Programme

Abstract

Open Science describes the expected result of the on-going transition of the science and research system enabled by digital technologies and driven, bottom-up, by the increasing number of researchers operating in a globally networked science system and the increasing societal demand to address the Grand Challenges of our time. Open Science holds the promise to make science more productive, transparent and accountable. This is confirmed by an overwhelming majority of the respondents to the European Commission’s public consultation on ‘Science 2.0: Science in Transition’ carried out in summer 2014. The presentation will cover the concept of Open Science and its components, the outcome of the public consultation on ‘Science 2.0: Science in Transition’ and an outlook on the next steps in 2015.

Abstract

The evaluation experts are becoming more and more concerned about the generalization of the bibliometric bad practices. It is not only the abuse or misunderstanding of basic indicators like the infamous impact factor, but the increased number of publications by non-professionals of descriptive uncritical results, most of them promoted by the now easy access to citation databases and other bibliometric sources. A good example is the recent bibliometric ‘fiasco’ of a popular and ‘prestigious’ ranking of universities.

In this situation, certain groups are attacking not only the metrics-related practices, but the whole evaluation system. In preparation of a badly needed new metrics agenda, the author propose two action lines: (a)To move from the journal- and article-level metrics to individual and institutional profiles, targeting the authorship counting problem and analyzing the use of rank-based indicators, and (b) to extend the current set of indicators beyond those derived from the citation analysis to include the data coming from link (webometrics), mentions (altmetrics) or usage (usagemetrics) analysis to build a true multidimensional scenario.

Abstract

Crowdsourcing and crowdfunding provide new ways for the humanities to engage with the publics that support them. In this paper I start by arguing that in many ways the humanities have ceased to be understood by state stakeholders and we therefore need to renew the “social contract” with our publics. I will then review examples of humanities crowdsourcing projects like the Suda on Line (http://www.stoa.org/sol/) and crowdfunding projects like those at the University of Alberta. Such projects provide a model for a different relationship with the publics that could support us. I will conclude by discussing some of the changes that have to take place if academics are to go beyond experimenting with such forms of engagement.

Abstract  

Advances in science 2.0 can enhance participation and broaden approaches in science. In particular, citizen science may be fostered towards integration of different knowledge forms through co-production and co-design at the science-society interface. This talk will outline concepts and current developments of citizen science across the globe with a focus on Europe. The challenges and opportunities of citizen science will be discussed of how and when this leads to better research with added value for science and sociey. We will reflect on the current capacity building process towards a Citizen Science Strategy 2020 for Germany and outline the demands on technological innovation in the field of science 2.0.

Abstract

How will scientific publishing develop in the 21st century? Over the last decades topics such as Journal Impact Factor, blind peer-review and library subscriptions have dominated the discussion. However the digital revolution has already begun to change the rules. New topics such as article-level metrics, post-publication peer review and open data have emerged. Open Access is becoming publicly mandated in the US and EU, encouraging researchers to submit their work to open repositories. Preprint servers and subject repositories have been entering the market to provide faster access to unpublished results. Open peer review is practiced by ever more journals and consortia. Post-Publication Peer Review is a new buzz word to use crowd-sourcing to evaluate scientific research. Publication of research results is at the center of the scientific enterprise. It is therefore essential to explore the ways in which the speed and network character of the internet breaks down old categories of scholarly publishing and creates new ways of communicating scientific results.

Abstract

The recent ‘explosion’ of tracking tools that have accompanied the surge of web based information instruments has also open the possibility of measuring how new research publications are ‘read’, tweeted, shared, commented, discussed, rated, liked, etc. in an online and open environment. All these online events leave ‘traces’ around publications, thus allowing for the calculation of new metrics, which has given birth to the recent concept of ‘altmetrics’. These new metrics are expected to work as evidence of impact that can inform research evaluation and strategic decisions in science policy. However their actual meaning, validity and usefulness are still open questions. A review of the most important empirical research around altmetrics will be discussed in order to understand better their main characteristics and features. A more conceptual discussion to frame these new metrics will be presented in order to provide hints on how these new metrics could be considered for practical purposes.

Abstract

Cloud computing is increasingly being adopted by large organisations as well as Small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) today. However, up to now, the use of the cloud by businesses tends to be almost entirely on IT services and software applications with a drive for cost savings, productivity enhancements and standardisation in control. In fact, at the forefront of cloud development, the cloud is increasingly unfolded as a disruptive force fuelling business innovations. This talk will highlight how to use the cloud to support knowledge-intensive business activities. In particular, the speaker will elaborate on the opportunities and impact by big data and showcase how to leverage the cloud for learning, open innovation, expertise location and human-machine co-operative problem solving. Challenges for the breeding the next generation of knowledge workers and organisations will also be outlined.

Abstract

The big data revolution has had a profound impact on science. Whether we are talking about genetics, high-energy physics, or applied computer science, large volumes of data play an important part in the scientific process of many disciplines. At the same time, we see an increased use of online social services to share, manage and discuss scientific outputs. In combination with the open publishing of papers, data, source code and other products of research we do now have an enormous amount of information about scientific discoveries and their reception.
In this talk, I will present examples of how we can use big data about science in order to improve, among other things, discovery, recommendation and awareness of scientific artefacts and knowledge domain experts. I will also talk about the evolving ecosystem of big data services in support of science and a possible data value chain for Science 2.0.

Abstract

Regardless of what exactly is meant when we talk about science 2.0, it is always about sharing and using digital content. One significant but often ignored difference using digital content instead of traditional printed media is the growing importance of law in general and of copyright issues in particular. The first part of the talk is about the law’s changing role when physical copies disappear. After that selected problems will be discussed from the background of German law. These examples can draw attention to similar constellations in other legal systems. At the end, some strategies will be proposed which can help to reduce or even to avoid legal problems by working and collaborating in science 2.0 environments.

Abstract

Inria has been involved since more than 10 years in the open access movement and has issued in January 2013 a strong open access policy, which, beyond the obvious aspect of its deposit mandate, integrates a strategic investment in various initiatives contributing to change the way scientific information can be created, enriched and re-used. Our presentation will provide details about the general French context and present the specific developments made within Inria on overlay journals and text data mining on scholarly content.

Abstract  

Recent concepts emerging from the digital humanities, such as the “methodological commons” and “scholarly primitives” have offered robust theoretical models for building innovative e-science tools and collaborative infrastructure, such as the Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities (DARIAH) network, to facilitate online interdisciplinary collaboration for an emerging era of “big data” driven research. In keeping with these concepts and trends, our recent work at Electronic Textual Cultures Laboratory (ETCL) has attended to how informal modes of scholarly communication—such as conversation, epistolary correspondence, and document circulation—function within research processes, iteratively modelling such activities in online knowledge environment prototypes. This talk will discuss research outcomes of Iter Community, an ETCL project carried out at the University of Toronto Scarborough, that explores use of Web 2.0 technologies within a cloud-based computing environment for informal research communication amongst scholars of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. To reflect the inherently social nature of knowledge creation, algorithmic analyses of data is subsumed within a collaborative environment in where a range of informal communication affordances are tightly integrated. Our work suggests that digitally modelling academic knowledge environments to sustain the social dimensions of research activity in ways increasingly inclusive of the public, provides a platform of research diversity, social relevance, and excellence for the implementation of algorithmic-based analytical tools for large data sets.

Abstract

The traditional way of distributing digital library content is by providing web-based search user interfaces at the content provider and attracting visiting users.
The aim of the EEXCESS project is to upend this process by bringing the content to the users instead of users to the content.
More specifically, the content should be exactly WHAT they need, WHEN they need it, brought to the channels, WHERE they are, in a manner of HOW they like to access it.
More specifically, content is injected into frequently visited social media channels (WHERE), and presented with suitable interactive visualisations (HOW). Automatically inferred user profiles are used to personalise the content to the users needs (WHAT) and detect WHEN its presentation is desired. Privacy concerns are addressed by making user models transparent to and adaptable by users and by transferring them in a privacy-preserving manner to the content provider’s services.
This talk will give an overview of concepts, ideas and prototypes developed within the project and the lessons learned from the user evaluations.