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Science system assessment research program

 

Semantically modeling science projectt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

e-voting page

e-voting: the campaign

Anne-Marie Oostveen @ Oxford

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siampi

Metadater
Moress

Commorg
Eicstes

True-Vote
Fasme
Soeis
CoopWWW
Comic

 

 

 

 

ETTA

SCoKN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
















Peter van den besselaar

Research projects

• Science System Assessment

The research program of the Science System Assessment department at the Rathenau Instituut has two main aims: 1) contributing to our knowledge and understanding of the science system, and 2) translating this knowledge and understanding into useful information for politics and policy makers in the field of science policy. The research program is organized around the different dimensions of the science system, and we are working on it with a research staf of more than 20 FTE:

-       Understanding knowledge dynamics

-       The effects of the institutions of agenda setting, funding, and evaluation

-       on the dynamics and organization of research

-       The societal impact of research

-       Methods for research evaluation

-       The effects of management, leadership and organization on knowledge

-       production and performance

-       The working and effects of career systems

-       Developing new research methods. The Semantically mapping Science project, in which we collaborate with the computer science group of prof dr Frank van Harmelen at the VU University is an example.

 

 

Some other research projects

 

• Communication and collaboration in knowledge networks
How do ICTs and new media change collaboration and communication within the science system, and between the science system and its environment? Using quantitative methods from scientometrics and webometrics and qualitative case study approaches, we study the use and effects of new media in knowledge production, collaboration, and communication. A related topic is the role of new media in (international) research collaboration. We compare the use of a variety of old and new media in distributes research teams, such as meetings, phone, email, email lists, websites.

• Research Infrastructures

The EU funded ‘Metadater’ project aimed at the development and evaluation of a metadata management system for social science survey data. We investigated the user needs of heterogeneous communities that have an interest in this kind of systems: data collectors, social researchers and data archives. Based on these insights, the prototype of the system was evaluated. One of the aims is to show which (scientific and other) interests are represented in the system design. What effects does the design and appropriation have on data sharing and data use?
A follow-up project funded by NWO focused on the social construction of knowledge networks: the development and use of ICT based infrastructures for knowledge and data sharing among heterogeneous 'communities of practice'.

 

•  Social informatics

Anne-Marie Oostveen and I have done several EU funded research projects focusing on the use of ICTs for e-voting and e-democracy. Anne-Marie is now in Oxford, at the Oxford Internet Institute, where she continues her research. As a side product of her research, Anne-Marie also maintains a superb website devoted to e-voting.

Recently, e-voting has become a political issue in the Netherland, with an active social movement asking attention for the real risks involved: the foundation 'wij vertrouwen stemcomputers niet'. The campaign resulted in a return of good old fashioned paper based voting in the country.

 

 

PhD projects

 

- Maaike Verbree prepares a thesis on management and organization of research groups

- Dennis Beckers works on a thesis about community computing.

- Anne-Marie Oostveen received her PhD degree January 2007 for her thesis Context Matters; a social informatics study on e-voting. Anne-Marie is now at the Oxford Internet Institute.

- Gaston Heimeriks (now at Utrecht University) received his PhD December 15, 2005 for his thesis on Knowledge Production and Communication in the Information Society.

- Carolien Metselaar (now at the Municipality of Amsterdam) received her PhD in June 2000 for her thesis on Social and organizational aspects of Knowledge Technology.

 

 

European research projects


- Siampi: studying the societal outcomes of research (2009-2011)

-       - Metadater: A metadata management system for social survey data. (2003-2006)

- Moress: Mapping the European knowledge base in the social sciences and the humanities (2003-2005)

- Commorg: A comparative study of the diffusion and use of email in four countries (2002-2005)

- Eicstes: Web-indicators of knowledge production and of scholarly communication (1999-2004)

- True-Vote: Developing and evaluating E-voting technologies (2001-2003)

- Fasme: The development and social implications of e-government services (2000-2001)

- Soeis: The self-organization of the European Information Society (1998-2000)

- CoopWWW: evaluating groupware (1995-1996)

- Comic: Basic technologies for collaborative work (1993-1996)

 

 

Some old projects

 

- The social construction of knowledge networks - NWO funded project (2006-2007)

- ETTA: Economy, technology and the future of work – STT funded project (1999-2000)