Digital Volunteers Research Articles

Digital voluntourism and sense of place: volunteers’ responsibility towards an ‘imaginary locality’

Digital volunteer tourism (DVT) has emerged as a viable alternative to positively impact destinations when travel is impossible during times of crisis. This leaves volunteers, the ‘agents’ in volunteer projects and development work, who might often identify with a destination or specific cause, without a tangible link to the locality. Raising the important question of what role being physically connected to the locality plays in voluntourism; this study focuses on volunteers’ perception of their own impact in an out-of-reach destination. Through online fieldwork during an eight-week internship with a volunteer organisation in Fiji, this paper offers first insights into the phenomenon of digital voluntourism by discussing the role that a link to the destination and a sense of place play in still feeling to be making a difference. Furthermore, this debate reveals whether and how DVT intends to stimulate a sense of belonging of those volunteers to foster their sense of responsibility, while juxtaposing these digital programmes to in-situ voluntourism. This paper, therefore, constitutes one of the first contributions conceptualising the geography of digital voluntourism, arguing that while DVT has its merits in contributing to the sustainable development agenda, the physical distance and isolation from the place where this impact should be felt compromise their feelings of achievement and understanding of the locality even more than in usual voluntourism projects.

Immaterial intimacy: The neoliberal entanglement of digital technologies in social movement volunteer work

Outside of visible moments of mass mobilization, ongoing latent work, such as direct service and mutual aid, is a long-standing tradition in social movements. Yet, like all labor, personal digital devices have changed the norms and practices of direct service social movement work. In this article, as situated in the technology–media–movement complex (TMMC), I analyze qualitative interview data ( N = 26) with volunteers from a yearlong ethnographic project at an abortion fund hotline in the reproductive justice movement in the US South. To name hotline volunteers’ digital care labor, I offer the term immaterial intimacy to describe its ubiquitous, ephemeral, and intimate nature. I argue immaterial intimate labor enabled the organization to provide a responsive service, but relied on individualized digital volunteer work, existing within gendered and neoliberal norms. I discuss and question the use of personal digital technologies for direct service volunteer work in contemporary social movements.

Dynamic Volunteer Engagement and Impactful Educational Outreach Taking Us into the Next 50 Years of the Extension Master Gardener Program

According to the 2021 Extension Master Gardener (EMG) National Summary, the EMG Volunteer Program had an estimated 84,700 volunteers throughout the United States. These volunteers helped communities garden and grow food, provided opportunities to engage in activities that improved physical and mental health, and worked on projects that addressed environmental issues. In total, these programs contributed 3.1 million hours of education to local communities and $88 million dollars in value to the public. However, the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for the program, with many states implementing reduced requirements and increased flexibility for volunteers. The workshop “Dynamic Volunteer Engagement and Impactful Educational Outreach Taking Us Into the Next 50 Years of the EMG Program” at the 2022 ASHS conference discussed how to engage EMG volunteers despite the limitations of limited in-person contact. The workshop featured three Extension educators and EMG coordinators who shared their experiences and strategies for engaging volunteers during the pandemic. Topics discussed included engaging volunteers in local food systems and community gardens, engaging students in horticulture at an earlier age, and digital volunteer opportunities. Overall, the workshop provided valuable insights and facilitated discussions on how to adapt and continue the EMG program during challenging times.

Digital Volunteers as Trusted Public Health Communicators.

Social media influencers are increasingly being positioned by health campaigns as trusted messengers who can share public health information with their communities. There is also an opportunity for campaigns to work with unpaid, digital volunteers (DVs) who want to use their platforms for good, despite not being compensated. DVs are a cost-effective way of supplementing an influencer-driven messaging campaign. Our influencer and DV network, El Beacon, aims to spread pro-COVID-19 vaccination messages on social media to the Hispanic community. Since 2021, 3,001 DVs have been recruited. Process metrics related to DVs are tracked using a variety of software including Facebook ads manager, Sprout Social, and Hubspot. Metrics received include the number of volunteer sign-ups, cost per lead generated, ad performance, organic and paid impressions and engagement of ads and El Beacon social content, newsletter open rates, newsletter clickthrough rates, and newsletter engagement. Understanding best practices for recruiting and retaining DVs for a public health campaign can help other practitioners optimize their experience working with DVs. Some of these best practices include: identify a specific DV target audience that will be most receptive to your message and best reached by your recruitment efforts, be responsive to what resonates with your DVs, be flexible in how you define "network engagement," and use paid influencers to help build momentum.

A multi-site intervention using influencers to communicate about syringe service programmes.

In the USA, syringe services programmes (SSPs) provide a range of harm reduction services and have numerous benefits for communities. However, stigma, misconceptions about SSPs and changing policies/legislation remain a challenge to effective implementation. This study reviews the implementation of two digital interventions, Appalachian Influence and Shared Influence, which used social media influencers and digital volunteers to communicate positive information about harm reduction and SSPs. The intervention was designed to deliver accurate and supportive messaging in locally relevant and meaningful ways. Messaging was informed by interviews with subject matter experts and community organisations, and was integrated into prompts used by local influencers (paid individuals with more than 1,000 followers) and digital volunteers (unpaid individuals with no following requirement, who joined the project independently). In the first 6 months of implementation, Appalachian Influence and Shared Influence engaged a total of 9,014 individuals, 236 of whom were paid influencers and 8,778 of whom were digital volunteers. Paid influencer posts achieved a total of 868,943 impressions, 42,432 engagements and 1,567 comments. Comments on paid influencer posts were overwhelmingly positive, with 87.4% positive and 0.8% negative. Interviews showed the importance of understanding local realities, leading with compassion and emphasising the 'human' aspects of dependency and addiction in messaging. This study shows the potential to implement an influencer-led social media intervention to reach people with authentic and compassionate messaging about harm reduction and SSPs. Future research should examine intervention effectiveness and how this approach can be applied to other stigmatised topics.

Antecedents of physicians' intentions to engage in digital volunteering work: an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) approach

PurposeThe digitalization has changed the volunteer paradigm, making young volunteers use technology in their volunteering activities. The current study sets out to identify and model the antecedents that determine intention to engage in digital health volunteering among Algerian physicians to give insights promoting the development of digital volunteering in different countries of the world.Design/methodology/approachTo this end, the authors used a survey design to extend the technology acceptance model (TAM) with two construct (self-efficacy and perceived risk of COVID-19 infection). A convenience sample of 163 physicians; working in the private and public sectors in six provinces of Algeria was selected. The data were analyzed through a multiple linear regression.FindingsThe findings show that the perceived usefulness, ease of use, attitudes toward digital volunteering, level of self-efficacy and perceived risk of COVID-19 infection have a significant positive effect on physicians' intentions to engage in digital volunteering work in the context of health crises.Practical implicationsThis study reveals that engaging in digital volunteering can be promoted during health crises as an effective strategy to provide support and assist public health institutions and emergency management.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study from Africa that explores digital volunteer work, and the first study that extends the TAM to investigate digital volunteer intention among physicians.

Matter of trust: How to include digital volunteers in crisis management

AbstractDigital volunteers are becoming more visible actors in crises. By collecting data, correcting misinformation, and organizing help, they are often a much‐needed resource in crisis management. Despite this, authorities generally see spontaneous volunteers as a risk and a burden, thereby creating a paradox identified by Harris and colleagues. To extend the paradox to digital volunteers, this study aims to understand how Finnish emergency response organizations perceive spontaneous digital volunteers and how these could become a resource in crisis management. Eight informants representing six authorities/non‐governmental organizations were interviewed in March 2019. The results show that authorities see potential in digital volunteers but only for strictly limited tasks as problems with trust and volunteers' lack of knowledge and training stand in the way of cooperation, thus confirming the paradox. The main contribution of this study is to show how the involvement/exclusion paradox exists in the relationship and may create barriers between authorities and digital volunteers.

Research in Social Sciences and Digital Volunteering in Light of the Corona Pandemic. “Digital volunteer social work as a model”

Digital or electronic volunteering has become one of the basic tools that society institutions in general and social sciences institutions relied on in light of crises and the spread of epidemics, especially after the spread of the repercussions of the Corona pandemic crisis worldwide, as this greatly affected research in all different sciences, particularly in Social sciences as it became with the process of digital transformation and dependence in educational and social institutions in various sectors on distance education. As a result, different platforms and websites and social networking sites have appeared which provide these services and voluntary programs for researchers, practitioners, students and also for academics that the researcher is going to present in this research chapter throughout defining the nature of research in social sciences and digital volunteering in light of the Corona pandemic. It also going to present some of the most important experiences of digital voluntary social work, whether at the local level (Egypt) and the Arab level. Keywords: Research in social sciences, digital volunteering in light of the Corona pandemic, digital voluntary social work.

A Multifaceted Campaign to Combat COVID-19 Misinformation in the Hispanic Community.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Good Projects, Hispanic Communications Network and World Voices Media joined forces to launch a nationwide, multifaceted campaignwhich aimed to increase vaccine confidence and decrease misinformation on social media within Hispanic communities. We created a Spanish vaccine misinformation tracking system to detect and assess misinformation circulating in online Spanish conversations. We used our media monitoring findings to work with Hispanic social media (SM) influencers, volunteers, and celebrities to spread pro-vaccine messaging online. We created misinformation-responsive SM assets, newsletters, talking points and trainings for Hispanic-serving community-based organizations (CBOs) to help them respond to misinformation and increase vaccine uptake. We used our misinformation findings to inform the creation of mass media communications such as radio PSAs and op-eds. In Year 1, our new Spanish monitoring system captured and organized 35M Spanish and 212.7M English posts about COVID-19 misinformation. We recruited 496 paid influencers, 2 Hispanic celebrities and 1,034 digital volunteers. We sent 70 newsletters to an average of 1539 CBO subscribers, containing 206 talking points and 344 resources (SM assets, toolkits, videos) in English and Spanish to support their outreach. Our radio PSAs reached 26.9M people and the op-eds reached 2.9M people. This project shows the proliferation of misinformation circulating in online Spanish conversations. It also shows we were effective at reaching our target audience with fact-based COVID-19 misinformation prebunk and debunk messaging.

Social Media Analytics by Virtual Operations Support Teams in disaster management: Situational awareness and actionable information for decision-makers

Virtual Operations Support Teams are groups of institutionalized digital volunteers in the field of disaster management who conduct Social Media Analytics tasks for decision-makers in Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs) during hazard situations such as floods. Through interagency integration into EOC structures, the volunteers provide analytical support using advanced tools and monitoring various social media platforms. The goal of VOSTs is to increase decision-makers’ situational awareness through need-oriented analysis and to improve decision-making by providing actionable information in a time-critical work context. In this case study, the data collected during the 2021 flood in Wuppertal, Germany by 22 VOST analysts was processed and analyzed. It was found that information from eight social media platforms could be classified into 23 distinct categories. The analysts’ prioritizations indicate differences in the formats of information and platforms. Disaster-related posts that pose a threat to the affected population’s health and safety (e.g., requests for help or false information) were more commonly prioritized than other posts. Image-heavy content was also rated higher than text-heavy data. A subsequent survey of EOC decision-makers examined the impact of VOST information on situational awareness during this flood. It also asked how actionable information impacted decisions. We found that VOST information contributes to expanded situational awareness of decision-makers and ensures people-centered risk and crisis communication. Based on the results from this case study, we discuss the need for future research in the area of integrating VOST analysts in decision-making processes in the field of time-critical disaster management.

Modeling and mitigating human annotation errors to design efficient stream processing systems with human-in-the-loop machine learning

High-quality human annotations are necessary for creating effective machine learning-driven stream processing systems. We study hybrid stream processing systems based on a Human-In-The-Loop Machine Learning (HITL-ML) paradigm, in which one or many human annotators and an automatic classifier (trained at least partially by the human annotators) label an incoming stream of instances. This is typical of many near-real-time social media analytics and web applications, including annotating social media posts during emergencies by digital volunteer groups. From a practical perspective, low-quality human annotations result in wrong labels for retraining automated classifiers and indirectly contribute to the creation of inaccurate classifiers.Considering human annotation as a psychological process allows us to address these limitations. We show that human annotation quality is dependent on the ordering of instances shown to annotators and can be improved by local changes in the instance sequence/order provided to the annotators, yielding a more accurate annotation of the stream. We adapt a theoretically-motivated human error framework of mistakes and slips for the human annotation task to study the effect of ordering instances (i.e., an “annotation schedule”). Further, we propose an error-avoidance approach to the active learning paradigm for stream processing applications robust to these likely human errors (in the form of slips) when deciding a human annotation schedule. We support the human error framework using crowdsourcing experiments and evaluate the proposed algorithm against standard baselines for active learning via extensive experimentation on classification tasks of filtering relevant social media posts during natural disasters.According to these experiments, considering the order in which data instances are presented to a human annotator leads to increased accuracy for machine learning and awareness of the potential properties of human memory for the class concept, which may affect annotation for automated classifiers. Our results allow the design of hybrid stream processing systems based on the HITL-ML paradigm, which requires the same amount of human annotations, but that has fewer human annotation errors. Automated systems that help reduce human annotation errors could benefit several web stream processing applications, including social media analytics and news filtering.

Overcoming barriers to social media use through multisensor integration in emergency management systems

For over a decade, the field of crisis informatics has observed novel, ad hoc uses of social media among citizens and digital volunteers while noting barriers that impede social media use among municipal responders during crises. These barriers include a lack of tools for processing social media data, a lack of staff to use these tools, and a lack of trust in information gathered from citizens. However, while studies address the collection, processing, and use of social media per se, research continues to overlook the necessity of integrating information gathered from social media and existing information sources relied on by responders working across municipal agencies.Through scenario-based interviews with municipal responders, this study observes that objectives of early warning and proactive emergency response motivate uses of social media during periods of stability to address gaps in information reported by 911 callers, on-scene responders, and various physical sensors. To accomplish these objectives, upstream PSAP staff must process information from multiple physical and social sensors, cue other sensors to verify untrusted reports, and integrate multisensor information for dispatch to downstream first responders, emergency managers, and PIOs. Together, these findings suggest that overcoming barriers to social media use resulting from a lack of tools, staff, and trust requires new and existing sociotechnical infrastructures that facilitate intra- and inter-organizational processes of multisensor integration across periods of stability and crisis.

A different type of disaster response digital volunteer: Looking behind the scenes to reveal coordinating actions of disaster knowledge workers

AbstractResearchers have established the prominent role digital volunteers play during crises and disasters. From self‐organizing to annotating public data, these volunteers are now a fixture in disaster research. However, we know much less about how these volunteers function, behind the public scene, when using private social media as a disaster unfolds and people need to be rescued. This qualitative study identified the emergent helping roles along with the skillsets and abilities that helped volunteers perform these behind‐the‐scene roles during the Hurricane Harvey flooding in 2017. Using in‐depth interviews along with captured images in private social media, we find these volunteers resembled organizational knowledge workers. We identify nine specific communicating and coordinating actions that these disaster knowledge workers performed. The contributions of these findings centre on implications for disaster response and management.

Цифровые волонтерские платформы: готовность россиян и потенциал применения

В статье рассматривается потенциал использования цифровых волонтерских платформ в России на основе данных количественного и качественного исследований, проведенных в период самоизоляции в связи с распространением новой коронавирусной инфекции (апрель — май 2020 г.) Центром исследований гражданского общества и некоммерческого сектора НИУ «Высшая школа экономики» в рамах проекта «Самоорганизация и взаимопомощь в условиях противодействия распространению коронавирусной инфекции». На основе данных всероссийского опроса населения (N = 2012) выявлено, что уровень готовности зарегистрироваться на специализированном сайте, позволяющем добровольцам узнавать о том, где и когда они могли бы оказать помощь нуждающимся, подобрать себе подходящую волонтерскую работу, достаточно высок. Ключевыми факторами, влияющими на готовность к использованию подобных сайтов, являются половозрастные параметры, уровень образования, род занятий, а также вовлеченность в добровольческую деятельность. Результаты онлайн-фокус-групп (с обычными гражданами и с волонтерами) также демонстрируют востребованность волонтерских онлайн-платформ. Определены основные желаемые характеристики сайта-агрегатора, такие как возможность выбирать из большого числа разнообразных волонтерских активностей, доступность, безопасность и прозрачность. Благодарность. Исследование выполнено при поддержке Программы фундаментальных исследований НИУ «Высшая школа экономики».

The Changing Face of Accountability in Humanitarianism: Using Artificial Intelligence for Anticipatory Action

Over the past two decades, humanitarian conduct has been drifting away from the classical paradigm. This drift is caused by the blurring of boundaries between development aid and humanitarianism and the increasing reliance on digital technologies and data. New humanitarianism, especially in the form of disaster risk reduction, involved government authorities in plans to strengthen their capacity to deal with disasters. Digital humanitarianism now enrolls remote data analytics: GIS capacity, local data and information management experts, and digital volunteers. It harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to strengthen humanitarian agencies and governments’ capacity to anticipate and cope better with crises. In this article, we first trace how the meaning of accountability changed from classical to new and finally to digital humanitarianism. We then describe a recent empirical case of anticipatory humanitarian action in the Philippines. The Red Cross Red Crescent movement designed an artificial intelligence algorithm to trigger the release of funds typically used for humanitarian response in advance<em> </em>of an impending typhoon to start up early actions to mitigate its potential impact. We highlight emerging actors and fora in the accountability relationship of anticipatory humanitarian action as well as the consequences arising from actors’ (mis)conduct. Finally, we reflect on the implications of this new form of algorithmic accountability for classical humanitarianism.

Any Portal in a Storm? Collaborative and crowdsourced maps in response to Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan, Philippines

AbstractThe promises of crowdsourcing volunteered geographic information (VGI) for providing timely information about crises were recognized at least a decade ago. While cartographers and developers hone the accuracy of maps and data, social scientists critique these technologies through various theoretical lenses: in terms of knowledge politics of digital humanitarianism; as tools of neoliberal governance; and as examples of datification supporting automated or remote government. Amidst all these claims, it is time to return to the maps themselves, as empirical examples, considering the information they actually provide. This paper examines crowdsourced and collaborative maps from late 2013 following Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan in the Philippines. Various humanitarian, mapping, and media organizations produced maps in response to the typhoon. Close qualitative analysis of map content queries what these maps reveal about the disaster and whether the maps really produce the information that proponents claim. Analysis of data curated in each map reveals that much of the situational information being mapped is already available elsewhere and that few new ground truths have emerged through these projects. By demonstrating the limitations of the information mediated in these maps, the findings have practical and policy implications for disaster practitioners and digital volunteers intending to help disaster response.

Combining UAV Imagery, Volunteered Geographic Information, and Field Survey Data to Improve Characterization of Rural Water Points in Malawi

As the world is digitizing fast, the increase in Big and Small Data offers opportunities to enrich official statistics for reporting on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). However, survey data coming from an increased number of organizations (Small Data) and Big Data offer challenges in terms of data heterogeneity. This paper describes a methodology for combining various data sources to create a more comprehensive dataset on SDG 6.1.1. (proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services). We enabled digital volunteers to trace buildings on satellite imagery and used the traces on OpenStreetMap to facilitate visual detection of water points on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery and estimate the number of people served per water point. Combining data on water points identified on our UAV imagery with data on water points from field surveys improves the overall quality in terms of removal of inconsistencies and enrichment of attribute information. Satellite imagery enables scaling more easily than UAV imagery but is too costly to acquire at sufficiently high resolution. For small areas, our workflow is cost-effective in creating an up-to-date and consistent water point dataset by combining UAV imagery, Volunteered Geographic Information, and field survey data.

STRATEGI PENINGKATAN KUALITAS KOMUNIKASI PUBLIK DI LEVEL PEMERINTAHAN DESA

This study aims to analyze the extent to which the quality of public communication provided by the village administration to the community and to form a strategy to improve the quality of public communication at the village government level. This research method uses qualitative-descriptive method which draws resources directly from several villages in Mandailing Natal Regency. The results of the study prove that there are still many shortcomings and weaknesses of public communication at the village government level and there is no awareness of improving the quality of communication. There are 8 strategies that researchers suggest including improving the quality of human resources in the field of communication and information, strengthening the integration of information governance and public communication in accordance with the principles of public information disclosure, strengthening local and alternative media as the main source of public information, need to provide public information content quality and equitable, especially for people in disadvantaged areas, an increase in access to public participation in determining public policies directly and digitally, increasing public media literacy through education and socio-cultural approaches, compiling village public relations standards and forming digital volunteers and strengthening the role of community leaders.

Determinants of collaboration between digital volunteer networks and formal response organizations in catastrophic disasters

PurposeWhen catastrophic disasters recently occurred, digital volunteer networks formed by the public emerged across the globe. They aggregated, analyzed and visualized disaster data. Those volunteer networks sometimes shared their data with formal response organizations. Such data sharing and integration increased the capacity of formal response organizations for dealing with disasters. However, despite the emergence and contributions of digital volunteer networks, the literature has been focused primarily on the role of formal response organizations such as emergency management agencies and the Red Cross. The purpose of this paper is to describe how technical and organizational factors influence collaboration between digital volunteer networks and formal response organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis research employs a case study method, focusing on the 2015 Nepal earthquake.FindingsThis study found that information technology and a shared understanding of disaster situations and how to address disasters are key determinants of collaboration between digital volunteer networks and formal response organizations.Originality/valueThis research is expected to contribute to building an integrated emergency response system in the information age.

Volunteered Geographic Information for Disaster Risk Reduction—The Missing Maps Approach and Its Potential within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

For the last few years, the increasing need for humanitarian support has led to increasing demand and responsibilities for the international humanitarian system. This trend raises questions regarding the use of alternative and complementary data sources and potential additional actors and communities that could be involved in support efforts and cover some of the tasks of humanitarian organizations. The article provides an overview of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, their practices and activities as well as current needs and challenges. The article illustrates the potential of OpenStreetMap and digital volunteers for humanitarian activities, with a particular focus on disaster risk reduction in the scope of the Missing Maps project. The background and objective of the collaborative project as well as its potential and impact for the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement are elucidated. The conclusion and outlook section presents future plans and visions to make further use of the potential of the Missing Maps approach in additional sectors and contexts.