The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the role of social networks in the information behaviour of consulting engineers. Wilson’s (1999; 2000) encapsulating information behaviour definition, and the contribution other researchers made to it, was used to develop an information behaviour framework for the study. In an in depth literature review it was learnt that engineering work is about team work and that engineers rely on their personal knowledge and expertise, as well as the knowledge and expertise of other experts in the field. This was confirmed by the findings of the empirical study. Throughout the literature review it was shown that the interaction between elements in the context and the personal dimension gives rise to information needs, which in turn prompt certain information behaviour activities. Narrative inquiry, a relatively new information behaviour data collection and analysis technique, guided the study. Fifteen consulting engineers who are involved in building projects participated in the study. Two chapters were dedicated to data analysis where the engineers’ stories of an engineering project were re-storied to learn more about the context of engineering work and how engineers operate. The findings revealed that the team members of projects involving consulting engineers come from different organisations. It was found that consulting engineers collaboratively seek, gather, use, communicate and share information. Interdependency emerged as a prominent element in the effective structures of consulting engineers’ personal dimension and evidently plays an important role in collaborative information behaviour in consulting engineers’ team work. It serves as a contributing factor in the natural forming of their social networks, which proved to be important sources of engineering information. The findings contributed to the refinement of the information behaviour framework developed for the purpose of this study. The framework graphically illustrates consulting engineers’ information behaviour. This study contributes to an understanding of the important role social networks play in consulting engineers’ successful accomplishment of engineering projects in everyday life / Information Science / D.Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

This thesis deals with the possibilities of using social networks for increasing the competitiveness of the company. The theoretical part defines basic terms that are closely related to social networks. First part is focused on social media and their usage in Czech or European companies which is supported by statistical data. Another part of the thesis focuses on the world most common social networks and their usage in relation to Competitive Intelligence. The last chapter of the theoretical part deals with analytics and monitoring tools. The practical part of the thesis contains competitive research on the company Antee and its major competitors in social networks usage. The main output of the practical part is based on the thorough analysis and it proposes strategy on a successful entrance into social networks for Antee.

Diploma thesis Enterprise Social Networks - Critical Success Factors is, as its name sug-gests, deals with the area of Enterprise Social Networks, especially implementing into the businesses informatics. Since this is a relatively new technology, terminology, nor the prin-ciples aren't stabilize. That's why I choose target of this thesis to determine what critical factors leading to the success of the implementation Enterprise Social networks into the businesses informatics. These factors I gathered from available literature and published articles by foreign authors, and therefore it was necessary to verify the validity of these factors in the Czech market. The second target of this thesis was the categorization of Crit-ical Success Factors of implementing an Enterprise Social Networks by the Methodology for Adoption and Adaptation of Social Networks. To meet the first target I have to search available works on this topic. Gained Critical Suc-cess Factors I have, by using fusion through cluster analysis, merged into a unique clusters of Critical Success Factors. For them I have found out their relevance in Czech market us-ing questionnaire or interview. To meet the second target, I used the categorization of Enterprise Social Networks, which is described in the Methodology for Adoption and Adaptation of Social Networks. Indi-vidual clusters of Critical Success Factors I have assigned into specific categories using the paired comparisons. The result of this thesis is a collection of 20 unique Critical Success Factors that are accord-ing to the survey identified as relevant in terms of their impact on the success of implemen-tation Enterprise Social Networks into the business informatics. At the same time has been extended Methodology for Adoption and Adaptation of Social Networks by the point of Critical Success Factors view. Chapters 2, 3 and Chapter 4 have interpretative character. Their goals are to identify all the important concepts that appear in this thesis and classify them into context. The second part of Chapter 4 is devoted to research of Critical Success Factors of implementing Enter-prise Social Networks into the business informatics and merging them into unique clusters. Chapter 5 is devoted to verify the relevance of these clusters in the Czech market, and Chapter 6 provides categorization of verified clusters based on Methodology for Adoption and Adaptation of Social Networks.

The thesis deals with theme of social networks especially from the view of companies. The thesis is divided into two main parts -- theoretical and practical. There is a necessary knowledge base of social networks and its use from perspective of a company in the theoretical part. There is also mentioned the topic of social networks analytics because it's the main theme of the practical part of the thesis. The research in the practical part analyzes the companies from Czech Republic, Germany and United States of America. The research is aimed on their behavior on Facebook and their company presentations there. There are two methods used in the practical part. One method compares the list of companies during the time period of 3 year (90 days of 2011 compared to 90 days of 2014). The other one compares the list of companies from geographical point of view. The goal of the practical part of the thesis if evaluation of pre-defined hypotheses.

Online social networks (OSNs) are Web platforms providing different services to facilitate social interaction among their users. A particular kind of OSNs is the location-based social network (LBSN), which adds services based on location. One of the most important challenges in LBSNs is the link prediction problem. Link prediction problem aims to estimate the likelihood of the existence of future friendships among user pairs. Most of the existing studies in link prediction focus on the use of a single information source to perform predictions, i.e. only social information (e.g. social neighborhood) or only location information (e.g. common visited places). However, some researches have shown that the combination of different information sources can lead to more accurate predictions. In this sense, in this thesis we propose different link prediction methods based on the use of different information sources naturally existing in these networks. Thus, we propose seven new link prediction methods using the information related to user membership in social overlapping groups: common neighbors within and outside of common groups (WOCG), common neighbors of groups (CNG), common neighbors with total and partial overlapping of groups (TPOG), group naïve Bayes (GNB), group naïve Bayes of common neighbors (GNB-CN), group naïve Bayes of Adamic-Adar (GNB-AA) and group naïve Bayes of Resource Allocation (GNB-RA). Due to that social groups exist naturally in networks, our proposals can be used in any type of OSN.We also propose new eight link prediction methods combining location and social information: Check-in Observation (ChO), Check-in Allocation (ChA), Within and Outside of Common Places (WOCP), Common Neighbors of Places (CNP), Total and Partial Overlapping of Places (TPOP), Friend Allocation Within Common Places (FAW), Common Neighbors of Nearby Places (CNNP) and Nearby Distance Allocation (NDA). These eight methods are exclusively for work in LBSNs. Obtained results indicate that our proposals are as competitive as state-of-the-art methods, or better than they in certain scenarios. Moreover, since our proposals tend to be computationally more efficient, they are more suitable for real-world applications. / Redes sociais online (OSNs) são plataformas Web que oferecem serviços para promoção da interação social entre usuários. OSNs que adicionam serviços relacionados à geolocalização são chamadas redes sociais baseadas em localização (LBSNs). Um dos maiores desafios na análise de LBSNs é a predição de links. A predição de links refere-se ao problema de estimar a probabilidade de conexão futura entre pares de usuários que não se conhecem. Grande parte das pesquisas que focam nesse problema exploram o uso, de maneira isolada, de informações sociais (e.g. amigos em comum) ou de localização (e.g. locais comuns visitados). Porém, algumas pesquisas mostraram que a combinação de diferentes fontes de informação pode influenciar o incremento da acurácia da predição. Motivado por essa lacuna, neste trabalho foram desenvolvidos diferentes métodos para predição de links combinando diferentes fontes de informação. Assim, propomos sete métodos que usam a informação relacionada à participação simultânea de usuários en múltiples grupos sociais: common neighbors within and outside of common groups (WOCG), common neighbors of groups (CNG), common neighbors with total and partial overlapping of groups (TPOG), group naïve Bayes (GNB), group naïve Bayes of common neighbors (GNB-CN), group naïve Bayes of Adamic-Adar (GNB-AA), e group naïve Bayes of Resource Allocation (GNB-RA). Devido ao fato que a presença de grupos sociais não está restrita a alguns tipo de redes, essas propostas podem ser usadas nas diversas OSNs existentes, incluindo LBSNs. Também, propomos oito métodos que combinam o uso de informações sociais e de localização: Check-in Observation (ChO), Check-in Allocation (ChA), Within and Outside of Common Places (WOCP), Common Neighbors of Places (CNP), Total and Partial Overlapping of Places (TPOP), Friend Allocation Within Common Places (FAW), Common Neighbors of Nearby Places (CNNP), e Nearby Distance Allocation (NDA). Tais propostas são para uso exclusivo em LBSNs. Os resultados obtidos indicam que nossas propostas são tão competitivas quanto métodos do estado da arte, podendo até superá-los em determinados cenários. Ainda mais, devido a que na maioria dos casos nossas propostas são computacionalmente mais eficientes, seu uso resulta mais adequado em aplicações do mundo real.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between several theory based strategies for adaptive coping and well-being in a community of visually impaired elderly.

Forty-five stepparents responded to four scales: Perceived Social Support Friend Scale, Perceived Social Support Family Scale, Kansas Family Life Satisfaction Scale and the Kansas Parental Satisfaction Scale. The study found a significant positive correlation between family and friend support and stepparents' role fulfillment.

Die vorliegende Arbeit analysiert die Möglichkeiten einer Daten- und Kontaktaggregation im Umfeld Sozialer Netzwerke. Zunächst wird eine Kategorisierung der wichtigsten Netzwerke und Frameworks vorgenommen. Die Funktionalitäten von acht Sozialen Netzwerken und fünf Frameworks werden anhand einer zuvor entwickelten Evaluierungsmatrix detailliert untersucht. Dabei stehen insbesondere die Funktionalitäten der APIs im Vordergrund. Aufbauend auf den Ergebnissen der Analyse wird ein Prototyp für eine Daten- und Kontaktaggregation konzipiert, implementiert und evaluiert. Abschließend werden Empfehlungen zu den verwendeten Technologien und für die Konzipierungen von zukünftigen Daten- und Kontaktaggregationen im Umfeld Sozialer Netzwerke gegeben. / This thesis analyses the potential of a data- and contactaggreation in the context of social networks. It provides an overview and categorization of the most important networks and frameworks. The functions of eight social networks and five frameworks are analyzed on the basis of a previously developed matrix of evaluation. Special attention is paid to the features of the APIs. Using the results from the evaluation a prototype is planned, coded and evaluated. Finally, regards for future aggregations between social networks are elaborated.

Soziale Medien scheinen in der heutigen Zeit ein breit untersuchtes Phänomen zu sein, auch über die Verhaltensweisen innerhalb der Netwoks lassen sich eine Menge vorwiegend quantifizierender Analysen finden. Jedoch existieren kaum kultursoziologische Erklärungen über die Kalküle und Motive der Nutzer, erst recht nicht über die Wirkungen der Systemvorgaben von Facebook & Co. In dieser Diplomarbeit soll ein erster Versuch aufgezeigt werden, die Verhaltensweisen in sozialen Netzwerken zu erforschen, indem die Handlungsweisen, -zwänge und -kalküle im Social-Networking auf der Grundlage empirisch erhobener Daten untersucht werden. Dabei werden die konzeptionellen Fragestellungen an das soziale Handeln aus dem Gabentauschkonzept von Marcel Mauss heraus entwickelt. Die Untersuchung richtet sich hierbei erstens an die Motive der Nutzer, wie Beziehungen, Selbstdarstellung/Identität und Status. Zum zweiten werden die typischen Charakteristiken, die sich aus den Handlungserwartungen und Handlungsmuster ergeben, herausgestellt und anhand der Gabentauschelemente Geben, Nehmen und Erwidern untersucht. Ein dritter Aspekt bezieht sich auf die konkreten Tauschelemente, die innerhalb der Netzwerke durch einen gegenseitigen Austausch zirkulieren und als Gaben funktionieren. Schließlich werden auch die Wirkungsweisen verschiedener Systemvorgaben, wie die Kommentarfunktion oder die Funktion, ein „Gefällt mir“ zu vergeben, und welche Rolle sie für das Verhalten innerhalb der sozialen Netzwerke spielen, untersucht.:1. Einführung 1.1. Ist Social-Networking ein Gabentausch? – Fragestellung und Problembeschreibung I. Das theoretische Konzept – Social-Networking aus dem Blickwinkel der Gabentauschtheorie 2. Theoretische Vorklärungen 6 2.1. Marcel Mauss’ Gabentauschtheorie 2.2. Soziale Netzwerke und Social-Networking-Systems 2.3. Das konkrete Handlungsfeld 3. Das Networking als Gabentausch – Theoretische Vergleichsgrundlagen 3.1. Vergleichsdimensionen . 3.2. Das Networking – ein Gabentausch? – Zwischenresümee II. Empirische Erfassung und Strukturanalyse von Verhaltensweisen in Social-Networking-Systems 4. Datengewinnungs- und Untersuchungsinstrumente 4.1. Soziologische Verortung in der Qualitativen Sozialforschung 4.2. Datengewinnungs- und Untersuchungsinstrumente 4.2.1. Die wissenschaftliche Beobachtung 4.2.2. Qualitative Interviews 5. Datenerhebung und Auswertung – Forschungsprozess 5.1. Untersuchungsgegenstände und der Zugang zum Feld 5.2. Durchführung, Datenfixierung und Darstellung der erhobenen Daten 5.3. Qualitative Strukturanalyse – Datenaufbereitung 5.4. Zwischenresümee III.Das Networking – Ein Gabentausch? 6. Auswertung, Interpretation und Beispielfälle 6.1. Motive des Austausches 6.2. Gegenstände des Austausches 6.3. Tauschverhalten – Geben, Nehmen und Erwidern 7. Zusammenfassung und Reflexion 7.1. Zusammenfassung 7.2. Reflexion und Ausblick A. Abbildungsverzeichnis B. Literaturverzeichnis C. Anlageverzeichnis D. Anlagen E. Selbstständigkeitserklärung / Social media seem to be a widely studied phenomenon in modern times, there are also a number of predominantly quantifying analyzes of behaviors within netwoks. However, there are no cultural-sociological explanations about the calculi and motives of users, certainly not about the effects of the system specifications of Facebook & Co. In this work, therefore, a first attempt will be made to explore the behavior in social networks, by investigating the behaviors, constraints and calculi in social networking, based on empirically collected data. In the process, the conceptual questions of social action are developed out of the gift exchange concept of Marcel Mauss. First of all, the investigation is based on the users' motives, such as relationships, self-presentation / identity and status. Second, the typical characteristics that result from the action expectations and patterns of action, exposed and based on the exchange elements giving, taking and responding are examined. A third aspect refers to the concrete elements of exchange that circulate within the networks through a mutual exchange and function as gifts. Finally, the effects of various system requirements are also examined, such as the commentary function or the function of 'liking'.:1. Einführung 1.1. Ist Social-Networking ein Gabentausch? – Fragestellung und Problembeschreibung I. Das theoretische Konzept – Social-Networking aus dem Blickwinkel der Gabentauschtheorie 2. Theoretische Vorklärungen 6 2.1. Marcel Mauss’ Gabentauschtheorie 2.2. Soziale Netzwerke und Social-Networking-Systems 2.3. Das konkrete Handlungsfeld 3. Das Networking als Gabentausch – Theoretische Vergleichsgrundlagen 3.1. Vergleichsdimensionen . 3.2. Das Networking – ein Gabentausch? – Zwischenresümee II. Empirische Erfassung und Strukturanalyse von Verhaltensweisen in Social-Networking-Systems 4. Datengewinnungs- und Untersuchungsinstrumente 4.1. Soziologische Verortung in der Qualitativen Sozialforschung 4.2. Datengewinnungs- und Untersuchungsinstrumente 4.2.1. Die wissenschaftliche Beobachtung 4.2.2. Qualitative Interviews 5. Datenerhebung und Auswertung – Forschungsprozess 5.1. Untersuchungsgegenstände und der Zugang zum Feld 5.2. Durchführung, Datenfixierung und Darstellung der erhobenen Daten 5.3. Qualitative Strukturanalyse – Datenaufbereitung 5.4. Zwischenresümee III.Das Networking – Ein Gabentausch? 6. Auswertung, Interpretation und Beispielfälle 6.1. Motive des Austausches 6.2. Gegenstände des Austausches 6.3. Tauschverhalten – Geben, Nehmen und Erwidern 7. Zusammenfassung und Reflexion 7.1. Zusammenfassung 7.2. Reflexion und Ausblick A. Abbildungsverzeichnis B. Literaturverzeichnis C. Anlageverzeichnis D. Anlagen E. Selbstständigkeitserklärung

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Digital traces left by a user of an on-line social networking service can be abused by a malicious party to compromise the person’s privacy. This is exacerbated by the increasing overlap in user-bases among various services. To demonstrate the feasibility of abuse and raise public awareness of this issue, I propose an algorithm, Seed and Grow, to identify users from an anonymized social graph based solely on graph structure. The algorithm first identifies a seed sub-graph either planted by an attacker or divulged by collusion of a small group of users, and then grows the seed larger based on the attacker’s existing knowledge of the users’ social relations. This work identifies and relaxes implicit assumptions taken by previous works, eliminates arbitrary parameters, and improves identification effectiveness and accuracy. Experiment results on real-world collected datasets further corroborate my expectation and claim.