This thesis is focusing on how global and local search engines retrieve information from the local domain. The three search engines tested are the global search engines Yahoo, Ask.com and the local search engine Web Wombat. The questions we examined were: which search engine has the best retrieval effectiveness? Could there be other reasons than retrieval effectiveness, to choosing a local search engine?For our test we constructed 20 questions related to Australia.We chose to divide the questions into topics like nature, sports and culture. For all questions we evaluated the relevance of the first 20 hits.

AbstractTitle: The Construction of Science in Television Crime Shows ? a Critical Discourse Analysis of CSI and Bones (Om konstruktionen av vetenskap i kriminalserier på TV ? en kritisk diskursanalys av CSI och Bones).Number of pages: 45 (50 including enclosures)Author: Lovisa SandbergTutor: Amelie HössjerCourse: Media and Communications Studies DPeriod: Spring 2006University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala UniversityPurpose/Aim: The aim was to explore the construction of science in the television crime shows CSI and Bones.Material/Method: The method used is critical discourse analysis based on the thoughts of Norman Fairclough. The analysis includes three episodes of CSI and three episodes of Bones,broadcast from between the 10th and 25th of April, in 2006 on Swedish television.Main results: The scientists in CSI and Bones are constructed as rational and calm; they are mainly concerned with finding the truth. On the surface, the truth is objective and reachable, although, in these TV-shows all observations are theory laden.Keywords: CSI, Bones, crime shows, television, science, discourse analysis..

ABSTRACTTitle: The defend of the picture ? a comparison of recruitment advertisements from the Swedish Armed Forces / Bilden av försvaret? en jämförande studie av Försvarsmaktens rekryteringsannonserNumber of pages: 35Author: Greta SimonssonTutor: Mats LindCourse: Media and Communication Studies CPeriod: Autumn Semester 2007University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala UniversityAim: Do the messages in the recruitment advertisements from the Swedish Armed Forces differ between such advertisements produced in the ?defense against invasion? era and those produced in the present, more internationally oriented era, when analyzed using semiotics? And, how are these advertisements understood by their receivers?Material and method: Interviews, a focus group and semiotic analysis.Main results: The messages in the recruitment advertisements have changed. In line with the changed focus of the Swedish Armed Forces to more international cooperation and missions, the present day advertisements do indeed have a more international and aggressive focus.Keywords: Swedish Armed Forces, information, recruitment, advertisements, semeiotics..

The aim of this master thesis is to examine readers? advice in weblogs - frequently modified web pages with a series of archived entries. We have chosen to study a specific kind of entry that contains information about a book of fiction- not for children and young adults - and the bloggers? comments regarding that same book. The entries are published in ten weblogs that all deal with literature and reading.

The purpose of this study is to discuss the use of social media by the Swedish Police for democratic purposes. The idea of citizen empowerment is closely related to the development of new communication technologies such as social media. Yet many studies indicate that governmental institutions rarely make use of the assumed potentials of social media.In this study, the democratic potential of social media is derived from Habermas normative concept of deliberative participation. Operational definitions emphasize discursive equality, interactive reciprocity and external impact. The analytical framework is combined with qualitative text analysis to highlight the conditions of interaction between representatives of the Police and citizens.In conclusion: the democratic potential of social media, from a Habermasian point of view, is to a significant extent neglected at the expense of its strategic advantages.

This graduate essay treats how the cultural heritage of Gothenburg is mediated in different respect.The various sources that have been studied are literary such as guidebooks and books that tell thehistory of Gothenburg. Internet pages and citywalks have also been studied, as well as theinformation the visitor can extract in the area.The introduction presents the subject of the essay, as well as its significance. In the second chapter isthe mediation of the history behind cultural heritage as well as its present interpretation described.Therefore, in chapter three, is a short version of the history of Gothenburg described. The main partof the essay, the main examination, is treated in chapter four where literary sources, citywalks andsigns in the area are examined. Chapter four ends with a suggestion of how the cultural heritage inVästra Nordstaden could in a better way be mediated to residents and visitors in Gothenburg.The results and concluding discussion in chapter five reflects on what was represented in chapterfour.

Web 2.0 represents the next generation of creating interactive applications on the Web. The purpose of this thesis was to develop a service tailored to Web 2.0 technology, where users can post ads for free. The platform is an advertising system specially designed for animals. Surveys and interviews have been done; the result is that today?s advertising services on the Internet are not interactive and user-friendly.The users have the possibility to adapt different part of the system to their needs, such as choice of themes.

AbstractAim: The aim of the study is to analyze ten different columns written by Linda Skugge, in order to see what kind of rhetorical means she uses to get her message across. It is also to examine if, and to what extent, these means are of female nature, and to see what kind of persona Skugge uses in order to be trustworthy.Method: Rhetorical analysis of ten columns written by Linda SkuggeMain results: The study has shown that Skugge´s rhetorical strategies differ from the ones recommended in theories about female speech. Skugge writes with a lot of character and emotionally based arguments, which, according to the theories, is more of a male way of speaking. Skugge gives an impression of being strong, competitive and offensive in her character, but also reveals that her role is consciously chosen in order to receive respect and to gain power.Number of pages: 42Course: Media- and Communication studies DUniversity: Department of Information science, University of UppsalaPeriod: Spring 2005Tutor: Amelie HössjerKeywords: rhetoric, rhetorical analysis, feminist studies, persona, Linda Skugge.

Textbooks are a very influential medium considering the fact that they often introduce students to information they have never read or heard about before, and as such they become very important in forming students? opinions on different matters. In this study I have taken a closer look at five textbooks in history that are currently being used in the Swedish upper secondary school. My aim has been to find out how East Asia is pictured and also how much space East Asian history is given in these textbooks with the postcolonial theory as theoretical basis. My study shows that East Asia is given very little space compared to Europe in these books, with an average of less than a twentieth of the number of pages that deal with European history.

This Masters thesis aims to examine how Swedish public libraries deal with the new challenge of evaluating web resources. In order to study this we have asked staff involved in gathering links for the libraries web sites to participate in a survey concerning how they go about choosing links. Apart from trying to capture this procedure it has been our purpose to establish whether the libraries feel they should provide their patrons with evaluated links at all and in what way they are influenced by other libraries or other main figures involved when choosing a link. We were also interested in the differences between libraries with large and small link collections. When defining evaluation, we have only focused on content.

The work with Agenda 21 resulted in a larger focus on local participation and deliberation. The Swedish implementation of Agenda 21 is a result of these local governments´ political agendas and policies.The purpose with this paper is to examine the relationship between the citizen and the local government. It focuses on three theories of citizenship and how the view of "the environmental aware citizen?; in the local government?s municipalities policies differ and from which theory of citizenship do they come from.The analysis is of a valuing and comparing nature. The municipalities´ web pages have been the main source to generate an understanding of their view on the normative environmental work.

The aim of this thesis was to study librarians approach upon reference questions and available resources and also to find out if there is any connection between the nature of the reference question and the choice of resource. The purpose was also to give a deeper understanding of the reference work. Nine librarians were given ten reference questions and their reference work was tape recorded. The study was completed with seven interviews sent by email. Some of the reflections were translated under the headlines of form, subject, time, language and availability.

AbstractTitle: How does people that meet online communicate? -An qualitativestudy of the media use for individuals that date online.Number of pages: 34Autohor: Malin JanssonTutor: Amelie HössjerCourse: Media and Communication Studies CPeriod: Spring term, January 2010University: Informatics and Media, Media and Communication ScienceUppsala UniversityPurpose/Aim: The aim of this essay is to see if mediea use changesthrogh time in a relationship between individuals that have metonline.Material/Method: Qualitative method with nine interviews divided into two groupsdepending whether the person is an actively dejting online or ifshe has a long term relationship with someone she have metonline.Main results: The use of digital media changes thorugh time in therelationship. The individuals stop using the net dejting whenthey meet someone. The digital medias are stage at the begginingof the relationship. Through time they use a multiple ofdigital medias but they have preferenses and prefers to use thetelephone both when they are communicating positive andnegatvie information.Keywords: Online dating, social penetration, process of getting to knoweachother, communication.

The purpose of this Master?s thesis is to evaluate three general query-based web search engines. The search engines chosen are Google, Yahoo! and Live Search. The topics, which where transformed into twenty queries, are based on real users? information needs, taken from an ask-a-question service.

This Masters thesis aims at investigating how 15-year old girls use the Internet, particularly on their free time, taking a source critical perspective. It includes group interviews. The main question of this thesis was whether there is a need for specific user education. The following four questions were asked: What do they do on the Internet during their free time? In what way do the girls learn how to interact with each other on the Internet? How do they relate to different types of web pages and materials from a source critical aspect? What content do they consider to be relevant in a user education? The study is mainly focused on information use and information behaviour in different contexts.