Editorial

Citation

Bruce, H. (2000), "Editorial", Internet Research, Vol. 10 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/intr.2000.17210aaf.001

Editorial

Editorial

This issue of the research and reviews section of Internet Research presents two pieces of research in progress, the first from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology's (RMIT) Centre for International Research in Communication and Information Technologies and the second from Florida State University.

The first study addresses the issue of whether there is a difference in how men and women use the Internet, defining Internet broadly to include e-mail, the World Wide Web, mailing lists, and newsgroups. Singh and Ryan seek to understand the differences in Internet use at home by men and women, the implications of any differences on PC design and electronic commerce, and how the electronic management of money effects the power relationship in a marriage. While the data are still being analyzed, some preliminary findings include that women typically view the Internet instrumentally and view it as tool rather than a technology. While the researchers do not aim to make generalizations beyond the group they studied, the possible implications and preliminary findings are certain to be of interest to readers of this journal.

The second study reviewed also concerns the use of the Internet, but with regard to its use by faculty and students in information studies programs in the USA. Alsehli wanted to study this question because of the lack of any well-organized studies about Internet use as a research tool and a classroom instruction tool within IS schools. Alsehli developed a research instrument to analyze use and to assess faculty attitudes regarding the use of the Internet. His preliminary findings reveal that the highest rate of Internet use is by assistant professors in these programs and that looking up databases, catalogs, or indexes is the usual purpose. Because faculty use and attitudes regarding the Internet are certain to influence the students coming out of information studies programs, and because these students are the information science professionals of the near future, this study provides a window to the future of Internet use.

Again, your contributions to this section of the journal are essential to achieving our mission to publish high quality, leading edge research about Internet issues and technologies. Our readers are curious about your work in progress. For those researchers who might be thinking about contributing a report to the research and reviews section of this journal, please do not hesitate to contact the editor (e-mail: harryb@u.washington.edu; Fax: (206) 616 3152). As always, the contributors to this section of the journal welcome correspondence from fellow researchers.

Harry Bruce