Nesta dissertação realizou-se o estudo das redes de colaboração científica formadas a partir de um grupo de pesquisadores ligados ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (PPGGeo/UFRGS), com base na abordagem teórico-metodológica conhecida como análise de redes sociais (ARS), dialogando com alguns conceitos oriundos da Teoria da Prática de Pierre Bourdieu, focando a identificação, caracterização e evolução estrutural das redes de co-autoria científica. A análise de redes sociais nesse contexto pode contribuir significativamente enquanto geradora de subsídios para a gestão de ciência e tecnologia na área, ressaltando o importante papel dos pesquisadores vinculados ao PPGGeo/UFRGS na ampliação da capacidade de produção e comunicação do conhecimento científico na área e/ou na região sul. Além disso, esta pesquisa em particular contribui para o campo da Sociologia com a exploração da perspectiva teórico-metodológica da ARS no contexto da análise das redes de colaboração científica. Buscou-se responder a seguinte questão de pesquisa: quais são os elementos que influenciam a evolução estrutural das redes sociais de co-autoria científica entre os pesquisadores vinculados ao PPGGeo/UFRGS no período de 1998-2006? Para respondê-la, foram construídas três redes de co-autoria com base nos dados oriundos dos Cadernos de Indicadores da CAPES referentes aos intervalos de 1998-2000, 2001-2003 e 2004-2006. Foram utilizados os softwares NVIVO e UCINET. Assumiu-se que o grupo dos docentes fosse dominante nas redes de co-autoria e foram considerados como atributos os números de vínculos dos docentes às linhas, projetos e grupos de pesquisa. Como hipótese, colocou-se que quanto maior fosse o número de vínculos a diferentes grupos de pesquisa, mais privilegiada seria a posição do ator na rede e essa posição tenderia a ser mantida ao longo dos anos. Os resultados obtidos caracterizaram a estrutura das redes, comparando-as com foco em sua conectividade e centralidade. A rede de 1998-2000 contou com 524 atores e 11.296 laços; a rede de 2001-2003 apresentou 576 atores e 14.674 laços, enquanto a rede de 2004-2006 apresentou 741 atores e 14.188 laços. Verificou-se que o conjunto dos atores centrais/dominantes nas redes é formado majoritariamente pelos docentes e, em geral, esse conjunto tende a se manter em destaque ao longo dos anos; verificou-se também que há uma reincidência de parcerias na produção do conhecimento científico nas três redes, culminando em uma reprodução social da estrutura da rede de co-autoria. A hipótese do estudo foi refutada, indicando que embora exista uma correlação positiva e significante entre os três atributos e as medidas de centralidade, que representam a estrutura da rede, o grau de correlação entre o atributo "grupos de pesquisa" e as medidas de centralidade não obteve destaque em relação à correlação entre os atributos "linhas de pesquisa", "projetos de pesquisa" e as medidas de centralidade em nenhum dos períodos analisados. Concluiu-se que todos os atributos analisados (grupos, linhas e projetos de pesquisa) influenciam na evolução estrutural das redes sociais de co-autoria científica do PPGGeo/UFRGS no período de 1998 a 2006, mas as linhas e projetos possuem maior influência do que os grupos de pesquisa. / In this dissertation it was studied the scientific collaboration networks formed from a group of researchers linked to the Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (PPGGeo/UFRGS), based on a theoretical and methodological approach known as social network analysis (SNA), considering some concepts from the Pierre Bourdieu's Theory of Practice, and focusing on the identification, characterization and the structural evolution of scientific co-authorship networks. The analysis of social networks in this context can contribute significantly as a generator of data for the science and technology management in the area, emphasizing the important role of the researchers related to PPGGeo/UFRGS in the expansion of production and communication of the scientific knowledge capacity in the area and/or in the southern region. Furthermore, this research in particular contributes to the field of Sociology with the exploration of the theoretical and methodological perspective of SNA in the analysis of scientific collaboration networks. It was sought to answer the following research question: what are the factors that influence the structural development of the social networks of scientific co-authorship among researchers linked to the PPGGeo/UFRGS in the period from 1998-2006? To answer it, we built three coauthorship networks based on data from the CAPES' Cadernos de Indicadores related to the intervals 1998-2000, 2001-2003 and 2004-2006. It was used the software NVIVO and UCINET. It was assumed that the group of professors was dominant in the co-authorship networks and the attributes considered in the research were the numbers of links of the professors to the research lines, projects and groups. As hypothesis, it was said that the greater the number of links to different research groups, the more privileged would be the actor's position in the network and this position tended to be maintained over the years. The results characterized the structure of the networks, comparing them, focusing on their connectivity and centrality. The network of 1998-2000 had 524 actors and 11.296 links; the network of 2001-2003 had 576 actors and 14.674 links, while the network of 2004-2006 had 741 actors and 14.188 links. It was found that the central/dominant group of actors in the networks is formed mainly by professors and, in general, this group tends to remain in the central/dominant positions over the years; it was also found that there are partnerships recurrences in the scientific knowledge production in the three networks, culminating in a social reproduction of the co-authorship network structure. The hypothesis of the study was rejected, indicating that although there is a positive and significant correlation between the three attributes and the measures of centrality, which represent the structure of the network, the degree of correlation between the attribute "research groups" and the measures of centrality received less emphasis in relation to the correlation between the attributes "research lines", "research projects" and the measures of centrality in all the periods analyzed. It was concluded that all the examined attributes (research groups, projects and lines) influence on the structural development of the social networks of scientific co-authorship of the PPGGeo/UFRGS in the period from 1998 to 2006, but the research lines and projects have more influence than the research groups.

Submitted by Rachel Pereira (rachelprr@yahoo.com.br) on 2015-12-14T16:32:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 CARAN Gustavo - 2015 - Mestrado.pdf: 2529697 bytes, checksum: 787e5067e2f1a19f5990909722f0a092 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-14T16:32:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CARAN Gustavo - 2015 - Mestrado.pdf: 2529697 bytes, checksum: 787e5067e2f1a19f5990909722f0a092 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-06 / A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo investigar quais os fatores facilitadores e dificultadores no acesso à informação pelo deficiente visual, e que afetam a sua qualidade de vida. Inicialmente, através de uma revisão narrativa da literatura, a pesquisa traz uma discussão teórica sobre os conceitos centrais da pesquisa (Deficiente Visual, Acesso à Informação e Promoção da Saúde), e sobre os fatores de suporte no acesso à informação pelo deficiente visual (Suporte Cognitivo, Suporte Social e Suporte Tecnológico). Em uma segunda etapa, através da Revisão Sistemática da Literatura (RSL) e da Meta-Etnografia, foi realizado um levantamento de evidências de dificultadores e facilitadores no acesso à informação. As evidências foram classificadas em oito categorias, de acordo com a responsabilidade atribuída a esses fatores. A terceira etapa teve como objetivo específico avaliar a potencialidade das ferramentas tecnológicas de redes sociais para o suporte social do deficiente visual. Para tal, foi realizado um estudo de caso quantitativo exploratório no grupo Low Vision do Facebook, utilizando a técnica de Análise de Redes Sociais (ARS). Os resultados gerais da pesquisa apontaram para um conjunto variado de fatores intervenientes no acesso à informação, de caráter multidisciplinar, sobrepostos e interrelacionados. Aspectos de natureza social foram percebidos como os mais frequentes segundo a revisão sistemática. O estudo de caso apontou para dezesseis categorias temáticas de assuntos existentes, e para uma rede social relativamente densa no suporte oferecido, em comparação com os padrões de comportamento de ambientes da Web. O suporte oferecido é mais frequente, mas promove menor interação com os usuários em relação ao suporte solicitado. O suporte do tipo instrumental apresentou resultado similar ao suporte oferecido, uma vez que foi mais frequente, porém resultou em relações menos abrangentes e intensas. A pesquisa apontou para a necessidade de avaliar a dinâmica dos fatores intervenientes no acesso à informação, e o grau de impacto causado na qualidade de vida do deficiente visual. As ferramentas de redes sociais podem ser importantes canais para a promoção da saúde por meio do suporte social. A análise de redes sociais mostrou-se uma técnica importante para análise das trocas de informação em ambientes digitais para o suporte social. / The following study aims to analyse the factors that enable and hinder the information access by visually impaired individuals, which affect their quality of life. Initially, by means of a narrative literature review, this research brings a theoretical discussion about this work’s core concepts (Visually Impaired Individual, Access to Information, Promotion of Health) and also the supporting factors in the access to information by the visually impaired (Cognitive Support, Social Support, Technological Support). During a second phase, by means of a Systematic Review of Literature (SRL) and also Metha-Etnography evidence regarding enabling and hindering factors was gathered. The data was then arranged in eight categories, according to the responsibility attributed to these factors. The third phase had the specific goal of evaluating the potential of social networks to be a support for visually impaired individuals. In order to do so, a quantitative exploratory case study of the Facebook group Low Vision was carried out, by means of the Social Network Analysis technique (SNA). The overall results of the research point to a diverse combination of multidisciplinary, juxtaposed, interrelated factors, which interfere in the information access. According to systematic review, social aspects have been found to exist as the most frequent. The case study has pointed out to sixteen themed categories of existing topics, as well as to a relatively dense social network surrounding the support offered, in comparison patterns of behavior in Web (online) environments. The support offered is more frequent, but promotes fewer interactions with users in relation to the support requested. The instrumental type of support has presented similar results in comparison to the support offered, since it has been more frequent. However, it resulted in relationships that were less broad and less intense. The research has pointed the need to evaluate the dynamics of intervening factors in information access, and the extent of the impact caused in the quality of life of the visually impaired. The tools provided by social networks may be important channels for the promotion of health by means of the provision of a social support group. The analysis of social networks has shown itself to be an important technique for the analysis of information exchanged in online environments for social support.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:38:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernao Reges dos Santos.pdf: 3479474 bytes, checksum: 654fb96f7fdab2d5f475a37081149c9c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-06-07 / With the increasing number of participants to internet social network based systems, which uses several computer mediated communication resources like chat, instant messaging, hypertext links to videos and several objects available to facilitate the interaction between users, new frontiers emerges to apply this concepts on educational environment with collaborative forms. This work researches the applicability of Artificial Intelligence models combined with Social Network systems through use of Intelligent Agents. Initially the combination of Intelligent Agents and Social Networks proposal uses Multiagent based kernel acting to analyze and mediate the interaction process over social network.. Considering this perspective and to try stimulate the interactive user process on social network, this work brings the possibility of integrating the main kernel with a social network based on platforms using digital video, like Internet and Digital TV. Using educational content operating with a external module working as Intelligent Tutoring System which provides instructional units to be used with interactive and collaborative forms by participants, resulting a distance and collaborative learning tool. The main target for this tool combining Intelligent Agents and Social Networks, intends to provide a context where educators can research new educational strategies, interactive and collaborative perspectives. / Com o crescente número de usuários de sistemas redes sociais baseadas em Internet, cresce também a integração desses sistemas com diversos recursos de comunicação mediada por computador como serviços de comunicação instantânea e sistemas de bate-papo, vínculos hipertextuais para vídeos, arquivos de áudio e outros objetos que podem ser utilizados como facilitadores do processo interativo e de distribuição de conteúdo nas redes sociais. Nesse cenário, surgem novas possibilidades de aplicação desse tipo de ambiente de forma educacional e colaborativa. A partir desse cenário, esta dissertação aborda a aplicação de modelos de Inteligência Artificial em Sistemas de Redes Sociais por meio da utilização de Agentes Inteligentes. O objetivo da composição de Redes Sociais e Agentes Inteligentes para essa ferramenta é disponibilizar um ambiente em que possam ser investigadas as diferentes possibilidades de estratégias pedagógicas que podem aplicadas nesse novo ambiente de interação e colaboração social. De forma experimental, essa combinação entre Agentes Inteligentes e Sistemas de Redes Sociais foi proposta por meio de um modelo de sistema Multiagente, que atua como núcleo intermediador e analítico do processo interativo que ocorre na rede. Considerando essa perspectiva, e para estímulo do processo interativo entre os usuários da rede, foi estabelecida a integração desse núcleo a uma rede social que opera em plataformas de distribuição de vídeos digitais, como Internet e TV Digital Interativa, utilizando conteúdo educativo que, operando em conjunto com um módulo tutor inteligente, disponibiliza atividades para serem realizadas de forma interativa entre os participantes, resultando em uma ferramenta de Educação a Distância e aprendizado colaborativo.

A análise de redes sociais permite estudar a maneira como são estabelecidas as conexões entre indivíduos e como estas evoluem ao longo do tempo. A coautoria é uma das formas mais estudadas e bem documentadas de colaboração científica. Existem muitos aspectos de redes de colaboração científica, os quais podem ser rastreados de forma confiável através da análise de redes de colaboração usando métodos bibliométricos. Diversos esforços em diferentes áreas de pesquisa tentam analisar, entender, explicar e predizer o comportamento de sistemas modelados através de redes sociais. Nestes estudos, os indivíduos são modelados como vértices de um grafo, enquanto as relações entre eles são representadas por arestas. Atualmente, o estudo de redes de colaboração científica é importante e necessário para apoiar o planejamento estratégico, implementação e gestão dos programas de pesquisa científica. Neste trabalho, apresentamos um modelo de análise de redes científicas baseado em Grafos Relacionais com Atributos (ARG). O modelo proposto permite representar as redes de colaboração científica incluindo atributos individuais dos pesquisadores e atributos dos trabalhos colaborativos de pares de pesquisadores. Os dados correspondem às produções científicas de pesquisadores cadastrados na plataforma Lattes e extraídas automaticamente usando a ferramenta scriptLattes. Na primeira etapa, foi implementado o cálculo automatizado da taxa de internacionalização de cada pesquisador, a qual mostra a proporção entre o número de publicações internacionais e o número total de publicações. Esta medida junto com a produção científica individual discretizada em diversos grupos fazem parte das informações armazenadas nos vetores de atributos dos vértice dos ARGs. Por outro lado os vetores de atributos das arestas armazenam informações dos trabalhos colaborativos discretizados segundo a classificação da CAPES. Adicionalmente, neste trabalho foram exploradas duas aplicações relacionadas à (i) predição de trabalhos colaborativos futuros e à (ii) influência dos pesquisadores na rede de colaboração. O resultado da predição de vínculos foi usado para determinar a influência dos pesquisadores na redes de colaboração. A influência tem sido explorada com base na variação da predição de ligações com a presença ou a ausência do pesquisador na rede. Nossa proposta foi avaliada considerando diferentes testes sobre redes de coautoria científica de diversos grupos de pesquisadores. Os resultados obtidos são promissores para a análise de redes sociais em geral. / The social network analysis allows the study of how the relationships are established between individuals and how their are evolving with the time. The co-authorship is one of the most studied and documented scientific collaboration. There are some aspects which could be traced in a reliable way through the social network analysis using bibliometric methods. There are several proposals in different research areas trying to analyse, understand, explain and predict the behaviour of systems modeled as social networks. In this study, the individuals are modeled as vertices of a graph, while the relationships between them are represented by edges. Currently the study of scientific collaboration networks is important and necessary to support the strategic planning, implementation and management of scientific research programs. In this work, we present an scientific networks analysis model based on Attributed Relational Graphs (ARG). The proposed model allows to represent the scientific collaboration networks including individual attributes of researchers and attributes of the collaborative work of researchers pairs. The data correspond to the scientific production of researchers, registered in the Lattes Platform and automatically extracted using the tool scriptLattes \\citep{Mena-Chalco:2009}. In the first step, was implemented the automated computation of the internationalization rate for each researcher, that shows the ratio between the number of international publications and the total number of publications. This measure together with the individual scientific production discretized in diverse groups form part of the information stored in the vertices of the ARGs. On the other hand, the edges store information of collaborative work discretized according to the CAPES classification. Additionally, this work explores two related applications (i) prediction of future collaborative work and (ii) influence of researchers in collaboration network. The result of the link prediction was used to determine the influence of researchers in collaborative networks. The influence in collaboration network is computed based on the variation of the link prediction with the presence or absence of the researcher in the network. Our proposal was evaluated with different real scientific co-authorship networks and with different research groups. The results obtained look promising for analyzing social networks in general.

Cette thèse analyse l’entrée en politique des dirigeants de la Mutuelle nationale des étudiants de France (MNEF). Cet organisme prenait en charge la gestion de la sécurité sociale étudiante. Il était dirigé par des étudiants élus. Au cours des années 1960 et 1970, l’engagement de ces responsables devient de plus en plus politique. Leur activité militante et professionnelle constitue une forme de socialisation particulière, en ce sens qu’ils apprennent des savoir-faire et intériorisent des représentations assimilables à des apprentissages politiques. La conversion de ce capital militant en capital politique constitue le cœur de la thèse. Elle est favorisée par des configurations d’acteurs au sein desquels les mondes de la représentation étudiante et les partis politiques sont fortement intriqués. Le recours à l’analyse des réseaux sociaux a permis d’objectiver ces configurations et de les situer historiquement. Les interpénétrations sont beaucoup plus fortes dans les années 1970 et 1980 que lors des années 1960. Au cours de ces deux décennies, un dirigeant sur de la mutuelle sur deux entre – en tant qu’élu ou que membre d’un cabinet – dans le champ politique. L’analyse de l’engagement de ces militants étudiants nous renseigne plus généralement sur l’entrée en politique comme processus. / This thesis analyses the political entrance of the leaders of the French national student health care insurance (MNEF). This organisation was in charge of student social security, lead by elected students. During the 1960s and 1970s, the engagement of the organisation's leaders became more and more political. Their activist and professional activities constitute a specific form of socialisation as they are integrating new know-how and internalize representations that are very similar to political knowledge. The transfer of this activist capital into political one is at the heart of this thesis. Transfer is made possible by configurations of actors in which the worlds of the student representation and political parties are strongly intermingled. Social networks analysis allows us to objectify this configuration and to place them in their historical context. Interpenetration is much stronger in the 1970s and 1980s than in the 1960s. During these two decades, one leader of the MNEF out of two enter the field of politics, either has an elected representative or cabinet member. The analysis of the commitment of these student activists provides useful general information about the entrance into politics as a process.

All'interno di ogni contesto competitivo, le persone sfruttano asimmetrie relazionali derivanti da connessioni che sono fonte di nuove informazioni e risorse. Gli individui in posizioni di intermediazione sono solitamente leader dei rispettivi gruppi. Nonostante i ricercatori abbiano esteso il concetto di capitale sociale al contesto criminale, permane una relativa mancanza di conoscenza riguardo a come i capi sfruttino il loro capitale criminale. Diversi studi hanno dimostrato che i leader di solito fungono da intermediari all'interno delle reti criminali e ciò garantisce loro un efficace equilibrio tra efficienza e sicurezza nella gestione delle attività illecite. Tuttavia, altri studi hanno dimostrato che i leader criminali spesso impiegano misure di sicurezza aggiuntive, come prendere le distanze dalle attività più rischiose come nel traffico di droga (DT) e dalle telefonate. Questo studio esamina i comportamenti dei leader criminali per identificare se e in che modo variao in base alle principali attività svolte dalle loro reti e rispetto ai canali di comunicazione utilizzati. Questo studio si basa su otto casi studio di gruppi di ‘Ndrangheta coinvolti nel DT, o altri tipici crimini legati alla mafia centrati sul controllo del territorio (COT). I risultati indicano che mentre i leader criminali favoriscono l'intermediazione e la sicurezza quando sono coinvolti nel COT, optano per la chiusura e l'efficienza quando sono coinvolti nel DT. Questi risultati gettano luce sui comportamenti dei leader criminali, che, a loro volta, aumentano le conoscenze esistenti sulla struttura interna delle reti criminali. / Within every competitive setting, people exploit relational asymmetries stemming from connections that are sources of novel information and resources. Individuals in brokering positions are ordinarily a respective groups’ leader. Whilst scholars have extended the concept of social capital to the criminal context, there remains a relative dearth of knowledge concerning precisely how leaders exploit their criminal capital. Manifold studies have shown that leaders usually act as brokers within criminal networks, which provides an effective balance between efficiency and security in the management of illicit activities. However, other studies have demonstrated that criminal leaders often employ additional security measures, including inter alia distancing themselves from riskier activities, such as drug trafficking (DT) networks and communicating via telephone. This study examines criminal leaders’ behaviors to identify whether and in what ways they vary according to the main activities performed by their networks, and with respect to the communication channels used. This study is underpinned by eight case studies of ‘Ndrangheta groups involved in DT, or other typical Mafia-related crimes centered on the control of the territory (COT). The results indicate that while criminal leaders favor brokerage and security when involved in COT, they opt for closure and efficiency when involved in DT. Ultimately, these findings cast light upon criminal leaders’ behaviors, which, in turn, enhances extant knowledge on the internal structure of criminal networks.

Les archives documentaires du dentiste luxembourgeois Dr. Ernest Schneider (1885-<p>1954) constituent la base du présent travail. Ce fonds a été abordé par les sciences historiques<p>et sociales dans la première et par la discipline de l'archéologie rupestre dans<p>la seconde partie. Ces archives sont uniques au Grand-Duché dans le sens qu'il s'agit du<p>seul fonds archéologique contenant des documents épistolaires et iconographiques au lieu<p>d'artéfacts provenant de prospections. Dans un premier temps, le fonds épistolaires a été<p>abordé par une analyse de réseaux. Cette approche a permis de déterminer qu'il s'agit<p>d'un registre de contacts constitué par Schneider plutôt que d'un réseau au sens propre.<p>Schneider ne montre en effet aucune volonté à soigner ses contacts établis. Les réseaux de<p>ses alteri forment finalement la source d'informations la plus importante de Schneider :<p>ses contacts entament des recherches par eux-mêmes et dans leurs cercles de connaissances<p>afin de trouver des réponses aux requêtes du dentiste.<p>La seconde partie est consacré au travail archéologique effectué par Schneider de 1927<p>à 1954. Plus précisément les résultats publiés par Schneider en 1939 dans la monographie<p>Material zu einer archäologischen Felskunde des Luxemburger Landes sont revus et mis<p>à jour. Dans cette partie, le contenu des archives épistolaires est utilisé afin de suivre le<p>raisonnement scientifique de Schneider et afin de déterminer quelles hypothèses de quels<p>contacts sont intégrées par Schneider dans la monographie. L'influence des correspondants,<p>surtout des préhistoriens, est clairement déterminée dans cette partie, car Schneider attribue<p>la totalité des gravures aux temps pré- et protohistoriques. Lui-même qualifie son<p>travail de synthèse de la Pré- et Protohistoire du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. Cette<p>hypothèse de datation est réfutée dans le présent travail. En effet, tenant compte du support<p>et de la nature des tracés gravés, les gravures figuratives ne datent pas d'au-delà de<p>l'époque médiévale tardive. La majorité des gravures ont très probablement été réalisées<p>entre le 19e et le 21e siècle, surtout lors des deux guerres mondiales lorsque les soldats<p>ennemis et alliés étaient stationnés dans les contrées de la région du Grès de Luxembourg. / Doctorat en Histoire, art et archéologie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This collected papers dissertation explores students’ academic interactions in an active learning, introductory physics settings as they relate to the development of physics self-efficacy and interest. The motivation for this work extends from the national call to increase participation of students in the pursuit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Self-efficacy and interest are factors that play prominent roles in popular, evidence-based, career theories, including the Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and the identity framework. Understanding how these constructs develop in light of the most pervasive characteristic of the active learning introductory physics classroom (i.e., peer-to-peer interactions) has implications on how students learn in a variety of introductory STEM classrooms and settings structured after constructivist and sociocultural learning theories. I collected data related to students’ in-class interactions using the tools of social network analysis (SNA). Social network analysis has recently been shown to be an effective and useful way to examine the structure of student relationships that develop in and out of STEM classrooms. This set of studies furthers the implementation of SNA as a tool to examine self-efficacy and interest formation in the active learning physics classroom. Here I represent a variety of statistical applications of SNA, including bootstrapped linear regression (Chapter 2), structural equation modeling (Chapter 3), and hierarchical linear modeling for longitudinal analyses (Chapter 4). Self-efficacy data were collected using the Sources of Self-Efficacy for Science Courses – Physics survey (SOSESC-P), and interest data were collected using the physics identity survey. Data for these studies came from the Modeling Instruction sections of Introductory Physics with Calculus offered at Florida International University in the fall of 2014 and 2015. Analyses support the idea that students’ perceptions of one another impact the development of their social network centrality, which in turn affects their self-efficacy building experiences and their overall self-efficacy. It was shown that unlike career theories that emphasize causal relationships between the development of self-efficacy and the subsequent growth of student interest, in this context student interest takes precedence before the development of student self-efficacy. This outcome also has various implications for career theories.

The Diploma thesis deals with design and development of an information system for sports clubs on the platform of Google App Engine. The theoretical part covers The Cloud Computing and types of CC. There is also analyzed in detail the Google App Engine. Practical part deals with analysis and development of the information system for sports clubs.

Examining human interaction networks contributes to an understanding of factors that improve and constrain collaboration. This study examined multiple network levels of information exchanges within a public service model designed to strengthen community partnerships by connecting city services to the neighborhoods. The research setting was the Neighbourhood Integrated Service Teams (NIST) program in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. A literature review related information dimensions to the municipal structure, including social network theory, social network analysis, social capital, transactive memory theory, public goods theory, and the information environment of the public administration setting. The research method involved multiple instruments and included surveys of two bounded populations. First, the membership of the NIST program received a survey asking for identification of up to 20 people they contact for NIST-related work. Second, a network component of the NIST program, 23 community centre coordinators in the Parks and Recreation Department, completed a survey designed to identify their information exchanges relating to regular work responsibilities and the infusion of NIST issues. Additionally, 25 semi-structured interviews with the coordinators and other program members, collection of organization documents, field observation, and feedback sessions provided valuable insight into the complexity of the model. This research contributes to the application of social network theory and analysis in information environments and provides insight for public administrators into the operation of the model and reasons for the program's network effectiveness.