Social Informatics

Walker, S. and Creanor, L. (2012). Towards an ontology of networked learning. In: 8th International Conference on Networked Learning 2012 , Edited by: Hodgson V, Jones C, de Laat M, McConnell D, Ryberg T & Sloep P, 02-04 April 2012, Maastricht, Netherlands.

by Steve Walker

Networked learning, conceived of as networks of people, informational resources and technologies, constitutes what has... more Networked learning, conceived of as networks of people, informational resources and technologies, constitutes what has been termed a ‘highly interwined’ technology. In this paper we develop our earlier argument that sociotechnical networks can form the basis for a non-determinist theory of learning technology.

Firstly, we argue that Kling et al’s sociotechnical interaction network (STIN) is compatible with a realist ontology, drawing on Fleetwood’s ‘ontology of the real’ and Lawson’s proposition of the social nature of the artefact in networks of ‘positioned practices’. This, we suggest, gives a more secure basis for the STIN concept, and provides a clear alternative to actor network theory (ANT)-based views of sociotechnical networks which do not distinguish between the influence of human and material agents. This also, we argue, provides an alternative way of anchoring concepts from the social informatics literature, often influenced by Giddens’ structuration theory, in ways that can help networked learning research.

Secondly, we explore some potential implications of such an approach for theories of networked learning and learning more widely. In particular, we suggest a possible ontology of elements of learning technology. The use of the word ‘learning’ here is somewhat problematic, as it is routinely used rather loosely to describe changes at multiple levels but which are likely to have rather different underlying mechanisms. A more thorough ontology of learning technology would allow us to distinguish between these uses and identify potentially distinct mechanisms at play in different forms and levels of learning.

Thirdly, we use this approach to explore how viewing learning technologies as sociotechnical networks helps to clarify our thinking about identities in social networking for personal, learning and professional purposes.

Walker, S., & Creanor, L. (2009). The STIN in the Tale: A Socio-technical Interaction Perspective on Networked Learning. Educational Technology & Society, 12 (4), 305–316.

by Steve Walker

Is the doctor on? In search of users for medical software in rural Himalayas

by Payal Arora

The Indian healthcare sector provides ripe ground for development as access to high-quality and timely medical... more The Indian healthcare sector provides ripe ground for development as access to high-quality and timely medical diagnosis remains unrequited among its vast rural populace. With an acute shortage of doctors in rural areas, medical diagnostic software has been created as a surrogate,
propelling non-physician workers to step in. For diagnostic software to function effectively, it is paramount to identify the user. Using an intended pilot programme of RightChoice software in the central Himalayas, the present article focuses on the political and economic complexities involved in identifying users of such software.

Privacy as Invisibility: Pervasive Surveillance and the Privatization of Peer-to-Peer Systems

by Francesca Musiani

Published in tripleC, 9(2): 126-140, 2011.

This article addresses the ongoing, increasing privatization of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing systems – the... more This article addresses the ongoing, increasing privatization of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing systems – the emergence of systems that users may only join by personal, friend-to-friend invitation. It argues that, within P2P systems, privacy is increasingly coinciding with “mere” invisibility vis-à-vis the rest of the Internet ecosystem because of a trend that has shaped the recent history of P2P technology: The alternation between forms of pervasive surveillance of such systems, and reactions by developers and users to such restrictive measures. Yet, it also suggests that the richness of today’s landscape of P2P technology development and use, mainly in the field of Internet-based services, opens up new dimensions to the conceptualization of privacy, and may give room to a more articulate definition of the concept as related to P2P technology; one that includes not only the need of protection from external attacks, and the temporary outcomes of the competition between surveillance and counter-surveillance measures, but also issues such as user empowerment through better control over personal information, reconfiguration of data management practices, and removal of intermediaries in sharing and communication activities.

Author team diversity and the impact of scientific publications: Evidence from physics research at a national science lab

by Adam Worrall

Hinnant, C. C., Stvilia, B., Wu, S., Worrall, A., Burnett, G., Burnett, K., Kazmer, M. M., & Marty, P. F. (in press). Author team diversity and the impact of scientific publications: Evidence from physics research at a national science lab. Library and Information Science Research.

In the second half of the twentieth century, scientific research in physics, chemistry, and engineering began to focus... more In the second half of the twentieth century, scientific research in physics, chemistry, and engineering began to focus on the use of large government funded laboratories. This shift toward so‐called big science also brought about a concomitant change in scientific work itself, with a sustained trend toward the use of highly specialized scientific teams, elevating the role of team characteristics on scientific outputs. The actual impact of scientific knowledge is commonly measured by how often peer‐ reviewed publications are, in turn, cited by other researchers. This study examines how characteristics such as author team seniority, affiliation diversity, and size affect the overall impact of team publications. Citation information and author demographics were examined for 123 articles published in Physical Review Letters from 2004 to 2006 by 476 scientists who used the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory’s facilities. Correlation analysis indicated that author teams which were more multi‐ institutional and had homogeneous seniority tended to have more senior scientists. In addition, the analysis suggests that more mixed seniority author teams were likely to be less institutionally dispersed. Quantile regression was used to examine the relationships between author team characteristics and publication impact. The analysis indicated that weighted average seniority and average seniority both had a negative relationship with the number of citations the publication received. Furthermore, the analysis also showed a positive relationship between first author seniority and the number of citations, and a negative relationship between the number of authors and the number of citations.

Socio-Technical Interaction Networks: A Discussion of the Strengths, Weaknesses and Future of Kling's STIN Model

by Eric Meyer

The Socio-Technical Interaction Network (STIN) strategy for social informatics research was published late in Rob... more The Socio-Technical Interaction Network (STIN) strategy for social informatics research was published late in Rob Kling’s life, and as a result, he did not have time to pursue its continued development. This paper aims to summarize existing work on STINs, identify key themes, strengths, weaknesses and limitations, and to suggest trajectories for the future of STIN research. The STIN strategy for research on socio-technical systems offers the potential for useful insights into the highly intertwined nature of social factors and technological systems, however a number of areas of the strategy remain underdeveloped and offer the potential for future refinement and modification.

Collaborative Yet Independent: Information Practices in the Physical Sciences

by Eric Meyer

RIN Report Series

In many ways, the physical sciences are at the forefront of using digital tools and methods to work with information... more In many ways, the physical sciences are at the forefront of using digital tools and methods to work with information and data. However, the fields and disciplines that make up the physical sciences are by no means uniform, and physical scientists find, use, and disseminate information in a variety of ways. This report examines information practices in the physical sciences across seven cases, and demonstrates the richly varied ways in which physical scientists work, collaborate, and share information and data.

This report details seven case studies in the physical sciences. For each case, qualitative interviews and focus groups were used to understand the domain. Quantitative data gathered from a survey of participants highlights different information strategies employed across the cases, and identifies important software used for research.

Finally, conclusions from across the cases are drawn, and recommendations are made. This report is the third in a series commissioned by the Research Information Network (RIN), each looking at information practices in a specific domain (life sciences, humanities, and physical sciences). The aim is to understand how researchers within a range of disciplines find and use information, and in particular how that has changed with the introduction of new technologies.

The Social Impact of Information Systems at a Tertiary Institution

by Sam Lubbe

co author: Maishe Bopape

Tertiary educational institutes have had many Information Systems (IS) developed and implemented for the use of... more Tertiary educational institutes have had many Information Systems (IS) developed and implemented for the use of end-users. The problem is that more often than not, the impacts of IS on social communities of organisations have not been taken into account. This research explores the issues of the interface between IS and society, and addresses the social impact of these systems. A thorough investigation of the IS and users of those systems at the University of South Africa has been undertaken in this study. This research proposes a set of guidelines to help ensure that the social impacts of tertiary institutes’ IS are taken into account in the design and implementation of these systems, thereby increasing the chance of success of those systems.

The market for wired city services

by Robert Rittenhouse

Social informatics and participatory design: exploring ways to inform one another

by Muzaffer Ozakca

Digital libraries as boundary objects across social and information worlds: A preliminary theoretical framework

by Adam Worrall

Worrall, A. (2012). Digital libraries as boundary objects across social and information worlds: A preliminary theoretical framework. Poster presented at the 2012 Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Annual Conference, Dallas, TX, January 17-20, 2012.

Presented a preliminary theoretical framework for conceiving of digital libraries as boundary objects, examining such... more Presented a preliminary theoretical framework for conceiving of digital libraries as boundary objects, examining such integration through the twin lenses of Strauss’s social worlds perspective and Burnett and Jaeger’s theory of information worlds.

Data curation in scientific teams: An exploratory study of condensed matter physics at a national science lab

by Adam Worrall

Hinnant, C. C., Stvilia, B., Wu, S., Worrall, A., Burnett, K., Burnett, G., Kazmer, M. M., & Marty, P. F. (2012). Data curation in scientific teams: An exploratory study of condensed matter physics at a national science lab. In J.-E. Mai (Chair), iConference 2012 proceedings (pp. 498-500), Toronto, Canada, February 7-10, 2012. New York, NY: ACM. doi:10.1145/2132176.2132263

The advent of big science has brought a dramatic increase in the amount of data generated as part of scientific... more The advent of big science has brought a dramatic increase in the amount of data generated as part of scientific investigation. The ability to capture and prepare such data for reuse has brought about an increased interest in data curation practices within scientific fields and venues such as national laboratories. This study employs semi-structured interviews with key scientists at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory to explore data management, curation, and sharing practices within a condensed matter physics community. Findings indicate that condensed matter physics is a highly varied field. The field’s work practices and reward structures may impede the development and implementation of highly formalized curation policies focused on sharing data within the broader community. This study is an extension of a larger mixed-methods study to examine the life-cycles of virtual teams and will serve as a foundation for a larger survey of the lab’s user community.

Observations of the lifecycles and information worlds of collaborative scientific teams at a national science lab

by Adam Worrall

Worrall, A., Marty, P. F., Roberts, J., Burnett, K., Burnett, G., Hinnant, C. C., Kazmer, M. M., Stvilia, B., & Wu, S. (2012). Observations of the lifecycles and information worlds of collaborative scientific teams at a national science lab. In J.-E. Mai (Chair), iConference 2012 proceedings (pp. 423-425), Toronto, Canada, February 7-10, 2012. New York, NY: ACM. doi:10.1145/2132176.2132234

View poster: http://www.adamworrall.org/portfolio/publications/voss_poster_iconference_2012.pdf

Team-based scientific collaborations play a key role in the discovery and distribution of scientific knowledge. In... more Team-based scientific collaborations play a key role in the discovery and distribution of scientific knowledge. In order to determine the social and organizational factors that help support a scientific team’s successful transition from short-term experiments to long-term programs of ongoing scientific research, this study used observations of teams conducting experiments at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory to determine what teams actually do during these experiments. As part of a larger, ongoing research project using mixed methods, our findings describe hybrid teams at work, and demonstrate how multiple, overlapping, and nested lifecycles and information worlds play an important role in promoting successful and continuing scientific collaboration. The boundaries between worlds and efforts to span them are particularly important, requiring greater attention. Our future research will develop a model including these factors and add further practical and theoretical implications to those we have already identified.

Composition of scientific teams and publication productivity at a national science lab

by Besiki Stvilia

The limits of DeCSS posting: a comparison of internet posting of DVD circumvention devices in the European Union and China

by Yi Shen

Designing a Discipline: Social Informatics Revisited

by Laszlo Z. Karvalics

Visions of Community: Community Informatics and the Contested Nature of a Polysemic Term for a Progressive Discipline

by Marcus Leaning

Averweg, U. and Leaning, M. (2011) 'Visions of Community: Community Informatics and the Contested Nature of a Polysemic Term for a Progressive Discipline', Journal of Information Technology and International Development, Volume 7, Number 2, Summer 2011, 17–30.

Community Informatics (CI) is an academic field of study that seeks to examine how information and communication... more Community Informatics (CI) is an academic field of study that seeks to examine how information and communication technologies (ICT) such as Web 2.0 social media and mobile technologies can be deployed for the beneªt of communities.
Community is, however, a problematic and polysemic term, meaning different things to different people, and it has inherently political overtones.
This article aims to bring to the attention of practitioners in the ªeld of CI the contested nature of the term community, and to examine the historical origin of the term and the multiple ways in which it has been and can be used. In
exploring this term, we make use of more literary, historical, and sociological approaches. Such approaches can offer new insights on the topic for audiences from more technical academic disciplines. With such discussion to assist
practitioners of CI of the problematic ways in which community has been and can be used, we offer the following recommendations: (1) Use of the term community remains largely unproblematized, and we ought to be more mindful
of its history; (2) community should be recognized as a locally contingent position; (3) as a term of reference, its use should be carefully considered within speciªc contexts; (4) a fuller exploration of the term in the CI discipline is needed; and (5) practitioners in the fieeld of CI will require greater reflection on the term community when addressing ICT practice issues. We hope that these recommendations may lead to more reflexive practice in the progressive
discipline of CI.

Simon Parker; Emma Uprichard; Roger Burrows, CLASS PLACES AND PLACE CLASSES Geodemographics and the Spatialization of Class

by Simon Parker

This paper argues that the 'spatial turn' in the sociology of class - the clustering of people with a similar habitus... more This paper argues that the 'spatial turn' in the sociology of class - the clustering of people with a similar habitus into what we might think of as 'class places' - is connected in a number of important ways with the ongoing informatization of place, particularly as manifest in the urban informatics technology of geodemographics. This is a technology concerned with the development of the classification of places to commercial and policy ends - the assigning of postcodes to a set of mutually exclusive and exhaustive categories, or 'place classes'. What interests the authors is the manner in which there is a strong concordance between the conclusions of academic sociologists working on the spatialization of class and those of - what might be thought of as - 'commercial sociologists' working in the geodemographics industry. Although the conceptual argot is very different, both have in common an interest in the codification and spatial mapping of habitus, and both arrive at very similar substantive conclusions about contemporary processes of sociocultural spatial clustering. But the authors' interest is not just in the observation that there is an analytic convergence in academic and commercial concerns with the relationship between 'class places' and 'place classes'; rather, it is in their possible co-construction. They argue that geodemographic classifications are not only sociologically important phenomena but also represent an interesting example of a new form of software-mediated recursive urban ontology.

Team diversity and the quality of scientific publications

by Adam Worrall

Hinnant, C. C., Stvilia, B., Burnett, G., Burnett, K., Kazmer, M. M., Marty, P. F., Schindler, K., & Worrall, A. (2011). Team diversity and the quality of scientific publications. Poster presented at the 2011 Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Annual Conference, San Diego, CA, January 4-7, 2011.

As the size and scope of scientific inquiry increased during the second half of the twentieth century, the development... more As the size and scope of scientific inquiry increased during the second half of the twentieth century, the development of scientific knowledge became dependent on the collaborative work of highly specialized research teams. There is a large body of literature assessing the research productivity of individuals, institutions or nations based on the number of peer-reviewed publications produced and/or the number citations received by those publications (Adkins & Budd, 2006). However, there has been surprisingly little research on author teams in general, and the interaction between team characteristics and publication patterns in particular. With multi-authored publications becoming a dominant form of scientific communication (Wuchty, Jones, & Uzzi, 2007), examining the characteristics of author teams can advance our understanding of the structure of scientific publication success and quality. This work-in progress poster presents preliminary findings of a study which examines the relationship between team demographic diversity and article quality.

The data analyzed by the study consist of author demographics of, and citations received by, all articles published in the journal Physical Review Letters from 2004 to 2006 by researchers using the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. This includes 123 articles authored by 476 scientists. The study uses regression analysis to investigate the impact of team association diversity and seniority diversity measures on the number of citations. Preliminary results of the analysis indicate a negative interaction between author team association diversity and publication quality. The relationship between team seniority diversity and publication quality was positive, but not statistically significant.

Composition of scientific teams and publication productivity at a national science lab

by Adam Worrall

Stvilia, B., Hinnant, C. C., Schindler, K., Worrall, A., Burnett, G., Burnett, K., Kazmer, M. M., & Marty, P. F. (2011). Composition of scientific teams and publication productivity at a national science lab. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 62(2), 270-283. doi:10.1002/asi.21464

The production of scientific knowledge has evolved from a process of inquiry largely based on the activities of... more The production of scientific knowledge has evolved from a process of inquiry largely based on the activities of individual scientists to one grounded in the collaborative efforts of specialized research teams. This shift brings to light a new question: how the composition of scientific teams impacts their production of knowledge. This study employs data from 1,415 experiments conducted at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) between 2005 and 2008 to identify and select a sample of 89 teams, and examine whether team diversity and network characteristics impact productivity. The study examines how the diversity of science teams along several variables impacts overall team productivity. Results indicate several diversity measures associated with network position and team productivity. Teams with mixed institutional associations were more central to the overall network compared to teams composed primarily of the NHMFL's own scientists. Team cohesion was positively related to productivity. The study indicates that high productivity in teams is associated with high disciplinary diversity and low seniority diversity of team membership. Finally, an increase in the share of senior members negatively affects productivity, and teams with members in central structural positions perform better than other teams.