Inhalt: "In this article, we report on electronic discussion lists (e-lists) sponsored by
MentorNet, the National Electronic Industrial Mentoring Network for Women in Engineering
and Science. Using the Internet, the MentorNet program connects students in engineering
and science with mentors working in industry. These e-lists are a feature of MentorNet's
larger electronic mentoring program and were sponsored to foster the establishment
of community among women engineering and science students and men and women professionals
in those fields. This research supports the hypothesis that electronic communications
can be used to develop community among engineering and science students and professionals
and identifies factors influencing the emergence of electronic communities (e-communities).
The e-lists that emerged into self-sustaining e-communities were focused on topic-based
themes, such as balancing personal and work life, issues pertaining to women in engineering
and science, and job searching. These e-communities were perceived to be safe places,
embraced a diversity of opinions and experiences, and sanctioned personal and meaningful
postings on the part of the participants. The e-communities maintained three to four
simultaneous threaded discussions and were sustained by professionals who served as
facilitators by seeding the e-lists with discussion topics. The e-lists were sponsored
to provide women students participating in MentorNet with access to groups of technical
and scientific professionals. In addition to providing benefits to the students, the
e-lists also provided the professionals with opportunities to engage in peer mentoring
with other, mostly female, technical and scientific professionals. We discuss the
implications of our findings for developing e-communities and for serving the needs
of women in technical and scientific fields." (author's abstract)|