Why has the OR been part of ICPSR for decades? How has the OR role evolved?

1. The Evolving Role of the Official Representatives of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research Rui Wang, Social Science Librarian/OR Central Michigan University June 2008

2. ICPSR1962-2008, over 50,000 datasets, 657 members, OR has been evolved: Faculty Librarians • Why has the OR been part of ICPSR for decades? • How has the OR role evolved? • What are the challenges and opportunities for librarians to fulfill the OR role and potentially to revitalize the system?

3. OR history • Punch card and magnetic tape • Alternative media • Web

4. Era of punch card and magnetic tape Memorandum of Organization – the founding fathers’ document (First Annual Report (1962-1963) “Each unit will designate one of its faculty members as the official representative to sit on a Committee of Representatives and take action on behalf of the participating unit”

5. Era of punch card and magnetic tape The OR liaison role with three functions ICPR brochure [1970?]

6. Era of punch card and magnetic tape:Founding fathers’ culture – the OR legacy The political power of governance and the disciplinary identity of political science of the OR group remained strong at that time. The 1975 OR survey concludes that: “the departmental affiliation of Official Representatives is overwhelming that of the Political Science department.” (ICPSR Bulletin, August 1976, p. 1).

7. “Alternative media” era • FTP • CDROM • Diskette

8. “Alternative media” era A sharp increase of data librarians/professionals in the OR group: from 2.8% in 1975 to 12% in 1988

9. “Alternative media” era – the division of labor and alienation. Data services traditionally provided by faculty ORs who were also data users was changed to data librarians/professionals who did not use data for their own research. When the disciplinary identity of the OR group started fading, the ownership and attachment to data were gone. The excitement and enthusiasm became less intense, compared to the heyday during the founding fathers period.

10. Web

11. Web

12. Web: challenges and opportunities • Don’t use ICPSR data for research/teaching • A learning curve on technical skills and ICPSR organization • Only having financial responsibility – low motivation to play ORs’ role • Need a support network • More adapting to the service role • More visible and approachable • Devote time to learning and promoting ICPSR • Natural born promoters • A complementary strength of assisting users

13. Conclusion • Founding fathers’ culture: ultimate political power – Summit Meetings • Junior faculty ORs culture: a strong academic disciplinary identity – a combination of a data user and service provider • Data librarian/professional culture – the hub between data and researchers OR meetings • Librarian culture – service role ICPSR conference

14. The ORs’ apathy has appeared to increase. The 1975 OR survey reveals that “Regularized means of coordination and communication across departments appears to be the exception rather than the norm at most institutions. Cross campus communications remain predominantly in the hands of the Official Representative on an adhoc basis.” Only 1/6 of ORs attended the 2007 OR Biannual meeting The 2008 OR survey indicates that most ORs (73%) spend 0% to 10% work time serving their institutions as OR.

15. Founding fathers’ Summit Meetings OR meetings ICPSR conference

16. ORs: low participation and “ad hoc” practice resulted from low usage ICPSR should reform the “big show” of the OR meetings into an ICPSR conference to manifest the entire community of social sciences. All sectors would gather in the ICPSR convocation. Research work would be presented and recognized, disciplinary/interdisciplinary leaders would emerge, communication and collaborations between and within would be forged, scientific inquiries would be nurtured, and intellectual excitement would be generated. The “intellectual endeavor” and “collective enterprise” are the driving forces behind the evolution of the ORs’ role.

17. Philosophy and theory: an enterprise of social sciences, scholarly communication and publishing Conference is still a major avenue of scholarly communication and publishing. Conference goers need validate their research and get feedback from their peers, junior faculty and grad students seek mentors and leaders, informal communication is still the most important and frequent communication among scientists in which research inquires, ideas, and collaborations are fostered

18. Practice and application: possibilities - a show case of ICPSR: recognition of research work, speeches of keynote speakers, proceedings etc.   - conference goers are highly motivated because of their tenure and promotion requirements, and most likely their presentations and workshops are funded by their own institutions - the unique identity of ICPSR conference - interdisciplinary of social sciences research which would be different from IASSIST. The ICPSR conference would more emphasize scholars' research and seed interdisciplinary leaders of quantitative social sciences research, bringing about teaching community and OR support community. ICPSR is a "strong and narrow" research domain. As long as the ICPSR conference attracts researchers, potential disciplinary/interdisciplinary leaders, teaching community, OR community, the conference should be able to generate enough discussions and enthusiasm for attention. The conference is the convergent point for all.

19. When celebrating ICPSR’s 25th anniversary in 1987, Ivor Crewe, Professor and Chair of the Department of government at the University of Essex, characterized ICPSR as an “intellectual endeavor and a collective enterprise.”(1989, p. 161) members Membership dues

20. Thank you Contact: Rui Wang Email: wang1r@cmich.edu