Progress report on PhD research

2. What?
Why?
How?

3. 2003

4. Collective
power as
knowledge
institutions

5. 2003
•What might be the future value of collections
convergence?
•What are the challenges and opportunities of
a digital future for knowledge institutions?
•What are the barriers to progress and how to
overcome them?

6. A concept ahead of its time

7. “The Internet has
become a vital part of our
lives and our society”
Willliam Dutton et al. Next Generation Users: the Internet in Britain,
Oxford Internet Institute, 2011

8. KNOWLEDGE (COLLECTING) INSTITUTIONS
Look at the big picture
Take a strategic view
Identify contentions and opportunities
Not a proof or solution, but a blueprint
for exploring strategic possibilities

9. PRIMARY RESEARCH QUESTION
Is the traditional institution-based service paradigm of
knowledge institutions (museums, libraries and
archives) suitable to maximise the value of knowledge
collections delivered digitally?
Is it possible to model a service paradigm better fitting
the needs of the Network Society and how might such
a conceptual model be exploited in support of
professional practice?

10. What?
Why?
How?

11. Once upon a time...

12. Akio Morita 1946

13. 1955
1955 Transistor radio
1979 Walkman
1983 Compact disc
1991 Playstation

14. Sony Music Entertainment 1991

15. ?
1991 2000

17. CD Smart
heaven Napster phones
MP3
iTunes
iPod

18. ?
?
?
Evolution Revolution Extinction

19. DEMAND SIDE TRENDS, 2011
77% of population online (48m)
- 96% email (46m)
- 86% travel and local information (41m)
- 86% online shopping (41m)
- 79% news (38m)
- 61% music downloads (29m)
- 60% social networking (29m)
- 51% games (24m)
- 44% Next Generation Users (21m)
- 34% public information (16m)
95% of UK companies online Data from Oxford Internet Survey 2011;
Office of National Statistics (2011a). Statistical Bulletin:
Internet Access - Households and Individuals, 2011;
- 92% using broadband Office of National Statistics (2011b). Statistical Bulletin:
E-Commerce and ICT Activity, 2010.
- 78% public websites

20. NEXT GENERATION USERS

21. EMERGENT EXPECTATIONS
• Always on
• New patterns of work, shopping and leisure
• Ease of use
• Personalisation
• Engagement
• Accessibility

22. “Networks have become the
predominant organisational form of
every domain of human activity..
The space of flows has taken over
the logic of the space of places…”
Castells, M. (2010). Rise of the Network Society, 2nd ed.

23. What of public
knowledge
collections?

24. THE INSTITUTIONAL MODEL
• Monopolistic merit good
• Destination
• Component of wider
organisation
• Physical collection defines
professional values
• Long-established model
• Trusted, reliable

25. Knowledge Institution Schematic
Supply side
Supply side K. Institution
K. Institution Demand side
Demand side
Policy
Policy Users and
Users and
Resources
Resources potential
potential
Artifacts
Artifacts users
users
Processes
Active Collecting Curating Disclosing
Passive Warehousing

26. Contestable
market

27. From shellac to iTunes

28. From desk to
desktop?

30. APPisation

34. Competition

36. The raw
material

37. “The objects of culture are no longer
secured behind glass cases or tied to the
walls of museums and galleries or
constrained by the control over publishing
and broadcasting, but are created and
recreated in the social process.”
Tredinnick, L. (2008) Digital Information Culture: The Individual and Society in the Digital Age

38. Fragmentation
Disintermediation
Loss of Authenticity

39. New markets
New channels
New Relationships

40. Status Quo 2.0
(Sustaining innovation)

42. Europeana Jisc Content Board Artstor
DPLA Jisc Open Access NOF-Digi
Digital NZ Old Weather Reference Online

43. “Many librarians who work in physical
libraries see the Internet as providing a
digital mirror of their own institutions:
the digital library as a surrogate for
the physical library.”
email from xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, 7th March 2012
Attribution redacted

44. 1001 websites

45. Knowledge Institution Schematic
Lack of
policy
Demand
Demand
Supply side
Supply side K. Institution
K. Institution side
side Competitio
n
Policy
Policy Users
Users
Resource
Resource and
and
Declining ss potential
potential
resource Artifacts
Artifacts users
users
s
Medi New
a shift behaviours
and
expectations

46. structures
“Our governance arrangements are for the most
part designed to maintain hierarchical, command
and control decision making”. Ison, R. (2010). Governance that Works
practitioner
worldview
“Dynamic conservatism - the fight to remain the same”
Schon, D. (1991). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action

47. PRIMARY RESEARCH QUESTION
Is the traditional institution-based service paradigm of
knowledge institutions (museums, libraries and
archives) suitable to maximise the value of knowledge
collections delivered digitally?
Is it possible to model a service paradigm better fitting
the needs of the Network Society and how might such
a conceptual model be exploited in support of
professional practice?

48. Hunter/
gatherer ? Agrarian harvester

49. Hunter/
gatherer
? Ag rarian harveste
r

50. ?
es ter
Agr a ri a n h a r v
Hunter/
gatherer

51. ?
r
h arveste
Agrarian
/
Hunter
gatherer

52. What?
Why?
How?

53. Change
Uncertainty
Complexity

54. STRATEGIC RESEARCH CHALLENGES
Multi-disciplinary
“...a holistic approach may be the only route to dealing with today’s complexity.”
Michael Finkenthal. Complexity, Multi-disciplinarity and Beyond. (2008), p100

55. STRATEGIC RESEARCH CHALLENGES
Social Realism
•Interpretive “The real world is not only very
•Phenomenology complex but also stratified into different
layers. Social reality incorporates
•Multiple perspectives individual, group, institutional and
•Organisation theory societal levels... understanding the
mechanisms at work and the contexts in
•Verstehen rather than erklären which they operate provides a
(Weber) theoretical understanding of what is
going on.”
Colin Robson. Real World Research: A Resource Guide for Social Scientists and
Practitioner-Researchers. (2002), p36

56. General Systems Theory, systems approach, systems
THE SYSTEMS APPROACH
dynamics, Soft Systems Methodology, Vanguard
Technique, boundary critique, Critical Systems
Reductionism Holism systems theory,
Heuristics, Systemantics, ecological
sociotechnical systems, ecosystems, open systems,
The problem Situation in context
cybernetics, operations research, fuzzy systems
theory, process improvement, Syntegrity, Viable
Solution Resolution
System Model, social systems theory, systemics,
systems philosophy, systems engineering, systems
Single view Multiple perspectives
analysis, critical systems thinking, systemography,
critical systems practice, total systems integration,
adaptive systems theory, applied multi-dimensional
systems theory, living systems theory, complex
systems theory, holon, link

57. Soft Systems Methodology

58. Soft Systems Methodology

59. Soft Systems Methodology
Phenomenological approach
Focus on modelling (rich pictures)
Support actors to greater understanding
An iterative process (understanding
different worldviews)

60. Soft Systems Methodology
Manag
Rich pictures er
Policy
User
maker
Transformation Customers
process Actors
Do tasks P by Transformation
Practition
undertaking Worldview
processes Q to er Owners
achieve outcome R Environment

61. Soft Systems Methodology
Root definition
“These ROOT DEFINITIONS are turned
into conceptual models that are explicitly one-
sided representations of reality expressing a
particular Weltanschauung. A debate is then
structured around the implications of these
different perceptions of the way things could be”
Jackson, 2003, p211

62. ANALYSIS
SYNTHESIS

63. MODELLING
VALIDATION

64. Technical rationality
Strategic thinking

65. clarity of purpose and mission
in the digital space
“You cannot blow an uncertain trumpet”

66. e. cbatt@mac.com
b. chrisbatt/wordpress.com
tw. chrisbatt
www.digital-futures.org
Thanks for listening