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

Epstein / Ribes - NSF博士论文改进补助金（prop #6457371，Feb 2005）项目概述本项目以GEON的开发和部署为目标，GEON，即“地球科学网络”，是美国国家科学基金会（NSF）的一个为期五年的项目，其目标是为地球科学提供计算，为更广泛的地球科学提供数据互操作性和可视化资源。迄今为止，GEON是同类项目中最雄心勃勃的项目，它汇集了地球科学中的各种学科，如地球物理学、古植物学、地震学和地球化学等。GEON只是高级网络基础设施计划（ACP）下许多已经启动或计划的网络基础设施之一。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，达到了科学信息化的更大目标。一般来说，网络基础设施，特别是GEON，是一种自下而上的活动。在GEON的情况下，NSF提供了鼓励和数百万美元的资金“从上面”，但GEON本身的社会技术结构是由实践科学家“从下面”提出，设计和制定的。我们如何理解这两个轨迹的结合和制定：国家资助，地球科学/IT建设和部署？本项目旨在从下而上遵循信息技术专家和地球科学家的实践和政策行动，以了解科学组织和实践中的最终变革。动员地球科学界进行技术改造以实现非加太国家更大目标的后果是什么？自GEON于2002年成立以来，Ribes（联合PI）一直是地球科学家和信息技术专家之间谈判的人种学参与观察员。这项研究计划要求资源，以补充已经进行的研究跟踪GEON的发展“从上面”：美国国家科学基金会的资金和支持，地球科学的信息化科学的愿景。资金将用于支持对ACP的档案研究旅行，并与为GEON网络基础设施提供政治和财政支持的重要“宏观”参与者进行访谈。智力价值在科学和技术研究领域内，该研究项目旨在解决四个日益重要的主题的交叉点，迄今为止，这些主题在该领域内分别进行了研究，这些概念跨越了传统的“规模”概念，但在GEON中同时出现：i-标准化和分类，ii-用户和设计，iii -与信息技术有关的科学组织和实践变化;和iv-科学和国家。更广泛的影响在更广泛的意义上，这项研究有助于成功的发展和当代信息基础设施的展开。来自计算机科学本身的呼吁已经指出，需要更多的社会科学参与这些大规模基础设施的生产。“网络基础设施”已经被定义为一个组织和机构的努力，并为建立与科学研究的关系提供了一个诱人的网站。最后，本研究将寻求为目前正面临信息化带来的更大变革的实践科学家提供实践、概念和分析资源。

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.