Social Networking, Social Media and Complex Emergencies: an ...

extract knowledge about locations and explore
spatial trends and geographic vulnerabilities within
particular areas. Cluttering and categorisation can
also act as a filter for data.
The authors explore three dimensions of
functionality: collaborative, situational/contributory
and visual. Collaboration refers to groups of users
working together to generate new content and
combine existing information. It is suggested that
systems supporting disaster management should
assist users in overcoming information overload by
facilitating collaboration and filtering. The authors
refer to situational designers as those developing
applications for personal use to be shared, and
situational contributors as those contributing within
specific areas of interest to a broader mashup
system. The authors suggest that mashups should
take advantage of user participation in information
generation and provide tools to support such
practices – including reports and feeds. It is also
noted that design features that allow users to send
alerts to subscriber lists would assist in information
dissemination and communication. Another issue
with large inflows of information is visualisation, with
better visualisation techniques being essential to
ensuring information is displayed as efficiently as
possible to users.
The authors identify eStoryS (emergency storyboard
system) as an example of an application developed
in line with the suggested design principles.
eStoryS combines spatial-temporal tools, search
features, recommendation tools, filtering tools,
and storyboards to assist individuals in retrieving,
creating and sharing information about disasters
and/or emergencies. The mashup employs the Flickr
platform to retrieve images from its database and
makes use of location data to play images on a map
using the Google Maps platform. Users are then
able to search for a particular geographic area by
entering data and coordinates. Users are also able
to retrieve images taken within a specific time frame
or date. The system supports social navigation and
recommendations based on users’ past interactions
with the system. The system employs user
collaboration as an information filter and allows the
formation of a storyboard of images.
Bird, D., Ling, M. & Haynes, K. (2012)
‘Flooding Facebook – the use of social
media during the Queensland and
Victorian floods’, Australian Journal of
Emergency Management, vol. 27, no. 1,
pp. 27-33.
Keywords: Facebook, Australia floods,
accuracy, trust.
This paper explores the use of community initiated
Facebook groups during the 2010/11 Queensland
and Victorian Floods. It is suggested that these
groups allowed for the publication of near real-time
information from the general public and was an
effective communications tool. During the floods, an
online questionnaire was developed and advertised
through Facebook community pages and contained
questions on topics including:
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How/why people used Facebook during the
floods
Perception of the quality of information
Use of other social media for flood
information
Perception of information on Facebook in
terms of accuracy, timeliness, usefulness
and trustworthiness.
There were 432 respondents to the questionnaire.
Results indicated that respondents used information
during the worst phases of the floods either to gather
information about their own community or to gain
Social Networking, Social Media and Complex Emergencies:
an Annotated Bibliography
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