Entangled Data Project

A group of social scientists from Essex University are studying how people in e-Science projects collaborate.

They would like to hear from any AstroGrid team members who would be interested in participating in the project.

If you would like to participate, please contact DawnNafus^? on Jabber, or email her on dnafus[at]essex.ac.uk.

Dawn has an account on our Jabber server, so she may turn up in some of our chat rooms.

-- DaveMorris - 09 Jun 2005

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From their project document :

What’s it about?

Entangled data is a study comparing three groups of researchers (two social science and one natural science) to understand how and why researchers do or do not collaborate using shared digital data sources. It will develop insights into the likely use and non-use of e-science technologies, and the social and technological innovations that may be required as e-science expands from its early adopters. It will do this by tracing the ways in which data travels across distributed networks of researchers, and analysing the concepts of ‘community’ that are involved in making data travel. This promises to contribute to our wider understanding of academic knowledge production and disciplinarity. While this is a social science project, we intend to engage with the wider e-science community to help improve the next generation of e-science technologies.

Who’s funding it?

The Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) in partnership with the National Centre for E-Social Science.

What does the research actually involve?

The research method is participant observation. The point to participant observation is to try to understand what is going on from an insider’s perspective. In practice this means a combination of informal and semi-formal interviews, observing meetings, tracing electronic communication/documentation, and participating in whatever way the community sees fit. Participation often means conducting some mundane administrative task for the benefit of the community, which serves two purposes: it gives the researcher an excuse to be where things are happening, and it also is an opportunity to give back to the group and compensate for some of the time lost due to participating. We never ask for total access to either people or information, and part of the professional code of ethics we adhere to involves keeping an open dialogue about the terms of the participation. Although our involvement with your project is inevitably a slight disruption, it would be highly unethical for us to become a real hindrance.

What are the benefits to participation?

Contribute to national e-science strategy: This project will help computer science engineers make technologies useful for actual end users, and will become part of the evidence base used for future e-science investments. Administrative support: Participation is an opportunity to accomplish the boring task that nobody wants to do. Although we are not scientists, we are bright and flexible individuals who could competently assist with a range of things. Extra visibility for your project: We intend to present results at both e-social science conferences as well as the 2006 UK e-Science All Hands Meeting.