SOME ASSUMPTIONS &ASSERTIONS

• Online and offline --- useless high level distinction

• Communities … Organizations … Groups … whatever

• Communities are multi-level entities that exist within inherently competitive “multi-species” ecologies

• Networks are nice … Communities are critical

• Universities’ competitive advantage is that we’re slow and don’t change

• You’re in this for the long haul (the long now of academic life)

CASCICENTER FOR THE ADVANCED STUDY OF COMMUNITIES AND INFORMATION

REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITIES…

CASCI: MISSION

• The goal of CASCI is to support research and education focused on realizing the potential of 21st century communities through technology and information.

• 21st Century Communities…

• Realizing the potential…

• Advanced study…

21ST CENTURY COMMUNITIES

Technology- Enabled

Communities

Technology-Enhanced Communities

All Communities

REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF COMMUNITIES FOR…

Technology- Enabled

Communities

Learning & Education

Innovation & Problem Solving

Production & Curation

Experience & Entertainment

Civic & IndividualWell Being

Commerce

Technology-Enhanced Communities

REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF COMMUNITIES FOR…

Technology- Enabled

Communities

Learning & Education

Innovation & Problem Solving

Production & Curation

Experience & Entertainment

Civic & IndividualWell Being

Commerce

Technology-Enhanced Communities

Economic Development

(New Industries)

Entertainment & New “Lifestyles”

Smart Cities and Community Informatics

HealthResearch and

Citizen Science Communities

New Ways of Working

ADVANCED STUDY

CASCI exists to support research and educational activities which advance our understanding of the conceptual foundations of communities and information and mobilize that knowledge to have real, tangible impact

Our approach is to support these activities by creating and maintaining the CASCI stack – a set of coordinated work groups, projects, resources, and events.

THE CASCI STACK: AN ARCHITECTURE FOR THE ADVANCED STUDY OF COMMUNITIES AND INFORMATION

Data

Research Resources

Conceptual Foundations

Impact Domains

BUILDING THE CASCI STACK: DATA

Data

BUILDING THE CASCI STACK: RESEARCH RESOURCES

Data

Research Resources

CASCI: FROM DATA TO RESEARCH RESOURCES• Scholarly Editions of Community Data Sets

• Supporting Dataplay

• Exploring the potential of Community Emulators

• Research Methods eMonograph series

BUILDING THE CASCI STACK: COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS

Data

Research Resources

Conceptual Foundations

COMMUNITY AND INFORMATION FOUNDATIONSConceptual foundations are concepts, issues, and approaches critical for understanding technology-enabled and technology-enhanced communities and information, including:

• Motivation and Participation• Rules, Roles, and Governance• Dialogue and Discourse• Identity and Self-Presentation• Boundaries and Structure• Networks and Communities• Community Ecologies• Measuring and Managing• Technologies and Platforms• Communities and Organizations

Conceptual foundations intertwined collections of abstractions, language, practices and people.

BUILDING THE CASCI STACK:IMPACT DOMAIN WORKING GROUPS

Data

Research Resources

Conceptual Foundations

Impact Domains

IMPACT DOMAIN WORKING GROUPS• Impact Statement

We are seeking to address <recognized problem>

by changing how we <impact area>

• Impact Working Groups

• Who: 3-5 experts• Problem experts• Impact area experts• Conceptual foundation experts

• Goals: • Problem formulation & awareness• Impact imagining• Impact realization

• What: • Impact projects• Impact events

HAVING AN IMPACT:BUILDING YOUR RESEARCH STACK

Data

Research Resources

Conceptual Foundations

Impact Domains

NEXT STEPS• Engage CASCI

• bsbutler@umd.edu• Twitter: CASCI• casci.umd.edu (but not today!)

• Actively and strategically develop your own research stack!