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 Im keen to get your perspectives. Wed 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