[Air-l] social shaping of eScience and eSocial Science

[steve woolgar]

Dear listmembers

ESRC have asked me to do a scoping report to identify issues and problems 
they should be funding around "the social shaping of eScience and eSocial 
Science".

The basic idea is that despite enormous unfolding investment in eg grid 
technologies, it seems we know almost nothing about how and why (and by 
whom) these new technologies will be taken up, nor what will be the likely 
effects on the nature and conduct of e(Social)Science research. “Social 
shaping” is defined very broadly to include all social scientific aspects 
of the genesis, use, implementation and effects of the new e technologies.

Given the recent postings on this topic by Jeremy Hunsinger, Franz Barjak, 
Denise Rall and Caroline Haythornthwaite; and given the international 
nature of this list I’m keen to get your perspectives. We’d like to know 
where and how you see your work fit in (if at all), and what are your views 
on the issues and questions which should be funded. Would you be so kind as 
to help us please by taking a few moments to respond to the brief questions 
below?

Many thanks for your help (and apologies if you have already received this 
request separately.)


Steve


1. We have thus far identified a number of questions and issues that fall 
within the remit of social shaping of eScience and eSocial Science. 
Examples are:

What social circumstances encourage or inhibit data sharing and 
collaborative working? - How will the implementation of new grid 
technologies affect this situation? - How will the new grid technologies 
affect the methodologies employed by scientists and social scientists? - 
How will patterns of communication between scientists be affected? - To 
what extent will IPR be an issue? - Can we anticipate different attitudes 
to risk, liability and responsibility? - Are changing structures of 
accountability concomitant with changing communication practices? - What 
are the issues around ethics, privacy and trust? - What different social 
and economic factors affect the uptake and use of grid technologies in 
different organisational settings? - How can scientists and social 
scientists be persuaded to make use of the new technologies?

Which of these questions best describe your own work? Which others should 
we add?




2. We have also identified a number of disciplinary perspectives that come 
under the very broad rubric of “social shaping of eScience and eSocial 
Science”. Examples are:

-       Sociology of technology, science and technology studies
-       Social informatics, CSCW, ethnomethodology
-       Library information science, computer-assisted content analysis, 
data mining
-       Organisational analysis, economics and business studies, innovation 
theory
-       Science communication
-       History and philosophy of science and technology
-       Communication studies and education studies
-       Psychology and anthropology of technology use
-       Media studies and internet studies
-       Social science methodology

Which of these disciplinary perspectives best fits with your own work? Or, 
if none of these apply, how would you characterise your work?



3. Could your work be reasonably described as:

a)      social shaping of e(Social)Science
b)      social shaping of other technologies
c)      neither (please specify why not)

4.      Frequently, a distinction is made between research which uses the 
new (grid) technologies and research that is about the use of these 
technologies. Does your research fit most easily into:

a)      research which uses new technologies
b)      research which is about the use of new technologies
c)      both


5.   Please nominate 3 (or more) people who you regard as the key players 
in this area:



6.      Can you think of others who, although not working within a “social 
shaping” remit, may be interested in collaborating in “social shaping of 
eScience and eSocial Science” projects or initiatives?




Thanks again!


Professor Steve Woolgar
Saïd Business School
University of Oxford
Park End Street
Oxford OX1 1HP
+44 (0)1865 288902
****************************
S Woolgar (ed) Virtual Society? - technology, cyberbole, reality (Oxford 
University Press, 2002)
20% discount for orders through the website: www.virtualsociety.org.uk
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