A Framework for A Framework for Collaborative GI ScienceCollaborative GI Science

-or--or-

The ‘distillation’ of a research ideaThe ‘distillation’ of a research idea

European GeoInformatics WorkshopEuropean GeoInformatics Workshop

7 - 9 March 20077 - 9 March 2007

Robin S. SmithRobin S. SmithICOSS, University of SheffieldICOSS, University of Sheffield

OutlineOutline

Researching Society and TechnologyResearching Society and Technology

e-(Social) Sciencee-(Social) Science

‘‘Collaboration’Collaboration’

Components of digital participationComponents of digital participation

‘‘Collaboration’ in GRADECollaboration’ in GRADE

SummarySummary

Researching Society and Researching Society and TechnologyTechnology

‘‘social construction of technology’ (Bijker social construction of technology’ (Bijker et alet al., 1987) ., 1987)

‘‘social shaping’ of technology (Woolgar, social shaping’ of technology (Woolgar, 2003)2003) giving people/society a rolegiving people/society a role technologies are the product of complicated technologies are the product of complicated

interactions {users, non-users, policies, interactions {users, non-users, policies, practices and the technology}practices and the technology}

A strategic/’holistic’ view of a technologyA strategic/’holistic’ view of a technology

e-(Social) Sciencee-(Social) Science Woolgar’s (2003) “consultative study”Woolgar’s (2003) “consultative study”

Social Shaping: Social Shaping: “… “… all social scientific aspects of genesis, use, all social scientific aspects of genesis, use,

implementation and effects of the new e implementation and effects of the new e technologies…technologies…

[with a] tendency to distinguish between research [with a] tendency to distinguish between research which uses the grid and research which is about the which uses the grid and research which is about the grid [alongside]… grid [alongside]…

how grid technologies will affect practice, and how the how grid technologies will affect practice, and how the practices of social scientists will affect the practices of social scientists will affect the development and use of these technologies”development and use of these technologies”

Four research themesFour research themes1.1. Different activities around the globe and the impacts this may Different activities around the globe and the impacts this may

have on the development combined research infrastructureshave on the development combined research infrastructures –– (G)SDI(s)?(G)SDI(s)?

2.2. Impact on other areas of “scholarship”, from “… more routine Impact on other areas of “scholarship”, from “… more routine aspects of academic life, teaching, administration, journal aspects of academic life, teaching, administration, journal operation, refereeing and so on”operation, refereeing and so on”

- - in silico in silico researchresearch

3.3. the impact that such infrastructure will also have on the the impact that such infrastructure will also have on the existing “… operation of virtual communities… [such as] existing “… operation of virtual communities… [such as] sharing, privacy, trust, sharing, privacy, trust, collaborationcollaboration, IPR”, IPR”

- - SDIs?SDIs?

4.4. “… “… historical comparisons with the development of other historical comparisons with the development of other communication technologies and ICTs… ideas about communication technologies and ICTs… ideas about web web democracydemocracy… the need to explore innovative models of … the need to explore innovative models of cooperation and cooperation and collaborationcollaboration” ”

– – the motivation of this paperthe motivation of this paper

e-(Social) Sciencee-(Social) ScienceScott & Venters’s (2006) ‘research practices’Scott & Venters’s (2006) ‘research practices’

““cyberinfrastructure [involves the] cyberinfrastructure [involves the] intersection intersection of of Grid and Grid and collaborativecollaborative research” (p. 2; after David, research” (p. 2; after David, 2004)2004)

BUTBUT ‘‘social science’ can be “… a fundamentally individual social science’ can be “… a fundamentally individual

endeavour” and social scientists have limited knowledge endeavour” and social scientists have limited knowledge of the Grid of the Grid

= adapting tools made by other communities.= adapting tools made by other communities.raster calculation raster calculation vs.vs. discipline-specific tools?? discipline-specific tools??

Unnecessary duplication of effort and /or infrastructureUnnecessary duplication of effort and /or infrastructure

Reduction in the possibilities of inter-disciplinary research Reduction in the possibilities of inter-disciplinary research facilitated by a common toolkit/’language’?facilitated by a common toolkit/’language’?

A lack of social theory in recent technical A lack of social theory in recent technical developments for e-social sciencedevelopments for e-social science requires an “… articulation requires an “… articulation betweenbetween theory theory

and practice”and practice”

Contributing our experience to other Grid Contributing our experience to other Grid communities e.g. for “combining information communities e.g. for “combining information from diverse and distributed data sources” – from diverse and distributed data sources” – ‘GIS’ as a collaborative tool (?)‘GIS’ as a collaborative tool (?)

An established approach An established approach to understanding the to understanding the social surroundings of e-social surroundings of e-social science through social science through social shapingsocial shaping

Glenmorangie (10y)Glenmorangie (10y)

An established approach An established approach to understanding the to understanding the social surroundings of e-social surroundings of e-social science through social science through social shapingsocial shaping

““A smooth and medium-A smooth and medium-bodied whisky, with a bodied whisky, with a delicate, slightly sweet delicate, slightly sweet aroma” (Shaw, 1999)aroma” (Shaw, 1999)

Scotland’s best-selling Scotland’s best-selling maltmalt

CollaborationCollaboration

Gray & Wood (1991)- Gray & Wood (1991)- business/economic business/economic contextcontextNyerges & Jankowski (2001) Enhanced Nyerges & Jankowski (2001) Enhanced Adaptive Structuration Theory 2 – Adaptive Structuration Theory 2 – GIS for GIS for group-based interactiongroup-based interactionBalram & Dragićević (2006) – consensual group Balram & Dragićević (2006) – consensual group spatial decision processes within a “participant-spatial decision processes within a “participant-technology-data nexus”technology-data nexus”(Recently highlighted as a “challenge” by Mark (Recently highlighted as a “challenge” by Mark Birkin (2005) in a discussion of e-social science Birkin (2005) in a discussion of e-social science and GIS)*and GIS)*

* See http://www.wun.ac.uk/ggisa/seminars.html >> seminar archive

Components of digital participation Components of digital participation (Smith, 2006)(Smith, 2006)

Notions of participation Notions of participation /collaboration/collaboration

Issues Issues /Research Problems/Research Problems

AudienceAudience

MethodsMethods

OutcomesOutcomes ?Arnstein’s (1969) Ladder of citizen participation

A less well-known A less well-known approach being adopted approach being adopted from a related disciplinefrom a related discipline

The Balvenie (10y)The Balvenie (10y)

A less well-known A less well-known approach being adopted approach being adopted from a related disciplinefrom a related discipline

““Founder’s Reserve has a Founder’s Reserve has a rich colour, bouquet and rich colour, bouquet and flavour with a smooth, flavour with a smooth, clean, dry finish” (Shaw, clean, dry finish” (Shaw, 1999)1999)

The distillery is not open The distillery is not open to the publicto the public

GRADEGRADE

Scoping a Geospatial Repository for Scoping a Geospatial Repository for Academic Deposit and ExtractionAcademic Deposit and ExtractionSmall group of researchers experiencing Small group of researchers experiencing geospatial data-sharinggeospatial data-sharing using the demonstrator repository and using the demonstrator repository and two web-based peer-to-peer technologies to two web-based peer-to-peer technologies to

share GIshare GI

‘‘Action research’ for a potential e-social Action research’ for a potential e-social science resource- beyond storage to science resource- beyond storage to useuse

‘‘Collaboration’Collaboration’

Highlighted in informal peer-to-peer Highlighted in informal peer-to-peer methods by participantsmethods by participants

GRADE as a ‘collaborative resource’GRADE as a ‘collaborative resource’

‘‘Access’ issuesAccess’ issues Issues of ‘trust’Issues of ‘trust’ Citation/acknowledgement/data control for the Citation/acknowledgement/data control for the

re-use of datare-use of data Data policy, licensing and digital rights Data policy, licensing and digital rights

Issues/research problemsIssues/research problems

Only an experiment- not a true setting- Only an experiment- not a true setting- what research contexts/problems require what research contexts/problems require participants to share GI?participants to share GI? Do these vary between different research Do these vary between different research

communities?communities?

Geographical distribution of participants, Geographical distribution of participants, data and problems- the various ‘networks’ data and problems- the various ‘networks’ for collaborationfor collaboration

AudienceAudience

Close association of researchers to their Close association of researchers to their data (‘data mining’ and negotiating data (‘data mining’ and negotiating access)access)Who is involved- relates to issues of trust Who is involved- relates to issues of trust and control- again, does it vary by and control- again, does it vary by discipline? discipline? communicating as a group online and communicating as a group online and meeting in-person for the workshop= meeting in-person for the workshop= impacts on the outcomes of the studyimpacts on the outcomes of the study

MethodsMethods

Different methodsDifferent methods ease of installation/useease of installation/use privacy and securityprivacy and security Work practices (home and office computer problems)Work practices (home and office computer problems)

online communication to mediate sharingonline communication to mediate sharing (desired as an extension to a GRADE-type repository)(desired as an extension to a GRADE-type repository)

Technology uncovering attitudes to sharingTechnology uncovering attitudes to sharing e.g. different approaches to using social network e.g. different approaches to using social network

software software Description through theory-driven/-identifier roles (?)Description through theory-driven/-identifier roles (?)

OutcomesOutcomes

The technologyThe technology Trusted resource through EdinaTrusted resource through Edina Need for social toolsNeed for social tools

ExperiencesExperiences How to install peer-to-peer softwareHow to install peer-to-peer software Considering the role of p2p in real research/teaching Considering the role of p2p in real research/teaching

(e.g. “project/group work”)(e.g. “project/group work”)

Research practiceResearch practice Generating a reportGenerating a report Participants considering furthering the research Participants considering furthering the research Giving this paper!Giving this paper!

An idea requiring further An idea requiring further empirical testingempirical testing

Highland Park (12y)Highland Park (12y)

An idea requiring further An idea requiring further empirical testingempirical testing

““Highland Park is a Highland Park is a medium-bodied single medium-bodied single malt of character, with a malt of character, with a heathery-smoky aroma heathery-smoky aroma and peaty flavour with and peaty flavour with balancing sweet tones” balancing sweet tones” (Shaw, 1999)(Shaw, 1999)

One of Scotland’s most One of Scotland’s most northerly distilleriesnortherly distilleries

SummarySummary

Understanding the roles of the many Understanding the roles of the many stakeholders in e-(social) science is aided by a stakeholders in e-(social) science is aided by a social shaping of technology approachsocial shaping of technology approachGISc is well placed to explore this concept given GISc is well placed to explore this concept given its inherent need for data-sharing and its inherent need for data-sharing and collaborationcollaboration‘‘collaboration’ can have many meanings for this collaboration’ can have many meanings for this communitycommunityTo some extent, related research in other virtual To some extent, related research in other virtual communities, such as digital participation, can communities, such as digital participation, can help us to explore our domains of both e-social help us to explore our domains of both e-social and GI Science.- (+ data, + metadata?)and GI Science.- (+ data, + metadata?)

Slainte mhath!Slainte mhath!

robin.smith@shef.ac.ukrobin.smith@shef.ac.uk

ICOSSICOSS

Purpose built research centre for policy relevant, Purpose built research centre for policy relevant, interdisciplinary research using large interdisciplinary research using large (quantitative and qualitative) datasets (quantitative and qualitative) datasets

Promotes GIS as a collaborative tool between Promotes GIS as a collaborative tool between researchers and their datasetsresearchers and their datasets

A place where public sector groups interested in A place where public sector groups interested in GIS can interact with academics for research GIS can interact with academics for research and infrastructure developmentand infrastructure development

A place to study ‘collaboration’ in practice (?)A place to study ‘collaboration’ in practice (?)