[Research & Teaching] | [Background] | [Funded Research] | [Publications]
[Awards & Honors] | [Professional Activities]

My research, teaching, and service focus on information policy and information technology in large-scale complex organizations. I conduct research in two substantive areas: 1) the design of information and data infrastructures to support the utilization of knowledge in public and private decision making and 2) the political process by which changes in public policy are effected. What unites these two areas is my focus on information, technology, and the institutional or organizational setting as the locus of human activity. My research goal is to improve our understanding of the complexity of institutional and organizational change and innovation adoption broadly conceived.

My research interests include information policy, resource management, and technology; social and organizational informatics, including communication and information behavior in complex organizations; and qualitative and quantitative research methods. I am currently analyzing the political controversy over revising federal statistical policy for classifying racial and ethnic group data; and how public and non-profit survey research organizations have implemented guidelines for protecting the confidentiality of personally identifiable information.

Courses include:

S501 Introduction to Information Science

S506 Introduction to Research

S513 Organizational Informatics

S541 Information Policies, Economics and the Law

S601 (Directed) Readings in Library and Information Science

S602 (Directed) Research in Library and Information Science

S604 Special Topics: Introduction to Ethnography and Fieldwork in Information Science

S701 Introduction to Doctoral Research in Information Science

S701 Introduction to Doctoral Research in Library and Information Science

S702 (Doctoral) Research Practicum

S706 (Doctoral) Introduction to Research

S710 (Doctoral) Research in Library and Information Science

S765 (Doctoral) Research in Information Systems

Back to Top

Education and Professional Background

Ph.D. 1984 University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Political Science) (Minor: Sociology)

Back to Top

Back to Top

Publications of Note

1. Articles in Refereed Journals

Robbin, A. (2007). Rob Kling in search of one good theory: The origins of computerization movements. The Information Society, 23, 235-250.

Robbin, A. (2001). The loss of personal privacy and its consequences for social research. Journal of Government Information, 28(5), 493-527.

Robbin, A., & Koball, H. (2001). Seeking explanation in theory: Reflections on the social practices of organizations that distribute public use microdata files for research purposes. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 52(13), 1169-1189.

Robbin, A. (2000). We the people: One nation, a multicultural society (Correlates and predictors of the 'digital divide'). Library Trends, 49(1), 6-48. (Special issue on Ethnic Diversity in Library and Information Science)

Robbin, A. (2000). Administrative policy as symbol system: Political conflict and the social construction of identity. Administration and Society, 32(4), 398-431.

Robbin, A. (2000). The politics of representation in the national statistical system: Origins of minority population interest group participation. Journal of Government Information, 27(4), 431-453.

Robbin, A. (2000). Classifying racial and ethnic group data: The politics of negotiation and accommodation. Journal of Government Information, 27(2), 129-156.

Robbin, A. (1999). The problematic status of statistics on race and ethnicity: An "imperfect representation of reality." Journal of Government Information, 26(5), 467-483.

Robbin, A., & Frost-Kumpf, L. (1997). Extending theory for user-centered information systems: Diagnosing and learning from error in complex statistical data. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 48(2), 96-121.

Robbin, A. (1995). SIPP ACCESS, an information system for complex data: A case study in creating a collaboratory for the social sciences. Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 5(2), 37-66.

Robbin, A. (1992). Social scientists at work on the electronic network. Electronic Networking: Research, Applications and Policy, 2(2), 6-30.

Robbin, A., & David, M. (1988). SIPP ACCESS: Information tools improve access to national longitudinal panel surveys. Research Quarterly, 27, 499-515. (Also IRP Reprint Series #580.)

Robbin, A. (1986). State archives, policies and practices, and personal privacy.  The American Archivist, 49, 163-175.

Robbin, A. (1981). Strategies for improving utilization of computerized statistical data by the social science community.  International Journal of Social Science Information Studies, 1, 89-109.

David, M.H., & Robbin, A. (1981). The great rift:  Gaps between administrative records and knowledge created through secondary analysis.  Review of Public Data Use, 9, 153-166.  (with Martin David)

Robbin, A. (1979). Understanding the machine readable numeric record:  Archival challenges, with some comments on appraisal guidelines.  Midwestern Archivist, 4, (Fall 1979), 5-17.

Robbin, A. (1977). The pre-acquisition process: A strategy for locating and acquiring machine-readable data. Drexel Library Quarterly, 13(1), 21-42.

Back to Top

2. Books and Chapters in Books, Including Proceedings

Robbin, A., & Day, R. (2006). On Rob Kling: The theoretical, the methodological, and the critical. In J. Berleur, M. I. Nurminen, & J. Impagliazzo (eds.), Social informatics: An information society for all? In remembrance of Rob Kling. Proceedings of the seventh international conference on human choice and computers (HCC7), IFIP TC 9, Maribor, Slovenia, September 21-23, 2006 (pp. 25-36). Berlin: Springer-Verlag, Inc. (refereed)

Robbin, A., Lamb, R., King, J., & Berleur, J. (2006). As we may remember. In J. Berleur, M. I. Nurminen, & J. Impagliazzo (eds.), Social informatics: An information society for all? In remembrance of Rob Kling. Proceedings of the seventh international conference on human choice and computers (HCC7), IFIP TC 9, Maribor, Slovenia, September 21-23, 2006 (pp. 17-24). Berlin: Springer-Verlag, Inc. (invited)

Robbin, A., Courtright, C., & Davis, L. (2004). ICTs and political life. In B. Cronin (Ed.), Annual review of information science and technology, 38, 411-462. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.

Robbin, A. (2000). Hispanic demographics and implications for library services for Hispanic youth. In B. Immroth & K. de la Peña McCook (Eds.), Library services to youth of Hispanic heritage (pp. 137-154). Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.

Sy, K., & Robbin, A. (1990). Federal statistical policy: How good are the numbers? In M.E. Williams (Ed.), Annual review of information science and technology (pp. 3-54). Washington, DC: American Society for Information Science and Technology.

Robbin, A., (1983). Public policy on health and welfare information:  Compendium of state legislation on privacy and access. Madison, WI: Data and Program Library Service, University of Wisconsin.

Robbin, A. (1981). Technical guidelines for preparing and documenting data. In R.F. Boruch, P. Wortman, & D. Cordray (Eds.), Reanalyzing program evaluations: Policies and practices for secondary analysis of social and educational programs (pp. 84-143). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc.

Robbin, A. (1980). The pre-acquisition process:  A strategy for locating and acquiring machine-readable data.  In E.B. Jackson (Ed.), Special librarianship:  A new reader (pp. 407-424).  Metuchen, NJ:  The Scarecrow Press. (Selection based on peer-review of best published articles in a peer-reviewed journal.)

Robbin, A. (1979). Data archives for social research:  Towards ethical standards to ensure confidentiality-preserving modes of access. In E. Mochmann & P. Muller (Eds.), Data protection and social science research: Perspectives from ten countries (pp. 213-224). Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany: Campus Verlag.

Robbin, A. (1978). Ethical standards and data archives. In R.F. Boruch (Ed.), New directions for program evaluation: Secondary analysis (pp. 7-18). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc.

Back to Top

Back to Top

Awards and Honors

Finalist, 1989 COMPUTERWORLD/Smithsonian Institution Award for Innovative Use of Information Technology

Recipient, Bernard M. Fry/Journal of Government Information award for best article to appear during 1999

Back to Top

1. Invited and Refereed Papers Presented at Professional Meetings

Robbin, A. (2007). Keynote Address: Rob Kling and beyond. 3rd Annual Social Informatics SIG Research Symposium: The Social Web, Social Computing and the Social Analysis of Computing (SIG SI). October 19, 2007, ASIST 2007, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Robbin, A. (2006). On Rob Kling. Invited plenary panel address and closing remarks. Social Informatics: An Information Society for All? In Remembrance of Rob Kling. Seventh International Conference on Human Choice and Computers (HCC7), International Federation of Information Processing, Technical Committee 9, Maribor, Slovenia, September 21-23, 2006.

Robbin, A., Hara, N., & Day, R. (2005). Social informatics education in I-schools. Paper presented at the I-conference 2005, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, September 28-30, 2005.

Robbin, A., & Buente, W. (2005). Everyday life information practices: Internet use acts, 2000-2004. Paper presented at the School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, August 2005.

Robbin, A. (2005). LIS crossing boundaries into political science. Paper presented at the Université de Marne la Vallée, June 2005, Paris, France.

Robbin, A. (2005). Rob Kling in search of one good theory. Paper presented at the NSF-sponsored Rob Kling Memorial Workshop, March 2005, University of California-Irvine.

Courtright, C., & Robbin, A. (2001). Deconstructing the digital divide in the United States: An interpretive policy analytic perspective. Paper presented at the "Digital Divide Conference," November 15-17, 2001, Austin, Texas. Available as a Center for Social Informatics Working Paper at http://www.slis.indiana.edu/csi/WP/WP02-07B.htm

Robbin, A. (2001). Interpretations of privacy and confidentiality rules by government agencies. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, March 29-31, Washington, DC.

Robbin, A. (2000). Organizational practices of statistical disclosure limitation (SDL) techniques. Paper delivered at the annual meeting of the American Association of Public Opinion Research, May 2000, Portland, Oregon.

Robbin, A., Jabine, T., & Koball, H. (1999). A survey of statistical disclosure limitation (SDL) practices of organizations that distribute public use microdata. Commissioned paper by the National Academy of Sciences Committee on National Statistics, presented October 14-15, 1999, Washington, DC 39p.

Brower, R., & Robbin, A. (1999). Critiquing interpretive accounts: Common errors that reveal positivist over-learning. Paper presented at the Southeast Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration, October 7-9, 1999, St. Petersburg, Florida. (with Ralph Brower).

Robbin, A. (1999). Hispanic demographics and implications for library services for youth of Hispanic heritage. Paper presented at the 4th National Institute for Hispanic Library Education, Tampa, Florida, March 12-14, 1999.

Robbin, A. (1997). ALN as contested terrain: Political and structural complexity of the ALN environment in public universities (Distance education as innovation adoption). Delivered at the Third International Conference on Asynchronous Learning Networks, New York City, October 3 - 5, 1997.

Robbin, A. (1992). Learning about, diagnosing, and communicating error in longitudinal panel surveys. Paper presented at the "International Conference on Social Science Methodology," International Sociological Association, Trento, Italy, June 22-26, 1992. (Rev. October 1992). 56p. (with Lee Frost-Kumpf)

Robbin, A. (1991). Learning about longitudinal panel data in a relational database environment. Invited paper delivered at the European Panel Network Workshop, April 19-21, 1991, University of Essex, Colchester, England, April 19-21, 1991. 13p.

2. Professional Activities (Selected)

Indiana University, 2000-

• Bloomington Faculty Council Technology Policy Council, 2003-
• SLIS Faculty Policy Council, 2002-2005
• SLIS Doctoral Steering Committee, 2002-
• IU Libraries Multidisciplinary Forum on Research Data Access and Services at Indiana University, 2002-
• SLIS Colloquium Series Coordinator, 2001-2004
• SLIS Curriculum Steering Committee, 2000-2001
• SLIS Master's Program Admissions and Disciplinary Committees, 2001-2002

Florida State University, 1996-2000

• Florida State University President D'Alemberte's Discussion Group on "Furthering Diversity and Civility on the Campus," 1999-2000
• Center for Florida's Children (formerly Florida Center for Children & Youth)
• Florida State University Working Committees on Internet2 initiative, 1997-2000
• Chair, Jesse H. Shera Award Committee, Library Research Round Table, American Library Association (Shera Award honors best research in the field), 1997-2000 (chair in year 2000)
• Faculty Advisor, Special Library Association (SLA), 1996-1998

City University of New York (Graduate Center, Baruch College, 1994

• Coordinator, NYC GIS Data Inventory, GISMO (Geographic Information Systems and Mapping Operations)
• City University of New York Task Force on Textual and Bibliographic Studies

Other

• Consultant, Deutsches Institut für Wirtschafsforschung, Berlin, 1991
• Resource person, Special Committee on Privacy and Information Technology, State of Wisconsin State Legislature, 1990-1993
• National Advisory Board, Office of Population Affairs, Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs and Office of Adolescent Family Life, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1988-191 (National data archive on antecedents and consequences of adolescent pregnancy and evaluation of adolescent family life)
• Consultant, Dun and Bradstreet Corp., Inc., 1986-1995
• Review Panel, Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1984
• Advisory Committee, Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1982-1987 (creating a national data archive on the antecedents and consequences of adolescent pregnancy)
• Technical Advisory Board, Scientific Manpower Commission, Washington, DC, 1982

3. Professional Memberships

Back to Top