Wells, P. G., MacDonald, B. H., Toms, E. G., Percy, J. P., Cordes, R. E., Hutton, G. R. G., Cossarini, D. M., Hinch, P. R. & Rolston. S. J. (2009). Enhancing the use and influence of the Bay of Fundy information – results and insights from recent studies of the BoFEP Fundy Informatics Working Group. In Redden et al (Ed.) Proceedings of the 8th BoFEP Bay of Fundy Science Workshop, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, May 26-29, 2009. (BoFEP Technical Report, 4 pp.132-138)
Abstract:
The Bay of Fundy region is rich in living and non-living resources but it has many resource and environmental issues to consider and manage. Regional policy and decision-makers continually need relevant information to consider options, make informed decisions, and take action to manage resources and risks effectively. The Bay of Fundy is a data and information rich area, with many data banks and thousands of publications produced over the past 150 years. A major BoFEP goal is to make this information more accessible and influential with the whole Fundy community, through the BoFEP website (Percy) and through an on-line “Information Collaboratory” (Toms et al.). In a parallel study, several group members (MacDonald, Wells, et al.) have been examining the diffusion, use and influence of information produced by two international organizations responsible for giving strategic advice on current issues affecting the ocean. Their research team has utilized a suite of established methodologies (e.g. citation analysis, content analysis), and is embarking on surveys and interviews of key informants, and developing new measures of information influence in the environmental management realm. This presentation describes the above Fundy Informatics WG initiatives; introduces the study of grey literature of the international organizations and its ongoing research (tracking new literature, conducting follow-up with users, paramatizing information production and use interactions – social and scientific); summarizes insights on use and influence of information from the working group; and proposes a guiding framework for informatics (access, use, influence) research for the Bay of Fundy.