Is eResearch about the technology?

…space, platforms, hubs and social change…

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Roles..digital development

Copyright Clearance: PolytechnicResearch Librarian: MuseumLecturer: Intellectual Access

Web Archivist: Cultural HeritageDigital Repository Coordinator: University

Special Projects Manager: University Manager: Collections Australia Network

…so this is a practitioner’s view…

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Three questions..

Is eResearch about the technology?

What are the characteristics of content aggregation (digital)?

How does content aggregation contribute to the goals of eResearch?

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Three answers..

eResearch – provide opportunities for researchers to use technologies in the research

process

Content aggregators – conduits that provide a base level of engagement with research content

by contributors and users

eResearch goals – by enabling engagement and increasing the likelihood of more opportunities to

use technology being exploited by researchers

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Engagement..

With technology..With people..

With people using technology..

Aside the role that content aggregators have in providing a base level of engagement to build on.

Lessons learned in facilitating online access to research resources can be translated and are

reflective of common culture change issues and changes in practice across sectors.

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Is eResearch about the technology?

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Is eResearch about the technology?

…or is it about culture change…?

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Is eResearch about the technology?

Yes.. it is about tools!No.. it is what those tools enable!

Yes.. tool design is important.Exactly.. who designs them?

OK.. and your point is?How usable are they?

Why should we use them?!?!

The technologist and the reluctant technology user.

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

The utility value needs to be demonstrated and understood.

The utility value of having digitised research resources has already been demonstrated

through use of digital resources by scholars in their research and the development of citation standards in keeping with scholarly practices.

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

If culture change isn't on the agenda, why not?

What happens when social context and culture gets overlooked?

Depiction of technical networks.Depiction of social networks..?

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Social networks..

map of Seb Chan's Facebook friends and their interconnections

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Theories..

...the pivotal nature of culture in technological change and innovation

in the social history, information systems, information and knowledge

management discourses

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Acknowledgement: Professor Jon Patrick, School of Information Technologies, University of SydneyResources and Tools Used

Becomes Capacity

Turns into Confidence

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Culture change..

- discernible stages of digital development- patterns of digital development (digitisation) around domains, group dynamics, socio-technical capacity - impact of governance mechanisms- link between attitude to change and how risk is viewed correlates with the type and level of change that may occur and the nature of the support/facilitation required

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Is eResearch about the technology?

First assertion: it is about culture change.

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

What are the characteristics of content aggregation?

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darkframe/395951788 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ Space

Content Aggregators as Boundary Negotiators

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darkframe/395951788 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ Space

Content Aggregators as Boundary Negotiators

Unique position

Social space

Macroscopic views

Multiple stakeholders

Cross-domain and discipline

Across sectors and organisations

Core focus: digitisation

Induction/introduction

Shared/mutual outcomes

Collaboration a core factor

Relationship building crucial

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/2457576800/

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ Hubs Technical and Social Brokers

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

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Hubs Technical and Social Brokers

Conduits

Engagement with participants

Trigger needs assessment

New processes, services, relationships

Re-examine 'traffic’ rules and controls

Non-partisan role

Technical and social connectivity

Connective design meets the needs of the content

contributors/users

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

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Platform

Incubators and facilitators of change

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/155595849/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

When travellers arrive in a new place…

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedroqtc/238513904//http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

…one of their first acts to “ground” themselves isto familiarise themselves with the territory. That might be the landscape, the language, the music, the transport systems, the buildings, the smells, the food, or the people….

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

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Where do you want to go?

What do you want to do when you get

there?

What time and money do you

have?

How much do you want to do this?

When do you want to go?

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The characteristics of content aggregators

are: boundary negotiators, hubs,

platforms, incubators, and travel agents.

Second assertion: Content Aggregators

are social agents.

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

How does content aggregation contribute to the goals of

eResearch?

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

..by helping people work through the issues to get content well-

formed, uploaded and available online, made accessible and used

in ways that are amenable to content contributors and

researchers and machines.. and the law/lore

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

..seems simple enough..

but it's not..

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdverde/2857682406 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Content Aggregators as Transformers

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdverde/2857682406 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Content Aggregators as Transformers

Technical hitch

Social hitch

Tangles, knots and walls

Expectations (realistic or otherwise)

Content contributors/users

Broker/guide

Change in practice

On both sides

Exploiting technology

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

..in a sustainable manner in taking those first and/or new steps so

those participants (contributors/users) have a

positive sense of ownership, achievement, confidence and

(hopefully) eagerness to undertake further engagement..

..i.e. once the social hitches have been gotten over..

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, Museums Australia, WA, Changing Landscapes, 8 Oct 2009Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Scenarios

Culture change issues in the collecting sector

Patterns of practice and social hitches reflected in culture change that can be seen in the research sector

Small to large scale groups/entities

Small to large scale politics

Small to large scale projects

Social hitches

Description standards

Technical know-how

Social behaviours and group dynamics

Diverse collection systems

Analogue practices

Bat and ball syndrome

Computer literacy levels

Rights: ethical/legal

Do it ALL syndrome

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Scenarios

Evolution of historical societies into museums

Convergence of community gallery and library services

Search across collections in university GLAMs

Major initiative lead by a key national institution

Social hitches

Description standards

Technical know-how

Social behaviours and group dynamics

Diverse collection systems

Analogue practices

Bat and ball syndrome

Computer literacy levels

Rights: ethical/legal

Do it ALL syndrome

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Scenario

Evolution of historical societies into museums

Small, local, FNQ

Local politics and industry

Collection description

No money, some time and an ageing and uninitiated workforce

Volunteer workforce

Shared domain knowledge

Social hitches

Description standards

Technical know-how

Social behaviours and group dynamics

Analogue practices

Computer literacy levels

Rights: ethical/legal

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Scenario

Convergence of community gallery and library services

Regional, NSW

Shared collection system

Perceived cost-savings and professional conflict

Regional politics and industry

Professional workforce

Different collecting practices

Social hitches

Description standards

Social behaviours and group dynamics

Diverse collection systems

Bat and ball syndrome

Computer literacy levels

Rights: ethical/legal

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Scenario

Search across collections in university GLAMs

Somewhere, Australia

One place to search

No shared information management practices

Professional workforce

Different collecting practices

Diverse collection 'owners'

Heterogeneous collections

Social hitches

Description standards

Technical know-how

Social behaviours and group dynamics

Diverse collection systems

Analogue practices

Bat and ball syndrome

Computer literacy levels

Rights: ethical/legal

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Scenario

Major initiative lead by a key national institution

National Library of Australia

Newspaper digitisation

Copyright issues

Voluntary correction

Social hitches

Social behaviours and group dynamics

Rights: ethical/legal

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdverde/2837910184/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ Content Aggregators: Agents of

Transformation and ConnectivityIngrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

Acknowledgement: Professor Jon Patrick, School of Information Technologies, University of SydneyResources and Tools Used

Becomes Capacity

Turns into Confidence

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncbob/2389492877/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ The Cow Path

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

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Content Aggregators: Agents of Transformation

and Connectivity

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

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Content Aggregators: Agents of Transformation

and Connectivity

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pswansen/465802644/

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/

Before you cruise off... takeaways

Pay attention to technical hitches but pay a WHOLE LOT MORE

attention to the social hitches

Culture change doesn't happen overnight and any change needs to be driven by the stakeholders

Establishing the roles and the rules of engagement is important

so all parties understand their part to play in that process of change

Patterns of social behaviour and group dynamics will change as

progress is made

Ingrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pswansen/465802624

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/

Third assertion: Content aggregators

help prepare eResearchers for

takeoff….

and..… landing

and…. refuelling

and….. maintenance

to take… further flights of intellectual

fascination and imagination.

Thank YouIngrid Mason, National Project Manager, Collections Australia Network, eResearch Australasia, Sydney, 10 Nov 2009