Frances Ryan

First Year Research StudentCentre for Social Informatics

School of Computing

Professor Hazel HallPeter Cruickshank

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Online Reputation Management

in a Digital World

Why is it important?

Real WorldImage 1: Screen shot from www.twitter.com, accessed 10 May 2014

Image 2: Copyright John Ritchie, sourced on www.justfrances.com

Even if you’re not online, you are!

•Employers’ website•Race results•Church bulletins•Aggregation sites

Image 1: Copyright Paul Ryan, sourced on www.ryancentric.comImage 2: Screen shot from www.192.com, accessed 10 May 2014

Surprise!

Image 1: Icon downloads from www.webdesignerdepot.comImage 2: Screen shot from www.google.co.uk, accessed 11 May 2014

The Questions

The proposed research will answer two questions:

1) How do people evaluate the reputations of others from the online evidence available to them?

2) How do people manage their own reputation through their online activities?

What’s Social?

Networking sitesOnline forums

Newspaper commentsBlogsWikis

E-petitionsMusic streaming

Others

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Key Terms

Reputation

InformationIdentity

Reputation

Image: Creative Commons Copyright Sarah Reid from www.flickr.com/photos/sarahreido

Good vs bad?

Image: Creative Commons Copyright Martin Tews from www.flickr.com/photos/airpark

Identity

All images Creative Commons Copyright to:1) José Luís Agapito from www.flickr.com/photos/blvesboy 2) Red Rose Exile from www.flickr.com/photos/redroseexile

3) Stefano Mortellaro from www.flickr.com/photos/fazen

IdentityImage: Creative Commons Copyright Giant Ginkgo from

www.flickr.com/photos/giantginkgo

Information

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Information:Here today;

here tomorrow.Image: Creative Commons Copyright Tom Raftery

from www.flickr.com/photos/traftery

The Research

• Social informatics viewpoint• Focus on how individuals decide what

to share – or not to share• Use of pseudonyms and anonymous

accounts• Opting to not use social media• How individuals evaluate others

Methodology

• Mixed methods• Scoping survey• Likely in-depth interviews• Possible assessment of interviewees’

reputations + second interviews• Open to ideas!

Progress to date

RD4 completedLiterature search underwayKey concepts identifiedResearch questionsAnd more!

Next Steps

• RD5 in autumn• Literature search• Literature review• Scoping survey• And more!

Image: Copyright Frances Ryan

(Yes, I am online!)

@cleverfranceswww.JustAPhD.com

www.about.me/francesryanImage: Screen shot from www.justaphd.com, accessed 10 May 2014