Conceptualising The Web

Tracing the Activities of Open Government Data Initiatives

Exploring Web Activity

What can be Examined?
To understand how the Web is developing, activities which are cutting edge in terms of social and technological research and development need to be examined. At the forefront of Web and society engagement are the Open Government Data initiatives, a worldwide agenda aimed at increasing transparency between the citizen and government by publishing data in free and open formats, whos activities are part of a complex network of stakeholders including Governments, Academics, Businesses, Citizens. This thesis is exploring the UK Open Government Data community using the mixed methods approach outlined above to provide an analytical understanding of the online and offline activities and the socio-technical network that enabled it to form and develop

Worldwide Open Government Data Initiatives

The Web (Translation of a Heterogeneous Network of Web activity)
Social Networking Web Shopping Web Banking

Translation Process

What is The Web?

Mobilization

Enrolment

(a)
Search Engines Open Government Data Web Entertain ment

Interessement

Problematisa tion

(1) The Web is made up of multiple heterogeneous networks that consist of both humans and technologies associated together via common interests and outputs. These networks represent different Web activities, which are collectively labeled as The Web (2) The heterogeneous networks are all undergoing a process of translation, involving the continuous alignment of the actors already involved, and requiring the support and enrolment of new actors for its growth. The networks are dynamic and constantly changing shape as a result of the associations between actors. The stability (sustainability) of the Web activity is dependent on the actors commitment towards the network goals. (3) A Web activity is the product of a number of translating phases, which involves the alignment of different heterogeneous networks through the association of shared actors and interests. Within each of the phases, there exist numerous heterogeneous networks, which individually are translating, and must persist in a stabilized state in order for the subsequent phases to function.

Time
(2)
Illustrating the second perspective of the conceptualization of the Web, using the concepts of Heterogeneous networks and Translation

Public Sector Civil Society

(Common actants, Interests and Goals)

Researcher s

Problematisation

(b)
Citizens Developers

Interessement Problematisation

Mobilisation

Interessement
Organizations

Mobilisation

Enrolment Phase 2

Enrolment Open Government Data

(1) Illustrating the heterogeneous networks of Web activity (a) which

collectively can be labelled as The Web. (b) represent the Heterogeneous Networks associated with the OGD Web activities, consisting of the actornetworks associated together via shared actors, actants, and goals.

Phase 1

(3) Illustrating the translation of multiple heterogeneous networks which share

common actors and/or actants.

[Mobilisation]

[Problematisation] Idea

How to Explore Web Activity?

To examine how the Web is growing, Web activities need to be explored. To do this, a methodology is required that analyze the Web at the micro and macro level. The framework needs to draw upon a mixed of data sources to enable a rich and in-depth analysis.

Quantitative Data Data tracking techniques Social Network Analysis Interaction of actors Weblogs and Web content

Issues

Design
Social Technical

Macro

Qualitative Data Literature /Publication Metrics Actor identification support through social media Interaction metrics meetings, workshops Content analysis of interested actors

Using A Mixed Methods to Examine Activity

The research in this thesis will be using a mixed methods approach, using qualitative and quantitative data to provide evidence towards understand the activities that occur on the Web. Underpinning this is the use of social theory to examine the socio-technical practices that have enabled the Web to develop. Tim Berners-Lees Process of the Web provides structure to the processes involved during the development of new Web activity. The social theory used in this methodology complements this and provides a way to categorize and examine this activity at different stages

[Enrolment] Micro [Interessement]

[Stabilisation]

Methodology to Explore The Development of New Kinds of Web Activity