crrn presentation pg

Canadian Rural Research Network (CRRN)Réseau canadien de recherche rurale (RCRR)

Alessandro AlasiaNetwork Coordinator

Growing Rural and Remote Health Research BCRRHRN Scientific Exchange Prince George, March 4-5th 2010

Outline

• CRRN development• Vision and objectives, operation • Emerging networking models• Way ahead

CRRN development• 2005, National Rural Research Network (CRRF/Rural Secretariat)

• June 2009, CRRF supports a proposal to revitalize the network (as Canadian Rural Research Network) with a renewed mandate and networking model

– June 2009, CRRN blog is established– August 2009, first bi-monthly email update is sent out– September/December 2009, a management committee is

established– December 2009, first online meeting of the management

committee– January/February 2010, presence on social media (Facebook,

Twitter, YouTube)

CRRN vision

• A vibrant, free and comprehensive on-line community of rural research stakeholders that facilitates links, exchanges, partnerships and information sharing among all parties interested in rural research by means of new and innovative networking approaches

Emerging networking models• Shift in Internet applications: Web 2.0

– From a publishing environment– To a participative environment

• Cost of collaboration has plunged• A new mode of production emerges: peer production

– A way of producing goods/services that relies on self-organizing, egalitarian communities of individuals who come together voluntarily to produce a shared outcome (Tapscott and Williams 2006)

• It works for production of: (1) “information” outputs; (2) small increment contributions are possible; (3) low cost of re-assembly

• Peer production can outperform traditional production models because people self-select for tasks

Information sharing

• CRRN facilitates sharing of research outputs and research-related information among a broad spectrum of rural stakeholders

• The CRRN has no financial budget, does not provide or seek funding for research

CRRN bloghttp://www.rural-research-network.blogspot.com

CRRN bi-monthly updatesubscribe.crrn@gmail.com

Social media applicationsJoin the conversation

Management Committee

• Formed by individuals willing to provide a voluntary contribution for the maintenance of the web portal, and to be active in the development of new ideas and applications that would further support the objectives of the network and its growth

• Alessandro Alasia, Network Coordinator• Jean-François Frenette, INRS, Montréal• David Hardie, CRRN, Ottawa• Deatra Walsh, Memorial University, St. John's• Erin McGuigan, University of British Columbia, Vancouver• Jeff Dixon, Queen's University, Kingston• Molly Moshofsky, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Partners’ Roundtable

• 29 organizations (academic institutions and research centers, provincial and national organizations, federal government)

• Part of these organizations were already linked to CRRF, others were invited to join CRRN

• A contact person from each partnering organization to maintain communication

• Annual online meeting to be organized soon….

Way ahead• CRRN is 10 months old and very much under (self-

organizing) construction

• Lots of room for improvement and new ideas– e.g., academic journal scan, closer collaboration with other

national and international networks

• CRRN experience suggests that there is a potential for peer production models applied to research information sharing with a large community of interest

• Potential benefits for “research production” need to be explored and monitored

Thank you