Collaborative Research: VOSS: The Emergence of Collaborative Social Structure in nanoHUB Cyberspace

科学网关可以定义为通过门户或应用程序套件集成的特定于社区的工具、应用程序和数据集。nanoHUB是作为一种新形式的科学门户而创建的，旨在实现纳米科学和技术的学习和发现的合作。nanoHUB成立仅四年，但已发展到来自170个国家的60，000多名成员。该项目的目标是了解nanoHUB产生新的智力资本的程度;支持知识生成的nanoHUB的技术和社会特征;以及改善科学网关扩展和创建的设计选择所需的条件。该项目将比较nanoHUB与印第安纳州CTSI的流程和结果，CTSI是使用nanoHUB中可用的软件和工具套件在其他领域推出的几个新网关之一。IndianaCTSI支持临床和转化研究，以改善人类健康。在过去，人们认为像nanoHUB和IndianaCTSI这样的虚拟空间不能被认为是根据自己的条件进行实践或产生知识的网站，并且不存在虚拟组织中协作实践的中档理论。本研究的目的之一是有助于发展一个概念框架，以填补这一理论空白。在这样做时，该项目借鉴了社会技术系统，知识生成和协作领域的文献。研究将分三个阶段进行：1）访谈和焦点小组; 2）调查; 3）社会网络分析。这项研究的结果将有助于一个小但不断增长的文献，这将有助于优化网关的设计和使用。

A science gateway can be defined as a community-specific set of tools, applications, and data that are integrated via a portal or suite of applications. The nanoHUB was created as a new form of science gateway, intended to enable collaboration for learning and discovery in nanoscience and technology. The nanoHUB is only four years old but has grown to more than 60,000 members from 170 countries. The goal of this project is to understand the degree to which nanoHUB generates new intellectual capital; the technical and social features of the nanoHUB that support knowledge generation; and, the conditions needed to improve design choices for the expansion and creation of science gateways. The project will compare processes and outcomes in nanoHUB with Indiana CTSI, one of several new gateways that have been launched in other domains using the suite of software and tools available in nanoHUB. IndianaCTSI supports clinical and translational research to improve human health. In the past it was assumed that virtual spaces like nanoHUB and IndianaCTSI could not be considered sites of situated practice or generative of knowledge on their own terms, and no midrange theory of collaborative practice in virtual organizations exists. One aim of this study will be to contribute to the development of a conceptual framework to fill this theoretical gap. In doing so, the project draws on literature in the areas of socio-technical systems, knowledge generation, and collaboration. The research will be conducted in a series of three phases: 1) interviews and focus groups; 2) surveys; and 3) social network analysis. Findings from this study will contribute to a small but growing body of literature that will help to optimize gateway design and use.