*** Apologies for cross-posing *** CALL FOR PAPERS Workshop on Research 2.0 18 June, Manchester (To be held in conjunction with the 4th International e-Social Science conference, 18-20 June 2008, http://www.ncess.ac.uk/events/conference/) ---------- Background ---------- Contemporary research challenges increasingly demand collaborative and cross-disciplinary methods. In recognition of this, research funders worldwide have, in recent years, invested substantial resources in building large-scale and networked e‑Infrastructure (or Cyberinfrastructure as it is known in the US) and tools. These tools include virtual research environments (VREs) and virtual observatories. However, these Grid-based, heavy-weight computing infrastructures, driven as they largely have been by the needs of researchers requiring High Performance Computing or High Throughput Computing, do not necessarily address the different needs of scientists across the full range of research areas and disciplines. Consequently, what we now observe is a ‘grass roots’ led appropriation by these latter groups of more flexible, lightweight, easily configurable and rapidly deployable technologies originating from the Web sphere. Web 2.0 promises a peer-to-peer, dynamic environment that extends beyond one-way presentation of information, and engages large numbers of Internet users to create, annotate, review, reuse, recreate, and represent the information publicized on the Web. Well-known Web 2.0 tools include wikis, blogs, folksonomies, Web feeds, websites for sharing digital objects such as videos, photos, slides, bookmarks, professional networking, especially for business contacts and job-search and various other web-based social networking platforms, which provide a variety of ways for users to interact. For the developer, Web 2.0 is characterised by a set of tools and technologies which facilitate rapid development of Web site functionality, including the creation of ‘mashups’ drawing on functionality from multiple sites, using a community software development model. Participation in online, social networking activities has become highly popular in contemporary society. Commercial websites integrating with a range of Web 2.0 tools have created a new discourse, replacing the static, top-down nature of Web 1.0. Web 2.0 is also changing the way we do research. It has been envisioned that a well-designed social networking site can facilitate communications between scientists at different physical locations and in different disciplines, and can encourage them or at least make it easier for them to share their data and findings, and possibly recreate and reuse these resources. Research 2.0 is the term commonly used to describe the extension of Web 2.0 tools to support academic and other research. But do all lessons we have learnt from generic social networking sites apply to scientific social networking ones? Or are there any substantial differences between the two, given the specific needs of users working in scientific field? ---------------------- Format of the workshop ---------------------- This one-day workshop, which will be held in conjunction with the 4th International e-Social Science conference at Manchester, aims to map current territory of Research 2.0 (What Web 2.0 applications exist in research and how have they been adopted), and to identify the opportunities and challenges in the development and implementation of Research 2.0. It will consist of a number of short papers and a discussion session identifying promising research directions and initiating interdisciplinary collaboration. --------------------------------------------------- Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) --------------------------------------------------- * new Web 2.0-based technologies for facilitating scientific work * design and evaluation methodologies for Research 2.0 sites (including new research methods such as virtual ethnography) * usability and performativity issues of Research 2.0 sites * cultural, legal and social issues around Research 2.0 * case studies on scientific use of web 2.0 tools and concepts * how Research 2.0 shape the production of scientific knowledge (Do Web 2.0 applications in research make a difference to existing Internet applications like email, content management systems or newsgroups?) * good practice of engaging users and fostering a Research 2.0 community --------------------- Submission Guidelines --------------------- Participants interested in presenting a short paper should submit a 500-word abstract to Yuwei Lin <yuwei.lin@ncess.ac.uk> not later than 15 May, 2008. All submissions will be reviewed by the workshop organisers. --------------- Important Dates --------------- Abstract submission: 15 May, 2008 Author notification: 19 May, 2008 Date of Workshop: 18 June, 2008 ---------- Organisers ---------- Yuwei Lin (University of Manchester) Rob Procter (University of Manchester) Meik Poschen (University of Manchester) Rachel Gibson (University of Manchester) David De Roure (University of Southampton) For further information please see http://www.ncess.ac.uk/events/conference/ -- Dr. Yuwei Lin ESRC National Centre for e-Social Science (NCeSS) University of Manchester Arthur Lewis Building 2C Manchester M13 9PL UK T. +44-(0)161-2751388 F. +44-(0)161-2751390 W. (work) http://www.ncess.ac.uk W. (personal) http://www.ylin.org