Citizen 2.0: Public and Governmental Interaction through Web 2.0 Technologies

Citation

Isfandyari Moghaddam, A. (2013), "Citizen 2.0: Public and Governmental Interaction through Web 2.0 Technologies", Online Information Review, Vol. 37 No. 4, pp. 657-657. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-05-2013-0112

With the aims of fostering a better understanding of how technology creates opportunities for citizen engagement in the public policy process, and of further defining the role of Web 2.0 technologies in government as it relates to engaging citizen engagement, this edited collection of 15 chapters is organized in three parts.

Section 1 (Defining Web 2.0 Technologies and Their Relevance to the Public Sector) consists of four chapters dealing mainly with the application of Web 2.0 ICTs (blogs and microblogs, wikis, mash‐ups and online virtual worlds) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies in public sector activities (e‐rulemaking, e‐democracy, records management, retaining employees and privacy) and settings (governments, federal agencies, virtual organisations).

Taking a more practical approach both globally and locally, Section 2 (Applying Web 2.0 in the Public Sector) has six chapters that complement the issues examined in the first section. Among the several topics discussed in these six chapters, the following are indicative of the breadth of coverage: bridging the digital divide using mobile technology (m‐government), perceiving employees' performance through social networking adoption and participation, and keeping with the current trends in communication in the military sector by networking and social technologies. Section 3 (Web 2.0 and the Potential for Transformation) consists of five chapters examining the role of technology, particularly Web 2.0 tools, in facilitating and promoting the relationship, connection, collaboration and interaction between governments and their citizens.

The content of this collective effort is well organised and well presented. The collection would have benefitted from a discussion concerning citizenship 2.0 competencies and skills. Otherwise, this interesting volume is a reasonable guide offering strategic insights into best practices and presents readers, whether interested academics or government‐related policy makers, with new horizons for developing interesting theoretical and practical approaches to government‐citizen online interaction.