The rapid development and the growing penetration of information and communication technologies (ICT) provide tremendous opportunities for a wide and cost effective application of the ideas of participative democracy and public participation in government decision and policy making. ICT can drive dramatic transformations in the quantity and quality of communication and interaction of government organizations with citizens, revitalizing and strengthening the modern representative democracy which currently faces big problems of reduced citizens’ trust and involvement. This book deals with the application of these e-participation ideas in the special and ‘difficult’, and at the same time highly interesting, national context of Southern Europe and the Balkans. The first chapter provides an overview of e-participation concepts and practices whilst the following chapters analyse pilot applications of e-participation concepts in eight different Southern European and Balkan countries (Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Serbia, Albania, Greece, Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)). They cover both the ‘classical’ e-participation paradigm, based on official e-participation spaces created, operated and controlled by government organizations as well as emerging new e-participation paradigms including e-participation based on web 2.0 social media, and ‘scientific-level’ e-participation, based on opening government data to the scientific community. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies.

This book presents a collection of research papers focusing on issues emerging from the interaction of information technologies and organizational systems. In particular, the individual contributions examine digital platforms and artifacts currently adopted in both the business world and society at large (people, communities, firms, governments, etc.). The topics covered include: virtual organizations, virtual communities, smart societies, smart cities, ecological sustainability, e-healthcare, e-government, and interactive policy-making (IPM). The book offers a multidisciplinary perspective on a variety of information systems topics. It is also particularly relevant to information systems practitioners such as IS managers, business managers and policy makers. The content is based on a selection of the best papers (original double-blind peer-reviewed contributions) presented at the annual conference of the Italian chapter of AIS, which was held in Milan, Italy in December 2013.

The five-volume set LNCS 6782 - 6786 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications, ICCSA 2011, held in Santander, Spain, in June 2011. The five volumes contain papers presenting a wealth of original research results in the field of computational science, from foundational issues in computer science and mathematics to advanced applications in virtually all sciences making use of computational techniques. The topics of the fully refereed papers are structured according to the five major conference themes: geographical analysis, urban modeling, spatial statistics; cities, technologies and planning; computational geometry and applications; computer aided modeling, simulation, and analysis; and mobile communications.

We live in a wireless society, one where convenience and accessibility determine the efficacy of the latest electronic gadgets and mobile devices. Making the most of these technologies—and ensuring their security against potential attackers—requires increased diligence in mobile technology research and development. Mobile Computing and Wireless Networks: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications brings together a comprehensive range of voices and research in the area of mobile and wireless technologies, exploring the successes and failures, advantages and drawbacks, and benefits and limitations of the technology. With applications in a plethora of different research and topic areas, this multi-volume reference work benefits researchers, service providers, end-users, and information technology professionals. This four-volume reference work includes a diverse array of chapters and authors covering topics such as m-commerce, network ethics, mobile agent systems, mobile learning, communications infrastructure, and applications in fields such as business, healthcare, government, tourism, and more.

While electronic research has developed in many governments around the world, the majority of its research has focused on the supply and demand aspects of e-government instead of the focus on technology integration for successful e-government design. Technology Development and Platform Enhancements for Successful Global E-Government Design compiles the shared experiences of e-government designers and practitioners with a focus on technological design. By highlighting the different technological nuances that need to be incorporated into successful e-government designs, this book is a useful tool for professionals and researchers concerned with the organizational development in different types of e-government communities and environments.

In the digital era, users from around the world are constantly connected over a global network, where they have the ability to connect, share, and collaborate like never before. To make the most of this new environment, researchers and software developers must understand users’ needs and expectations. Social Media and Networking: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications explores the burgeoning global community made possible by Web 2.0 technologies and a universal, interconnected society. With four volumes of chapters related to digital media, online engagement, and virtual environments, this multi-volume reference is an essential source for software developers, web designers, researchers, students, and IT specialists interested in the growing field of digital media and engagement. This four-volume reference includes various chapters covering topics related to Web 2.0, e-governance, social media activism, internet privacy, digital and virtual communities, e-business, customer relationship management, and more.

"This book tackles topics related to development of Geographic Information in terms of the technologies available for retrieving, managing, and analyzing geographical data"--Provided by publisher.