Project Name: Digital Infrastructures: Access and Use in the Network Society

Project Leader

Catherine Middleton

Project Co-Leader

Barry Wellman

Researchers

• Deb Fels (Ryerson)
• Paula Gardner (OCAD)
• Catherine Middleton (Ryerson)
• Samuel Trosow (Western)
• Barry Wellman (Toronto)
• Barbara Crow (York)
• Anatoliy Gruzd (Dalhousie)
• Diana Mok (Western)
• Jason Nolan (Ryerson)
• Anabel Quan-Haase (Western)

Theme Distribution

• Theme 1 : 50%
• Theme 2 : 10%
• Theme 3 : 10%
• Theme 4 : 20%
• Theme 5 : 10%

Project Description

Among the objectives of the NCE program are economic development and improving the quality of life of Canadians. In the context of Graphics, Animation and New Media research and development, quality of life can be greatly enhanced as new media in various forms are used to build and sustain a 'networked society'. Economic development will occur as Canadians commercialize the research output of industry and the higher education sector, develop innovative new products and services, foster a highly skilled labour force, create jobs and contribute to the economic base of their local communities.

But to achieve these desired outcomes, three major challenges must be addressed: i) Canadians must understand what infrastructure is needed to participate in a networked society and have access to it; ii) We must have the capacity for, and interest in, using new media technologies to engage with each other and to support economic activities; and iii) We must understand the social implications (both positive and negative) of living and working in a networked society (wellman, 2001, 2009; Middleton & Sorensen, 2005)..

The Digital Infrastructures: Access and Use in the Network Society (DINS) project will explore these challenges. Research questions include: What are the embedded assumptions about availability of, and capacity to use, the infrastructures on which new media and related technologies are deployed? How do Canadians actually use new media to develop and sustain their social networks and to support their daily activities (e.g. What is the role of new social networking tools? Do 'digital natives' differ from other demographic groups)? What are the anticipated and unanticipated impacts of living in a networked society? What are the gaps in infrastructure availability, required skill levels and individuals' current capacities to use digital media, and how can they be narrowed or eliminated? What are the specific concerns and issues that must be addressed to ensure digital infrastructures are accessible to all Canadians? The project will offer a detailed consideration of the social, cultural and technological infrastructures and networking practices required to enable Canadians to receive socio-economic and cultural benefits from the widespread adoption and use of new media technologies.

Excellence of the Research

Development of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP)

Graduate students working with Barry Wellman will join his NetLab team, and become part of an internationally known training centre for the integrated study of social networks, computer networks and communication networks. All students will learn how to gather ethnographic and survey data, how to do statistical analysis, specialized social network analysis, and computer-supported qualitative analysis. Students working with Catherine Middleton and Paula Gardner will be immersed in an action research approach to knowledge creation. Students will contribute to a meta-analysis of international approaches to developing ICT infrastructure and capacity, and will engage with researchers across the NCE to understand the infrastructure needs generated by their projects, and work to develop ways to ensure that potential users have the capacity to benefit from the proposed research. In particular, Deborah Fels' team will consider accessibility issues in infrastructure usage and development. Students working with Samuel Trosow will be investigating the public policy, legal and regulatory implications of the research. In synthesizing the research conducted by NIs, students will have an opportunity to 'cross-train' and learn how to integrate findings generated through different methodological and disciplinary approaches.

Networking and Partnerships

Access to data on technology availability and use is crucial for this project. We will draw on Wellman's established partnerships with the World Internet Project, the Pew Internet and American Life project, and corporate partners Sysomos, Intel and Nokia. Both investigators have a strong relationship with Statistics Canada's Science, Innovation and Electronic Information Division which collects data on Canadians' use of the Internet. Middleton will provide access to international mobile phone and data usage statistics through her collaboration with Mobitrack and the World Mobile Data Survey, and students will have access to hands-on infrastructure deveopment in Paula Gardner's mobile lab at OCAD.

Knowledge and Technology Exchange and Exploitation

One of our deliverables is a white paper that identifies the types of infrastructures needed to support a networked society in a digital economy. This paper will offer a high level assessment of how such infrastructures have been developed internationally, and consider policies and actions needed to ensure that Canadians have access to internationally competitive, enabling digital infrastructures.

References to the Literature

Wellman, B. (2001) The persistence and transformation of community. Report to the Law Commission of Canada, Ottawa.

Wellman, B., et al. (2009). Connected Lives: The Project. In P. Purcell (Eds.). Networked Neighbourhoods. (pp. 157-211). Guilford, UK: Springer.

Middleton, C. A. & Sorensen, C. (2005). "How Connected Are Canadians? Inequities in Canadian Households' Internet Access." Canadian Journal of Communication. (30:4), pp. 463-483.

Publications

Presentations

• 2 Minute Madness 2010