e-Research in KoreaExploring, Practicing & Facilitating the Introduction of Network-based Scholarship in the Social Sciences in the Republic of Korea with emphasis on Political Communication

Outline of a Proposal-in-Development

Nicholas Jankowski

COST A30 conference, Working Group 1

Zagreb, Croatia

31 January 2009

31 Jan. 2009 1WCU Proposal

Background 1: Call for ProposalsCall: ‘Towards Building World Class Universities’

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Republic of Korea, December 2008http://www.kosef.re.kr/english_new/programs/programs_06.html

Objective: ‘Enhance national, higher educational and industrial competitiveness in inter-disciplinary fields; transform Korean universities into world-class research institutions’

Focus: ‘new growth-generating technologies that will spearhead national development’.

Priority: ‘inter-disciplinary studies that consolidate the fields of basic sciences and humanities & social sciences which will contribute to national, social and academic development’

31 Jan. 2009 2WCU Proposal

Background 2: Call for ProposalsPeriod: 2008-2012

Type 2 projects: ‘foreign scholars employed as full-time faculty members in existing departments and academic programs of Korean universities, for the purpose of conducting joint research with Korean academics… offer lectures in existing departments and joint research with Korean counterparts’

Duration: assistant prof., full-time, minimum 3years; associate prof. &

higher: 3 yr minimum; 1 academic semester/year minimum

31 Jan. 2009 3WCU Proposal

Submission to CallProject leader: Han Woo Park

Dept of Media & CommunicationYeungNam University Dae-dong, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongsangbuk-dohanpark2020@gmail.com, http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/visitors.cfm?id-150

Proposal coordinator: Nicholas JankowskiVirtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities & Social SciencesAmsterdam, the Netherlands

nickjan@xs4all.nl, http://www.virtualknowledgestudio.nl/fellows.php

Planning proposal: Memo, project parameters: 6 Feb.Draft proposal: 14 Feb.Full proposal: 21 Feb.Submission: 3 Mar.

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Project Focus: e-Research & Internet Politics

Working title

E-RESEARCH IN KOREA: Exploring, Practicing, and Enabling Innovative Approaches to Network-

based Social Science Research in the in the Republic of Korea with Emphasis on Political Communication

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Objectives of Proposed Project• To explore emergence of e-research in the social sciences in Korea

• To provide semester-length courses and short-term training workshops in aspects of e-research– Courses: ‘new media & society’, ‘researching new media’, ‘studying Web 2.0’– Workshop ideas

• Data collection & archiving (e.g., online surveys, virtual ethnography, archiving tools)• Data analysis & visualization (webometrics [link analysis, social network analysis];

accent on Web 2.0 venues & politics)• Project management & scholarly communication; dissemination of results (e.g., Web

publishing, distant collaboration)• Ethics & online research

• To research incorporation of the Internet into political life in Korea via e-research practices and tools

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Introduction to Proposal

• Changes in ‘doing’ scholarship, especially in sciences & engineering; increasingly in social sciences &humanities

• changes related to technological innovations &societal features: (e.g. large-scale computer storage & computation, networked environment, globalization of research)

• Understanding transformation of research only beginning; limited examination

• Most attention to North America and Europe • Objective of World Class University project: investigate how e-

research is emerging in the Republic of Korea. Emphasis on political communication, but with applications to other social sciences

• Organization of proposal

[Based on: e-Research: Transformation of Scholarship. New York: Routledge, forthcoming 2009.]

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Proposal application: educational plan [to be prepared]

Educational Activity Plan of Foreign Scholar(s) Lecture planDescribe plan for regular class, experimental class and/or independent study for thesis. [syllabi to be included in proposal for each foreign participant][Jankowski: ‘Digital media and society’, ‘Researching new media’]

Additional educational activity plansDescribe additional activity plans like special lecture, seminar and workshop etc. [descriptions to be included in proposal for each foreign participant][ Jankowski: Trends in scholarly publishing, Ethics in online research]

Expected educational outcomes[Contribution to textbook projects; curriculum development]

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Proposal application: research plan 1 [to be prepared]

Necessity of research• Describe the proposed research field’s current status of development both in and out of

Korea. Provide an analysis of major problems and issues identified in the research area, and also prospects for future development.

• Explain in detail why the proposed project requires joint research with foreign scholars.

Objective and rationale• Define the ultimate objective of the proposed research project, and explicate yearly goals to

achieve under the project plan. • Provide information on the major research activities and contents planned for each year

during project implementation. [Main objectives: explore e-research developments in social sciences and humanities in Korea; identify difficulties & challenges; identify ‘best practices’ & innovations; initiate training programs]

[Specific projects: Transformation of scholarly communication & publishing in Korea; Innovations in visualizing research findings; Incorporation of the Web in Korean political life]

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Proposal application: research plan 2 [to be prepared] Method & Structure of implementation• Describe how the joint research project will be implemented so as to effectively achieve

objectives and solve problems Structure of research proposal and researchers• Explain the structure of the project proposal, and the composition of the research group • Briefly give an overview of the research capacity of Korean researchers(team) and foreign

researchers(team), and explain the structure of collaboration between these two groups Research details• Provide research details according to the project structure

Expected research outcomes• Describe the research outcomes’ potential contribution to academic, economic and social

development

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Possible International Collaborators (workshops, seminars, courses)

• Internet politics: research design & analysis (Maurice Vergeer)• Data archiving: (Kirsten Foot / Steve Schneider)• Webometrics: link analysis, social network analysis (Mike Thelwall)• Data visualization (Marc Smith)• Web 2.0 & Politics research (Greg Elmer, Ganeale Lingeau, Infoscape Research

Lab)• E-research: communication & publication (Nick Jankowski)• Online ethics (Nick Jankowski)• Virtual ethnography (Anne Beaulieu)

Note 1: some persons have expressed interest; others have yet to be approached regarding participation.

Note 2: some persons will only be involved for short-term seminars & workshops; others (ca. 3) will be involved for semester-length participation for a duration of 3 years.

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Concerns• How to construct team of foreign & Korean researchers with

complementary interests & skills;

• Considerations in involving team of researchers for short durations (ca. 4 months), along with one-off workshop experts, ensuring project continuity;

• How to relate teaching and research activities;

• Insuring integration of research activities around central theme: Internet & political life in Korea; identifying suitable political events in Korea involving Web 2.0

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