CLARIS LPB as Etnographic Field

1. CLARIS LPB as Etnographic Field Laura Rey 1 – Federico Robledo 2 – Valeria Hernández 3 1 FFyL- UBA / 2 DCAO – FCEN – UBA / 3 IRD Proposal Carry out an etnography of the network CLARIS LPB The proposal to consider the CLARIS LPB collaborative project itself as a field of ethnographic research was presented by Dr. Valeria Hernández in the Kick Off Meeting that took place during the month of October 2008 in Buenos Aires. At that time the network members validated the proposal and agreed to "play the game" collaborating with the anthropologists of CLARIS LPB. Objectives Methods • Qualitative Research. Ethnographic Method. Using the techniques of participant observation and formal and informal interviews conducted during fieldwork, this methodology allows access to a deep understanding of the field under study. • Social Network Analysis (SNA). This methodological tool supposes a relational approach that allows to combine qualitative data, quantitative and graphical displays. The analytical capacity of this tool is based on its mathematical fundamentals of Graph Theory. • Other analytical tools: surveys, work with the website, workshops, use of photographic materials, analysis of written documents. • Contribute to the WP2 overall objective of foster and coordinate dissemination activities of the CLARIS LPB initiatives and results at scientific, public, and stakeholder levels, in order to gain public support for national/regional efforts to address climate change, improve collective responses and promote the development of national climate change action plans. • Achieving a better understanding of the pluridisciplinary dynamic work of this research network. • Contribute to strengthening the multiregional and transectorial cooperation characteristics of CLARIS LPB project. • Stimulating the epistemological reflexivity about the structure "collaborative network" as knowledge-production device. • Development • We have defined three areas of analysis to be addressed through qualitative and quantitative methods described in the correspondent section. • Cognitive axis: analysis of the logic of scientific knowledge production used in the pluridisciplinary field of climate change in general and in CLARIS LPB in particular. • Relational axis: study of the mode of relationship of disciplinary communities that comprise the consortium, both locally and globally. • Institutional axis: linked to the history and dynamics of institutions that comprise the network, focusing on how this dynamic works on into the structure "collaborative network" of CLARIS LPB. Challenges • Achieving a good relationship between qualitative research and quantitative research. • Implement a multisituated perspective that allows look at the overall network performance. Explore the tools available as: skype for conducting interviews, surveys designed specifically for WP Meetings, visits to each laboratory, ethnographers ad hoc, and so on. • Transcend the regional level in order to observe how pluridisciplinary, multiregionality and transectoriality are put into practice globally. • Gain greater access to knowledge sharing activities. Extend the methods and techniques for remote event log. Etnographic fieldwork CL Social Network Analysis AR I S LPB Quantitative surveys Other media available Preliminary Results CLARIS-LPB Young Scientists • Etnography of the network: In 2009 it began the fieldwork of CLARIS LPB network, in particular by interviewing participants with working basis in Argentina (biographical interviews, of professional trajectory, of institutional history, of discipline history, etc. It was conducted participant observation work in various events such as meetings organized by the Young Scientist (Mr. Federico Robledo) in Argentina (see box), the XIII Latin American and Iberian Congress of Meteorology (Climet XIII), the X Argentinian Congress de Meteorology (CONGREMET X) and the II Conference of the Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Buenos Aires on Climate Change (PIUBACC). One of the explicit objectives of CLARIS LPB Project is to strengthen and promote the actions of young researchers in order to contribute to the formation of future generations of scientists, so was formed in relation to this end the Young Scientists group (YS). In late 2008 was created the forum and the maillist of YS in order to facilitate the circulation of information (conferences, courses, job positions...) and open different topics of interest and debate. Since its forming, the YS developed two reflective documents that circulating among CLARIS LPB members by e-mail. • SNA: first maps We are working about the dynamics of this space. Design level network – relationship between WPs by researchers in common The network represents the relations between WPs at project design level in terms of researchers shared between the different WPs. The size of ties corresponds to the number of researchers in common. Preliminary Analysis It is a network of a single component with a density of 91.6%, ie that are present the 91.6% of all possible ties between the nodes. In relation to the centrality degree of the nodes, it varies from 100% to 75% in cases of lesser degree. So, the WP with fewer connections is linked with 6 of the 8 WPs possible. Whereupon the analysis of network density and the nodal centrality degree allows us to conclude that this is a highly connected network, with an homogeneus connection in terms of centrality degree, since there is no node related to less than 75% of the network. It is recalled that in this case is an analysis of a formal network concerning design and organization characteristics project and not of a network of the dynamic real work. Pluridisciplinary Spaces Throughout 2009 the Young Scientist, Federico Robledo, has coordinated four pluridisciplinary meetings of CLARIS LPB carried out in Argentina. Its aim consist of open a space for integrating and exchanging knowledge on the many topics addressed by the project CLARIS LPB. We designed surveys about operation and participant´s perception of the space and conducted ethnographic work of participant observation. Density (matrix average) = 0.9167 • Surveys: some results… Co-authorship Network - Posters WP8 and 9 Meeting - Curitiba 09 The network represents the relations of co-authorship of the posters presented at the M1b of the WP8 and 9. The nodes were identified by color and shape according to attributes of gender and institutional membership. The size of ties corresponds to the number of posters in common, which varies from 1 to 3 in this case. Preliminary Analysis It is a network composed of 3 unrelated components. There is a correlation between the conformation of the components and institutional affiliation of the authors. Except to the component 2 there is no ties between authors from different institutions. The component 3 shows a relationship between authors of the same partner but different faculties. The percentage of fragmentation of the graph is 62%. The linkage between authors of different gender is highly balanced and also their involvement as first author. Impact level of shared information The presentation of the current day is related directly with your work subject? • References: • * First author • Female • Male Colours: Partners • External • UFPR – Brazil • UBA - Argentine (FCEN) • UBA - Argentine (FAUBA) • IRD – France Component Nodes Proportion ----------- ----------- ----------- 1 7 0.292 2 13 0.542 3 4 0.167 Components with 3 or more members: 1: 1 12 13 17 18 22 24 2: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 19 20 21 3: 14 15 16 23 Fragmentation: 0.620 (prop. of nodes that cannot reach each other) *