The Virtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences

The Virtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences

Anne BeaulieuAnne Beaulieu

Common denominator: ‘networks’

Common denominator: ‘networks’

• Networks are key infrastructure of

e-knowledge

• Practices of scholars and scientists as a starting point

• Networks are key infrastructure of

e-knowledge

• Practices of scholars and scientists as a starting point

Central idea of VKSCentral idea of VKS• Transformations in information and

communication technologies and practices– Create new possibilities for researchers

hypotheses, data, methods, dissemination

– Raise new questionsHow can these be used by researchers in hum/soc sc?

What are the implications of this use?

• DUAL missionengage with and reflect on e-research

• Transformations in information and communication technologies and practices– Create new possibilities for researchers

hypotheses, data, methods, dissemination

– Raise new questionsHow can these be used by researchers in hum/soc sc?

What are the implications of this use?

• DUAL missionengage with and reflect on e-research

Mission VKS

Mission VKS

• design and conceptualisation new questions & practices

• experiment/play• travel across

disciplines• grasp dynamics

knowledge creation

• design and conceptualisation new questions & practices

• experiment/play• travel across

disciplines• grasp dynamics

knowledge creation

• demonstration and exploration

• bring researchers together

• pool resources, methodologies and techniques

• interrogate both old and new

• demonstration and exploration

• bring researchers together

• pool resources, methodologies and techniques

• interrogate both old and new

Method VKS

Method VKS

virtual ethnography

construction platform

web archiving

simulation

analytic center

DATA

COLLABORATIONS

INSTITUTIONS

Common denominator: ‘networks’

Common denominator: ‘networks’

• What does a network look like when defined as a practice, rather than as an infrastructure?

• What do these differences between networking and networks tell us about innovation and the scope of change in the humanities and qualitative social sciences? These questions will be addressed using case studies from data-sharing, web-based communication, and European research collaboration.

• What does a network look like when defined as a practice, rather than as an infrastructure?

• What do these differences between networking and networks tell us about innovation and the scope of change in the humanities and qualitative social sciences? These questions will be addressed using case studies from data-sharing, web-based communication, and European research collaboration.

Study of mailing listStudy of mailing list

• What does the network of subscribers do?

• How is this different from non-networked scholarly practices?

• What does the network of subscribers do?

• How is this different from non-networked scholarly practices?

Study of mailing listStudy of mailing list

• How is this different from non-networked scholarly practices?– Consolidation of list discussions in the form

of webbased ressources is unlike other forms of scholarly output in this field.

• Traces of network remain

• How is this different from non-networked scholarly practices?– Consolidation of list discussions in the form

of webbased ressources is unlike other forms of scholarly output in this field.

• Traces of network remain

Study of mailing listStudy of mailing list

• Interactions:

pointers stacks waves

• Interactions:

pointers stacks waves

pointerspointers

• Point elsewhere and cut off discussion

• Range of queries• Point to existing

resources on Websites or list(s) archives

• Point elsewhere and cut off discussion

• Range of queries• Point to existing

resources on Websites or list(s) archives

stacksstacks

• Queries considered acceptable, but novel

• Short/ ‘me too’• List as means to

generate/consolidate

• Queries considered acceptable, but novel

• Short/ ‘me too’• List as means to

generate/consolidate

waveswaves • Excruciating… to read & follow

• Deconstruction of list, postings, posters, language used

• ‘Breakdown’

• Excruciating… to read & follow

• Deconstruction of list, postings, posters, language used

• ‘Breakdown’

Study of mailing listStudy of mailing listconsolidationconsolidation

Study of mailing listStudy of mailing list• What does the network of subscribers do?

interact and consolidate

• How is this different from non-networked scholarly practices?– Distributed work– Visibility of sources drawn upon from network– Differentiation of network of creation (list) and

dissemination (webpage)

• What does the network of subscribers do?interact and consolidate

• How is this different from non-networked scholarly practices?– Distributed work– Visibility of sources drawn upon from network– Differentiation of network of creation (list) and

dissemination (webpage)

Network as practiceNetwork as practice

• What does a network look like when defined as a practice, rather than as an infrastructure?

http://www.virtualknowledgestudio.nl/

• What does a network look like when defined as a practice, rather than as an infrastructure?

http://www.virtualknowledgestudio.nl/

Network as practiceNetwork as practiceWhat do these differences between networking and networks tell us about

innovation and the scope of change in the humanities and qualitative social sciences?

• Configuration of list and users aligned to specific forms of ‘building’ – Network is built for efficiency of transmission of messages: makes it more difficult to

have conversation in which timing matters, and easier to have ‘stack’ kinds of interactions

• Importance of boundary keeping in network– Activity of moderator important for keeping focus, need to modulate the technical

openness of the system so as not to dilute purpose of network• Use and intersection of multiple networks

– Contributors use own systems and report to list– Materials from list get used for consolidated pages on the website: points to

importance of carrying materials across these networks, the importance of ‘cut and paste’ as translational practice across networks; awareness of expertise of closed group in relation to openness of website.

What do these differences between networking and networks tell us about innovation and the scope of change in the humanities and qualitative social sciences?

• Configuration of list and users aligned to specific forms of ‘building’ – Network is built for efficiency of transmission of messages: makes it more difficult to

have conversation in which timing matters, and easier to have ‘stack’ kinds of interactions

• Importance of boundary keeping in network– Activity of moderator important for keeping focus, need to modulate the technical

openness of the system so as not to dilute purpose of network• Use and intersection of multiple networks

– Contributors use own systems and report to list– Materials from list get used for consolidated pages on the website: points to

importance of carrying materials across these networks, the importance of ‘cut and paste’ as translational practice across networks; awareness of expertise of closed group in relation to openness of website.