Canadian Rural Research Network (CRRN)

Réseau canadien de recherche rurale (RCRR)

Alessandro Alasia
Network Coordinator

Growing Rural and Remote Health Research

BCRRHRN Scientific Exchange
Prince George, March 4-5th 2010
 Outline
• CRRN development
• Vision and objectives, operation
• Emerging networking models
• Way ahead
 CRRN development
• 2005, National Rural Research Network (CRRF/Rural Secretariat)

• June 2009, CRRF supports a proposal to revitalize the network (as

Canadian Rural Research Network) with a renewed mandate and
networking model

– June 2009, CRRN blog is established

– August 2009, first bi-monthly email update is sent out
– September/December 2009, a management committee is
established
– December 2009, first online meeting of the management
committee
– January/February 2010, presence on social media (Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube)
 CRRN vision

• A vibrant, free and comprehensive on-

line community of rural research
stakeholders that facilitates links,
exchanges, partnerships and information
sharing among all parties interested in
rural research by means of new and
innovative networking approaches
 Emerging networking models
• Shift in Internet applications: Web 2.0
– From a publishing environment
– To a participative environment
• Cost of collaboration has plunged
• A new mode of production emerges: peer production
– A way of producing goods/services that relies on self-organizing,
egalitarian communities of individuals who come together
voluntarily to produce a shared outcome (Tapscott and Williams
2006)
• It works for production of: (1) “information” outputs; (2)
small increment contributions are possible; (3) low cost
of re-assembly
• Peer production can outperform traditional production
models because people self-select for tasks
 Information sharing
• CRRN facilitates sharing of research
outputs and research-related information
among a broad spectrum of rural
stakeholders

• The CRRN has no financial budget, does

not provide or seek funding for research
 CRRN blog
http://www.rural-research-network.blogspot.com
CRRN bi-monthly update
subscribe.crrn@gmail.com
Social media applications
Join the conversation
 Management Committee

• Formed by individuals willing to provide a voluntary

contribution for the maintenance of the web portal, and
to be active in the development of new ideas and
applications that would further support the objectives of
the network and its growth

• Alessandro Alasia, Network Coordinator

• Jean-François Frenette, INRS, Montréal
• David Hardie, CRRN, Ottawa
• Deatra Walsh, Memorial University, St. John's
• Erin McGuigan, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
• Jeff Dixon, Queen's University, Kingston
• Molly Moshofsky, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
 Partners’ Roundtable
• 29 organizations (academic institutions and
research centers, provincial and national
organizations, federal government)

• Part of these organizations were already linked

to CRRF, others were invited to join CRRN

• A contact person from each partnering

organization to maintain communication

• Annual online meeting to be organized soon….

 Way ahead
• CRRN is 10 months old and very much under (self-
organizing) construction

• Lots of room for improvement and new ideas

– e.g., academic journal scan, closer collaboration with other
national and international networks

• CRRN experience suggests that there is a potential for

peer production models applied to research information
sharing with a large community of interest

• Potential benefits for “research production” need to be

explored and monitored
Thank you