Foreword. Social networks and socio-technical information systems research

Social-network-based information systems have become well known among a large audience, thanks to web-based services such as Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, and LinkedIn. The manifestation of relationships among friends and business acquaintances provides an easier means to render interpersonal relationships by making the connections involved more transparent and traceable. Social networks can reflect communities, teams, organizations, businesses, or even geographical regions, and ultimately have the power to influence end-user behaviors. Organizations can investigate the structure and dynamics of these online social networks, helping to better understand their internal workings and the decision-making processes involved. As inter-organizational collaboration and user participation have been found to be central to organizational effectiveness and innovation, insight into social networks continues to be increasingly important for organizations of all types. The main areas of research concerning social networks in information systems (IS) are (cf. Oinas-Kukkonen et al., 2010): 1) Studying increased network awareness at the individual and organizational levels; 2) Studying advanced uses of social networks in organizations; 3) Developing software platforms for establishing and managing social networks; 4) Verifying previous research from reference disciplines; 5) Developing information systems specific theories on social networks and their influence on human behaviors. Awareness of one's social networks, whether professional or private, helps users recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. Social-network-based information systems can help in finding jobs and promoting one's career, and in a similar manner potential employers can use those systems to fill in gaps and seek out individuals with similar or complementary viewpoints and expertise. Social networks may also allow individuals to feel closer to loved ones who live far away. The primary methods for studying increased individual and organizational network awareness resulting from social networks are field studies and qualitative studies. Advanced organizational uses of social networks include areas such as knowledge management, strategic management, business intelligence, and innovation. Linkages within and outside of an organization, including with regard to specialized knowledge, can support collaboration in strategic business units, new