Dr. Patricia Franks was recently selected as a recipient of a research grant from The IBM Center for the Business of Government. The aim of the IBM Center is to tap into the best minds in academe and the nonprofit sector who can use rigorous public management research and analysis to produce reports with practical advice and insight for public sector executives and managers to improve the effectiveness of government.

Dr. Franks’ research will be conducted over the next six months on the topic of “New Challenges, New Solutions: How Government Agencies Can Effectively Manage Records Created Using New Social Media Tools.” The result of the research will be published in a 30 to 40 page report written for government executives and managers, providing them practical knowledge and insight into managing records created using social media tools.

Dr. Franks is a San José State University School of Information associate professor and the program coordinator for the Master’s in Archives and Records Administration (MARA).