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A manifesto for Web Science

A manifesto for Web Science
A manifesto for Web Science
A clarion call for a new research agenda has been sounded, notably by Berners-Lee et al (2006a 2006b) and Hendler et al (2008) for a ‘science of decentralised information systems’ to ‘discover’ generative mechanisms, and synthesise knowledge and technology to push both forwards. Computer Science alone - focussing as it does on the engineering/technology of the web - could not deliver the ambitions of this new agenda. Equally, other disciplines implicated in Web Science might use the web to support their research, or be interested in virtual life, but they lacked a coherent or unifying mandate for engaging with the web. By calling for Web Science these pioneers opened up a new space. But this is uncharted terrain. As a technology the web is still new. While it has grown rapidly and unexpectedly we are only just beginning to think about the web as a phenomena to be studied. The proponents of Web Science had the vision to see that this new approach had to include disciplines beyond their own; it had to be greater than the sum of the parts of individual disciplines. This is a radical call to leave disciplinary silos and work collaboratively to produce something bigger and better. Moreover, it takes in the founding principles of the web and a desire for a web that is pro-human: this is a call for a science that is capable of insight and intervention to create a better world. Our paper aims to take up this challenge and suggests how we might map the Web Science terrain. We come at this from a slightly different direction to the web science pioneers and want to demonstrate how social science can, and indeed must, contribute to developing Web Science. This paper will explore the contribution of social theory and sociological concepts that shape how we engage with the web. We focus on four key aspects which seem to be central to this understanding. Firstly co-constitution, the fact that the web both shapes and is shaped by humans/society. Secondly the importance of heterogeneous networks of multiple and diverse actors (including technologies themselves) that make the web as we know it. Thirdly the significance of performativity, that the web is an unfolding, enacted practice, as people interact with http to build ‘the web’ moment by moment. Finally, drawing these ideas together we see the web we have now as an immutable mobile or temporarily stabilised network. We use these ideas to map what web science could be and to suggest how we might use sociology to understand the web. Our aim is to provoke and stimulate debate and to move beyond superficial popular psychology and sociology (which envisages engineering human behaviour) and to challenge some of the ways in which social science has engaged with technology and technical actors. To facilitate this, and taking our lead from Donna Harroway, the paper sets out a radical manifesto for web science.
web science, interdisciplinary web science, sociology, web science manifesto
1-6
Halford, Susan
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Pope, Catherine
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Carr, Leslie
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Erickson, John
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Gradmann, Stefan
dc643194-b48d-4fe7-9fac-f232c1d199da
Halford, Susan
0d0fe4d6-3c4b-4887-84bb-738cf3249d46
Pope, Catherine
21ae1290-0838-4245-adcf-6f901a0d4607
Carr, Leslie
0572b10e-039d-46c6-bf05-57cce71d3936
Erickson, John
6646b8c9-537e-432c-a753-47f2953223b5
Gradmann, Stefan
dc643194-b48d-4fe7-9fac-f232c1d199da

Halford, Susan, Pope, Catherine and Carr, Leslie (2010) A manifesto for Web Science. Erickson, John and Gradmann, Stefan (eds.) Proceedings of the WebSci10: Extending the Frontiers of Society On-Line, Raleigh, United States. 26 - 27 Apr 2010. pp. 1-6 .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

A clarion call for a new research agenda has been sounded, notably by Berners-Lee et al (2006a 2006b) and Hendler et al (2008) for a ‘science of decentralised information systems’ to ‘discover’ generative mechanisms, and synthesise knowledge and technology to push both forwards. Computer Science alone - focussing as it does on the engineering/technology of the web - could not deliver the ambitions of this new agenda. Equally, other disciplines implicated in Web Science might use the web to support their research, or be interested in virtual life, but they lacked a coherent or unifying mandate for engaging with the web. By calling for Web Science these pioneers opened up a new space. But this is uncharted terrain. As a technology the web is still new. While it has grown rapidly and unexpectedly we are only just beginning to think about the web as a phenomena to be studied. The proponents of Web Science had the vision to see that this new approach had to include disciplines beyond their own; it had to be greater than the sum of the parts of individual disciplines. This is a radical call to leave disciplinary silos and work collaboratively to produce something bigger and better. Moreover, it takes in the founding principles of the web and a desire for a web that is pro-human: this is a call for a science that is capable of insight and intervention to create a better world. Our paper aims to take up this challenge and suggests how we might map the Web Science terrain. We come at this from a slightly different direction to the web science pioneers and want to demonstrate how social science can, and indeed must, contribute to developing Web Science. This paper will explore the contribution of social theory and sociological concepts that shape how we engage with the web. We focus on four key aspects which seem to be central to this understanding. Firstly co-constitution, the fact that the web both shapes and is shaped by humans/society. Secondly the importance of heterogeneous networks of multiple and diverse actors (including technologies themselves) that make the web as we know it. Thirdly the significance of performativity, that the web is an unfolding, enacted practice, as people interact with http to build ‘the web’ moment by moment. Finally, drawing these ideas together we see the web we have now as an immutable mobile or temporarily stabilised network. We use these ideas to map what web science could be and to suggest how we might use sociology to understand the web. Our aim is to provoke and stimulate debate and to move beyond superficial popular psychology and sociology (which envisages engineering human behaviour) and to challenge some of the ways in which social science has engaged with technology and technical actors. To facilitate this, and taking our lead from Donna Harroway, the paper sets out a radical manifesto for web science.

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More information

Published date: March 2010
Venue - Dates: Proceedings of the WebSci10: Extending the Frontiers of Society On-Line, Raleigh, United States, 2010-04-26 - 2010-04-27
Keywords: web science, interdisciplinary web science, sociology, web science manifesto
Organisations: Web & Internet Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 271033
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/271033
PURE UUID: 6318b2d1-7d56-4277-a317-ae34006eec47
ORCID for Catherine Pope: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8935-6702
ORCID for Leslie Carr: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2113-9680

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 15 Mar 2010 10:09
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:33

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Contributors

Author: Susan Halford
Author: Catherine Pope ORCID iD
Author: Leslie Carr ORCID iD
Editor: John Erickson
Editor: Stefan Gradmann

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