allégatan 1, Borås</p>

Настоящая работа посвящена возможностям создания схемы психологического мониторинга учащихся с применением информационных технологий. На примере нескольких методик для психодиагностики был создан методический комплекс на базе программного продукта «1С: Психодиагностика образовательного учреждения» с некоторыми дополнениями, были разработаны методические указания для конечных пользователей. Результатами данной работы стало значительное сокращение времени на проведение психологического мониторинга учащихся, обработку и анализ результатов. / This paper deals with the possibilities for the creation of the scheme of psychological monitoring of students by means of information technologies. Methodological complex on the bases of software program “1C: Psychodiagnostic of educational establishments” with some additional applications has been established using some special methods. Methodology instructions for an end-user have been also developed. The substantial reduction of time for psychological monitoring of students, processing and analysis of the results has become the main results of the research.

The aim of this study is to analyse mutual enactments of critical literacies and social visualisation tools as information resources. The central concept of critical literacies as used here extends and redefines prior critical literacy definitions to denote the pluralistic situated enactments of meaning through which study participants identify, question and transform bias, restrictions and power related aspects of access, control and use in relation to the tools. The study is based on two critical ethnography inspired case studies involving observations, interviews, and contextual inquiry and located in professional settings. Case 1 is centred on how a geographic information system (MapInfo) is used for analysing and preventing traffic accidents. Case 2 is centred on how a dynamic time series animating chart (Trendalyzer) is used for analysing and spreading knowledge about the world’s development. The results demonstrate co-existing critical literacies described in terms of three main directionalities as reactive, proactive, and adaptive, of which the adaptive varieties seem thus far largely overlooked. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that dominant cognitivist and positivist narratives of visualisations should be replaced with more nuanced alternatives that emphasise the potentials of visualisation tools as evocative and non-blackboxed information resources; i.e., as encouraging new questions and allowing alternative analyses, rather than constructing them as enunciative tools providing true answers. As theoretical contributions, the dissertation argues for a conceptualisation of visualisation tools as representational artefacts and a species of documents actuating information organisation related problems of representation. It also presents a new theoretical construct for the analysis and understanding of the mutual shaping of critical literacies and information resources that includes both cultural practices and actor interests through a combination of sociocultural theories on tools and sociotechnical theories on inscriptions. / <p>Academic dissertation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and</p><p>Information Science at the University of Borås to be publicly defended on Friday</p><p>14 December 2012 at 13.00 in lecture room C203, the University of Borås,</p><p>Allégatan 1, Borås.</p>