The Flooding of Alberta, Canada happened in 2013. The Mayor, Naheed Neshi, of Calgary used media and social media in order to share information regarding response and recovery efforts. In effect, Neshi became the "puppetmaster" and was able to organize the online volunteer efforts. Multiple other organizations including the Calgary police did the same thing using Twitter and Facebook to share information and request help.  Outside of the political realm of information sharing the community was able to stay connected and share information about resources, equipment, food, and illegal activity like price gouging. 

Collective Intelligence During The Flooding in Alberta, Canada

The Haiti Earthquake happened in 2010. Digital volunteers from around the world organized themselves and created a massive global collective in order to analyze data coming from Haiti. The volunteers translated reports into different languages. They also used and analyzed satellite images in order to create digital maps. They used apps like OpenStreetMap and Ushahidi to share not only information but geographical locations in order to build the map. The information gained and shared by the volunteers enabled the emergency resopnders a clearer image of what was happening on the ground. 

Collective Intelligence During The Haiti Earthquake

The Boston Marathon bombing was a terrorist attack that occurred in 2013 near the finish line of the race. The immediate aftermath of the explosions was a scene of chaos, characterized by scattered debris, numerous injuries to spectators and runners, and civilians helping one another.

Boston Marathon Bombing

1. Economic Crisis
2. Cultural/Social Crisis
3. Political Crisis
4. Natural Disasters 
5. Terrorism 
6. Pandemic or widespread disease 
7. Nuclear or Chemical Crisis
8. War 

Albion College

Crisis informatics is a field of study that looks at the way the public uses social media and information technology during a crisis. More specifically how technology connects people and organizations to relevant information and how technology is used to create new ways of communication.  

Crisis Informatics

Christine Hagar. "Crisis informatics: Introduction" Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (2010): 6-10. 

Crisis informatics: Introduction

Collective Intelligence in the modern age is having a big impact on how crises are seen and dealt with. Scholars are interested in how social media plays a role in the creation of collective intelligence during a crisis.  

Using Collective Intelligence in Crises

Clicktivism is a way that individuals can show support for different political and social causes through social media posts and petitions. This type of support requires little to no effort or commitment and often looked down upon because of it.

Clicktivism

Types of Crisis

1. Too much or not enough (needed) information
2. The types of information needed during a crisis changes at various stages of the crisis
3. All the actors and organizations who are involved are constantly increasing the amount of information 
4. Creating a channel for information to be easily shared with the right individuals
5. Creating connections between informal and formal channels 
6. Uncertainty of the reliability of the information 
7. Uncertainty of the trustworthiness of sources
8. Dealing with conflicting information 

Information Challenges during a Crisis 

1. Examing and understanding the importance of knowledge in the different stages during crisis response and recovery
2. Create a system that can analyze the information-seeking procedures and information needs during a crisis
3. Learn about how technology can support communities going through a crisis
4. Understanding how technology impacts the integration and organization of information 

Goals of the Crisis Informatics Feild

During a crisis, social media is used to spread information. Anyone can take part in the spreading of information which can be bad. Trust during a crisis is important and if individuals' social media posts are not regulated or fact-checked like those belonging to an organization or agency misinformation spreads. Rumor's and misinformation can cause panic and lead to resources being spent on false leads.

Social Media is Unregulated: Double-edge Sword 

Considered a subcategory of Sociology disaster researchers uses mainly qualitative methods to record/capture perishable data that arises in social fields (comunication/social media) during non-rotuine situations (disasters/crises).  

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