BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESEARCH PROJECT

Code: V5-2277

Title: Digital transformation of the Slovenian emigrant community in the United States of America and Canada

Head of the project:
36485 – dr. Dejan Valentinčič

Researchers on the project:
29514 – dr. Željko Oset (ASEF Institute for Education and Research)
54486 – Barbara Zagorc (ASEF Institute for Education and Research)

Funding period: from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2024

Main research organization:  3745 – ASEF Institute for education and research

Tender: Public tender for the selection of research projects of the Target Research Program “CRP 2022” in 2022

Co-funders:
Public Research Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, Bleiweisova cesta 30, 1000 Ljubljana
Ministry of Digital Transformation, Davčna ulica 1, 1000 Ljubljana

DESCRIPTION AND PROCESS OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT

Content description of the project:

• To list, analyze and evaluate the state of use of information technology, digitization and social networks of the Slovenian expatriate community in the United States of America and Canada.
• To find out how societies and organizations see and use information technology. To determine the extent to which organizations use digital tools to promote their activities, events and spaces, as well as to communicate between members and inform and reach the general public.
• Identify and analyze the factors that strengthen or weaken emigration activities in the process of digital transformation. To determine the effects of digitization on the scope, interest and potential of the activities of Slovenian emigrants living in North America.
• To analyze the possibilities for the digitization of cultural heritage. The focus is on reviewing the situation (e.g. digitization of archives, online presentation of the community and history of the organization) and creating guidelines for archiving and strengthening Slovenian emigration activity in accordance with digital development trends.

Keywords: Digital transformation, Slovenian emigrant community, USA, Canada, digitization, archives, archival material, accessibility

Phases of the project and description of their implementation

The first phase of the project: From the 1st month to the 6th month (6 months)
The first phase of the project will cover the implementation of the work program of the first work package, i.e. inventory and analysis of the use of digital platforms by Slovenian expatriate communities in the USA and Canada.

Second phase of the project: From the 7th month to the 13th month (7 months)
The second phase of the project will cover the implementation of the program of part of the second work package, namely, it will include an in-depth research on the perception and use of ICT among Slovenian expatriate communities in the USA and Canada, and part of the third package, i.e. the determination of the cross-sectional situation in the field of cultural heritage preservation among Slovenian emigrant communities communities in the US and Canada.

The third phase of the project: From the 14th month to the 20th month (7 months)
The third phase of the project will cover the implementation of the program part of the third work package, namely the review of the situation and the search for possibilities for the digitization of cultural heritage.

The fourth phase of the project: From the 21st month to the 24th month (4 months)
The fourth phase of the project will cover the creation of recommendations for Slovenia, which will be based on the findings of the previous phases, the completion of the project and the dissemination of the final results.

RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT

Bibliographic references:
Will be added.