"Share weather" Design and evaluation of a new concept for sharing weather information

Sammanfattning: Already centuries ago, humans had observed the weather in their everyday lives, seeking ways to understand, comprehend, and predict it. Until the present day, weather has had tremendous impacts on our lives and with climate change human civilizations as well. With new media technologies weather constitutes a part of the information services used by many residents of modern cities, people and businesses worldwide.The rise of Web 2.0, a cyberspace where individuals may connect and interact under new premises, bridging the size of weather systems, creates new opportunities to share, and potentially improve, weather information. This thesis develops a concept “share weather”, based on individuals who share local weather information using interactive media technologies. The concept is empirically tested in eight papers, and, finally, evaluated in the summary of the compilation thesis. Since it explores a new research field, the thesis develops a framework for studying “share weather” based on several theories on motivation and participation in networks. Key issues are associated with accuracy of user-generated observations of weather, methods and design used to employ them, and estimating the potential levels of user contributions. The focus of this thesis lies on motivation theory and design of a “share weather” artifact.Drawing on prior research on online networks, a model for studying “share weather” is constructed by merging several theories, with the aim of studying the problem from both the individual perspective, and the relationships and structures created by ties and interactions. In addition, the thesis attempts to thoroughly investigate the context of “share weather”, in order to contribute new knowledge to research on online networks, whereas a sustainability perspective is added and associated with the information domain. In order to test the feasibility of the “share weather” concept, several empirical studies based on a mixture of qualitative and quantitative analysis and design research science methodology were conducted during 2008-2011. The studies included six surveys and 17 interviews, involving four different user groups: over 440 traffic-interested individuals who received a weather service, 60 schoolchildren, 20 patients at a dental clinic, and 50 students. A separate study on African farmers was also analyzed.The findings of this thesis confirmed that, in online networks, individuals are often driven by intrinsic rewards, but this thesis highlights the strong effects of interactions and reciprocity of receiving useful information (weather forecasts) as rewards. In order to capture the range of drives of different instrumentality that might occur, in particular in networks for knowledge creation, a holistic approach can be recommended, where a larger scale of instrumentality is applied when studying online networks for knowledge creation.Other results, acquired by studying accuracy of user-generated observations, pointed at the powerful abilities possessed by all humans when they perceive weather through their senses. Sharing weather information can be realized using simple methods based on the human eye and perception. Collection methods, based on pictures and predefined text messages inspired by methods used previously in history, can easily be integrated with different interactive media technologies: web, mobile technology, and SMS.Based on the empirical results and design research methodology, the thesis concludes that “share weather” can contribute to improved weather information. Moreover, it is also suggested that “share weather” might serve some additional goals. The environmental challenges of the future imply that weather will become even more important and that active participation and information sharing is requested at all levels. Based on learning and social processes that can be activated in online networks, “share weather” might potentially contribute to increased public participation in environmental issues.