Andrew Flanagin

Andrew Flanagin received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication Theory and Research from the Annenberg School for Communication, at the University of Southern California. Prior to this, he earned a B.A. in Sociology and American Studies from Yale University and worked for several years as a Management Systems Consultant, Systems Analyst, Computer Programmer, and a Foreign Liaison and Technology Transfer Specialist. These experiences reflect his overarching interest in the use of technologies in contemporary society. Professor Flanagin's research focuses on how communication and information technologies structure and extend human interaction, with particular emphases on processes of organizing and information sharing and evaluation. In particular, his research covers the use of social media for information sharing and assessment; processes of collective organizing, particularly as influenced by the use of contemporary technologies; people's perceptions of the credibility of information gathered and presented online (see www.credibility.ucsb.edu); and organizational technologies, including the affordances they offer and the dynamics they promote.