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

You are free to:

Copy, share, adapt, or re-mix;

Photograph, film, or broadcast;

Blog, live-blog, or post video of;

This presentation. Provided that:

You attribute the work to its author and respect the rights and licenses associated with its components.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cappellmeister/39508741 CC-BY

areas to deliver...

conceptual changes...

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

...central principle.

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

Who am I?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/loveisnotavictorymarch/3799891880/ CC-BY

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lejoe/2753290847 CC-BY

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

Value for money...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mukumbura/4052671706 CC-BY-SA

http://www.flickr.com/photos/maleny_steve/2950362521 CC-BY-SA

Sustainability...

But for who?

Who is the customer?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/US_Congress_02.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/uggboy/4988104700 CC-BY

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mararie/3313582639/ CC-BY-SA

The customer is the global public

The product is research outcomes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chadmiller/2740551034

Why this conversation?

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

http://www.flickr.com/photos/baccharus/4473818003 CC-BY

Networks qualitatively change our capacity.

50%

100%

100%

50%

But what does that mean?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/6635655755 CC-BY

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


“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


“[…] 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

Qualitatively different.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/3760104591CC-BY

Because of scale...

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

...efficient transfer

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddyates/3367008166 CC-BY

How do we make networks?

As service providers...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/benzado/3968712449 CC-BY

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

...how do we deliver them?


areas to deliver...

1. Scale and connectivity.


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

The first two are easy.

The web makes them easy.

But herein lies...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/schnurrbart/43568532 CC-BY-SA

Because if your business model...

...is selling access

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bortescristian/3792473337 CC-BY

You’re selling a product...

...that no-one wants.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragesoss/2246950281CC-BY-SA

“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...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/babasteve/3140688308 CC-BY

...these are the value proposition

Reducing access just damages the product.

So where is...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/schnurrbart/43568532 CC-BY-SA

An analogy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sylvar/99245480 CC-BY

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.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/3468445533 CC-BY

...that we need.


areas to deliver...

2. Low friction.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/robzand/4759648022 CC-BY-SA

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

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23912576@N05/2879830929 CC-BY

The content business is over...

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

Filter on the demand side.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drachmann/327122302 CC-BY-SA

Peer review is a filter.

Filters block.

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

Blocks are friction...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/old_sarge/100926333 CC-BY

...on the supply side.

Whether its good or bad...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81223571@N00/3074025679 CC-BY-SA

...it cannot always be the right filter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spence_sir/2291938423 CC-BY

...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...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhythmicdiaspora/264073316 CC-BY

...control.

Authors want...

http://flickr.com/photos/nicmcphee/2756494307/ CC-BY-SA

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

Readers want...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paszczak000/4421317209 CC-BY-SA

The biggest opportunity ever.

This is what we do right?

...and can only work...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/virtualsugar/316200555 CC-BY

...if the content is...


areas to deliver...

2. Low friction.


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


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

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yakobusan/2436481628 CC-BY

http://www.flickr.com/photos/claudiogennari/3531504778 CC-BY

...by being out in front...

Innovators don’t follow markets...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petrick/2291498814 CC-BY

...they build them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/98528214@N00/312210315/ CC-BY-SA

The network is our future.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/3143417443 CC-BY

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgifford/3558463424 CC-BY-SA

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

Technology