J. Fischer, Dan S. Knapp, B. C. Nguyen, Daniel Richter, Aliaksandra Shutsko, Melanie Stoppe, Kelly Williams, Aylin Ilhan, Wolfgang G. Stock
{"title":"Clustering Social Media Services and Messengers by Functionality","authors":"J. Fischer, Dan S. Knapp, B. C. Nguyen, Daniel Richter, Aliaksandra Shutsko, Melanie Stoppe, Kelly Williams, Aylin Ilhan, Wolfgang G. Stock","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2020.8.4.1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"The objective of this research is to analyze which functions make up web-based as well as mobile social media services and messengers. Services are clustered by their functionality. A total of 640 individual functions were identified, while investigating altogether 44 selected services in their web and mobile versions. Applying content analysis, functions were assigned to the services. The services were ranked by the number of implemented functions, and the functions were ranked by their occurrence in the services. Cluster analysis was applied to classify the services according to their functionality. Facebook and VKontakte were found to be the ones with the most functions; the most frequently implemented functions are support, profile, and account-related. Cluster analysis revealed six classes for mobile and seven classes for web applications. There is a noteworthy difference regarding the functionality scope between web and mobile applications of the same services. An example for this is Mendeley with 38 functions in the mobile and 91 functions in the web version. This is the first empirical attempt at clustering social media services based on their functionality.","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"29 1","pages":"6-19"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2020.8.4.1","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"Social Sciences","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The objective of this research is to analyze which functions make up web-based as well as mobile social media services and messengers. Services are clustered by their functionality. A total of 640 individual functions were identified, while investigating altogether 44 selected services in their web and mobile versions. Applying content analysis, functions were assigned to the services. The services were ranked by the number of implemented functions, and the functions were ranked by their occurrence in the services. Cluster analysis was applied to classify the services according to their functionality. Facebook and VKontakte were found to be the ones with the most functions; the most frequently implemented functions are support, profile, and account-related. Cluster analysis revealed six classes for mobile and seven classes for web applications. There is a noteworthy difference regarding the functionality scope between web and mobile applications of the same services. An example for this is Mendeley with 38 functions in the mobile and 91 functions in the web version. This is the first empirical attempt at clustering social media services based on their functionality.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice (JISTaP) is an international journal that aims at publishing original studies, review papers and brief communications on information science theory and practice. The journal provides an international forum for practical as well as theoretical research in the interdisciplinary areas of information science, such as information processing and management, knowledge organization, scholarly communication and bibliometrics. To foster scholarly communication among researchers and practitioners of library and information science around the globe, JISTaP offers a no-fee open access publishing venue where a team of dedicated editors, reviewers and staff members volunteer their services to ensure rapid dissemination and communication of scholarly works that make significant contributions. In a modern society, where information production and consumption grow at an astronomical rate, the science of information management, organization, and analysis is invaluable in effective utilization of information. The key objective of the journal is to foster research that can contribute to advancements and innovations in the theory and practice of information and library science so as to promote timely application of the findings from scientific investigations to everyday life. Recognizing the importance of the global perspective with understanding of region-specific issues, JISTaP encourages submissions of manuscripts that discuss global implications of regional findings as well as regional implications of global findings.