Dissertation Research: The Standardized Revolution of Science: Building Cyberinfrastructure for the Geosciences

爱泼斯坦/里贝斯-美国国家科学基金会博士论文改进补助金(6457371号提案，2005年2月)项目摘要该项目以GEON的开发和部署为对象。GEON是美国为固体科学提供的网络基础设施，是美国国家科学基金会(NSF)的一个五年项目，目标是为更广泛的地球科学提供计算、数据互操作性和可视化资源。到目前为止，GEON是同类项目中最雄心勃勃的，它汇集了地球科学中的不同学科，如地球物理、古植物学、地震学和地球化学，仅举几例。GEON只是在高级网络基础设施计划(ACP)下已经启动或计划的众多网络基础设施之一。通过共享基础设施、计算机科学专业知识和信息技术，Geon的影响超越了地球科学，延伸到更大的科学信息化目标。一般来说，网络基础设施，尤其是Geon，既是自下而上的活动，也是自上而下的活动。在GEON的案例中，国家科学基金会提供了鼓励和数百万美元的资金，但GEON本身的社会技术结构是由执业科学家“从下”提出、设计和实施的。我们如何理解国家资助和地球科学/信息技术建设和部署这两个轨迹的结合和实施？该项目力求从下跟踪信息技术专家和地球科学家的做法以及从上跟踪政策行动，以便了解科学组织和实践中由此产生的变化。动员地球科学界进行自身的技术改造以实现非加太计划的更大目标会产生什么后果？从2002年Geon成立以来，Ribes(共同-PI)一直是地球科学家和信息技术学家之间谈判的人种学参与者观察员。这项研究计划要求提供资源来补充已经在进行的研究，通过“自上而下”跟踪Geon的发展：美国国家科学基金会的资助和支持，以及地球科学对地球科学信息化的愿景。资金将用于支持对非加太项目进行档案研究的旅行，并与为GEON网络基础设施提供政治和财政支持的重要“宏观”行为者进行面谈。在科学和技术研究领域，这一研究项目寻求解决四个日益重要的主题的交叉问题，这些主题迄今在该领域内被分开处理，并跨越传统的“规模”概念，但在GEON中同时出现：一--标准化和分类，二--用户和设计，三--与信息技术有关的科学组织和实践变化；在更广泛的意义上，这项研究有助于当代信息基础设施的成功发展和展开。来自计算机科学内部的呼声表明，有必要让社会科学更多地参与这些大规模基础设施的生产。“网络基础设施”已经被框定为一种组织和机构努力，为与科学研究建立关系提供了一个诱人的场所。最后，本研究将寻求为实习科学家提供实践、概念和分析资源，他们目前正面临着信息化带来的更大转变。

Epstein / Ribes - NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (prop #6457371, Feb 2005)Project SummaryThis project takes the development and deployment of GEON as its object.GEON, the 'geo-sciences network,' is an American cyberinfrastructure for the solidearth sciences - a five year National Science Foundation (NSF) project with the goal ofproviding computing, data interoperability and visualization resources for the broadergeo-sciences. To date GEON is the most ambitious project of its kind, drawing togethersuch diverse disciplines within the earth-sciences as geophysics, paleobotany,seismology, and geochemistry to name only a few. GEON is only one of many alreadyinitiated or planned cyberinfrastructure under the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Program(ACP) . Through shared infrastructure, computer science expertise, and informationtechnologies the impact of GEON stretches beyond the geo-sciences to the larger goal ofscience informatization. Cyberinfrastructure generally, and GEON specifically, is as much a bottom-upactivity as top-down. In the case of GEON the NSF provides the encouragement andmulti-million dollar funding 'from above', but the socio-technical structure of GEONitself was proposed, designed and enacted by practicing scientists 'from below'. Howcan we understand the conjunction and enaction of these two trajectories: state funding,and geo-science/IT construction and deployment? This project seeks to follow thepractices of information technologists and geo-scientists from below and the policyaction from above in order to understand the resulting transformations in the organizationand practice of science. What are the consequences of mobilizing the geo-scientificcommunity in its own technological transformation to meet the larger goals of the ACP?From GEON's inception in 2002, Ribes (co-PI) has been an ethnographicparticipant observer of the negotiations between geo-scientists and informationtechnologists. This research proposal requests the resources to complement the alreadyproceeding research by tracing GEON's development 'from above': NSF funding andsupport, and geoscience's vision of an informaticized science of the earth. Funds will beused to support travel for archival research on the ACP and to conduct interviews withsignificant 'macro-scale' actors which have provided political and financial support forthe GEON cyberinfrastructure.Intellectual MeritWithin the field of science and technology studies this researchproject seeks to address the intersection of four themes of growing importance whichhave thus far been taken separately within the field, and which cross traditional notions of'scale,' but which in GEON appear simultaneously: i- standardization and classification,ii- users and design, iii - the organization of science and changes of practice in relation toinformation technologies; and iv- science and the state.Broader Impact In a broader sense this study contributes to the successfuldevelopment and unfolding of contemporary information infrastructures. Calls fromwithin computer science itself have pointed to the need for a greater researchinvolvement of social science in the production of these large-scale infrastructures.'Cyberinfrastructure' is already framed as an organizational and institutional endeavorand offers an inviting site for building relationships with science studies. Finally thisstudy will seek to offer practical, conceptual and analytic resources for practicingscientists themselves who are currently facing greater transformation throughinformatization.