network enabled research: not just bigger or better, but fundamentally different

Network Enabled Research:�Not just bigger or better, but different�

Cameron Neylon - SURF Research Day�9 February 2012

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areas to deliver...

conceptual changes...

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...central principle.

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Who am I?

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Quality of service... http://www.flickr.com/photos/62337512@N00/3958637561 CC-BY

Value for money...

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Sustainability...

But for who?

Who is the customer?

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The customer is the global public

The product is research outcomes.

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Why this conversation?

Why now? http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/3297205226 CC-BY

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Networks qualitatively change our capacity.

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But what does that mean?

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Connected networks...

...qualitatively different capacity http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenny-pics/3617215730 CC-BY

An example.

27 January 2009

http://gowers.wordpress.com/

27 January 2009

February 1 2009

http://gowers.wordpress.com/

“It is not the case that the aim of the project is [...] I think that the chances of success even for this more modest aim are substantially less than 100%.”�Tim Gowers�http://gowers.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/a-combinatorial-approach-to-density-hales-jewett/

27 January 2009

February 1 2009

March 10 2009

http://gowers.wordpress.com/

“[…] it appears that DHJ(3) has won […] �I hereby state that I am basically sure that the problem is solved (though not in the way originally envisaged).”�Tim Gowers�http://gowers.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/problem-solved-probably/

“It feels as though this is to normal research as driving is to pushing a car.”�Tim Gowers�http://gowers.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/questions-of-procedure/#comment-1701

Qualitatively different.

Slide courtesy of Arfon Smith

Slide courtesy of Arfon Smith

Slide courtesy of Arfon Smith

Slide courtesy of Arfon Smith

Qualitatively different.

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Because of scale...

...connectivity... http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/5912946760 CC-BY

...efficient transfer

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How do we make networks?

As service providers...

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US Defence Department: 090807-N-5749W-394.jpg

...how do we deliver them?

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areas to deliver...

1. Scale and connectivity.

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2. Low friction.

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3. Demand side filters.

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The first two are easy.

The web makes them easy.

But herein lies...

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Because if your business model...

...is selling access

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You’re selling a product...

...that no-one wants.

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“Tweets can predict highly cited articles within the first

3 days of article publication.”�

Gunther Eysenbach (2011) JMIR 4:e123�http://www.jmir.org/2011/4/e123/

In a world where researchers...

...are reporting on impact...

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...these are the value proposition

Reducing access just damages the product.

So where is...

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An analogy.

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Move to a service model.

We need to talk about the first copy costs.

Why does it matter?

Why do I care?

Because there is expertise... http://www.flickr.com/photos/adactio/4716979606 CC-BY

...and infrastructure.

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...that we need.

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areas to deliver...

1. Scale and connectivity.

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2. Low friction.

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You may have something to offer here perhaps...?

3. Demand side filters.

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conceptual changes...

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The content business is over...

...but making content shareable is a great service business.

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Filter on the demand side.

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Peer review is a filter.

Filters block.

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Blocks are friction...

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...on the supply side.

Whether its good or bad...

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...it cannot always be the right filter.

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...for everyone. http://www.flickr.com/photos/marfis75/3272079115 CC-BY-SA

Broken connections. Lost scale.

Fewer opportunities to generate impact.

But on the demand side?

Dynamic, personal, customised...

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...control.

Authors want...

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But it’s the readers that will choose which to follow.

Readers want...

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The biggest opportunity ever.

This is what we do right?

...and can only work...

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...if the content is...

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areas to deliver...

1. Scale and connectivity.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/5925793753 CC-BY

2. Low friction.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/g_kat26/3535474947 CC-BY-SA

3. Demand side filters.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidgsteadman/3833451833 CC-BY

conceptual changes...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivanwalsh/4509575889 CC-BY

1. The content business is over...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emperley3/4705354106 CC-BY-SA

2. Filter on the demand side.

...central principle.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkumm/2709555496 CC-BY

Think at network scale.

We can’t build a system on yesterday’s truths.

We could maintain a system on today’s....

...for a while

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You build a business on tomorrow’s realities...

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...by being out in front...

Innovators don’t follow markets...

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...they build them.

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The network is our future.

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