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Introducing Pegasus: An ethnographic study of the ‘use’ of Grid technologies by the UK particle physics community. Will Venters Department of Information Systems London School of Economics and Political Sciences Email: w.venters@lse.ac.uk. Department of Information Systems. Pegasus Team.
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Introducing Pegasus: An ethnographic study of the ‘use’ of Grid technologies by the UK particle physics community Will Venters Department of Information Systems London School of Economics and Political Sciences Email: w.venters@lse.ac.uk Department of Information Systems
Pegasus Team • Three year project funded by the EPSRC programme: “Usability challenges from e-science” • Project started 1st June for 3 years. • Participants: • Dr Will Venters (Lecturer – LSE) • Dr Tony Cornford (Senior Lecturer – LSE) • Dr Mark Lancaster (Senior Lecturer in PP – UCL) • Dr Yingqin Zheng (Project Research Officer -LSE) • Avgousa Kyriakidou (Project student -LSE) • Advisory Group: • To be arranged. Yingqin Tony Will
What is Information Systems? • Study of ICT’s development and use in the real world of people, e.g. • Systems development methods and their reshaping • ICT and global outsourcing • Business strategy and ICT • Mobile technology and work • ID cards debate
IS at the LSE • ICT in use influences and is influenced by the social context as well as by its technical characteristics • We draw on the social sciences (e.g. economic, social, organisational, and political viewpoints) • We have worked in, and done research on, complex infrastructures: • knowledge management • financial networks • health information systems • systems development • open-source processes • Pegasus builds on and will contribute to this stream of work
Why is GridPP interesting to us? • Our interest is in how complex infrastructures develop and evolve • particle physicists are pragmatic: contrast to other developers (e.g. consultancies, corporations) • particle physicists are distributed and have for a long time worked together as a "virtual organisation"; of great interest to others in e-science. • GridPP has to deliver on time for LHC
Pegasus Project • We aim to study GridPP’s approach to e-science infrastructure development, deployment and use, and as a mix of technology, practices, knowledge, people, cultures, institutions, and politics… • We study GridPP as a means to “do” science. • Relevant for improving the potential of other Grids, and to inform other large infrastructures (e.g. NHS “connecting for health”, financial clearing and settlement …).
What are we planning to do? • We trace: • development of GridPP; • what influences the technology; • how GridPP comes to be used for the LHC; • how this use affects GridPP • We are interested not just in the rationalistic processes of design, but in the emergent behaviours, the “drift” in practices, the dynamic competences which evolve • For many areas of IS development these are crucial issues: • global and distributed approaches, collaborations, and contingent ways of processes of innovation
How do we intend to do this Journals E-Science guidance Education Ethnography / Interviews Qualitative analysis using tools Data Collection Analysis Publication
‘Data’ Collection • BUT…the particle detector is looking at “objective” particles: we are looking at messy, complicated humans • We cannot do a science experiment – instead we employ a technique from anthropology: Ethnography • Not devolved objective observers (we know that doesn’t work!) • observe, discuss, experience and participate • Interest in cultures, values, ways of working • Concerned with people’s interpretations • Confidentiality and Impartiality • Avoid bias from dominant opinions, or the researcher • We are not from particle physics or computer science – so we can and will ask the “stupid” questions
‘Data’ Collection • Over the next two to three years we will be: • Attending GridPP Meetings etc. • Visiting workplaces • Asking questions • Observing the technology in development and in use • Reading and analysing documents • Interviewing (usually around an hour) • Tape recording (and maybe even video!) • Taking lots of notes! • And analysing the results!
Specific Outputs • From all this observation we will write a set of “thick descriptions” describing: • How the needs of the LHC shape GridPP • How GridPP is understood by, and comes to be used by, particle physicists preparing for the LHC • How GridPP is actually put to use by particle physicists in research using the data from LHC • Using these reports to produce a framework and set of guidance for others developing similar Grids (including engineering, businesses and government).
Wider Contributions to IS • Existing theories of infrastructure suggest infrastructure must be (Star and Ruhleder): • Embedded inside both technologies and social arrangements • Built upon the installed base reflecting an inertia. • Transparent in use (and not reinvented for each task) • Only visible upon breakdown. • Reach beyond a single event or practice. • Learnt as part of “becoming” a member of a community. • Embodied in standards (negotiated with other infrastructure) • We aim to draw upon, and contribute to such literature using, e.g. concepts such as bricolage, situated actions, virtual organisations, translation and inscription, and distributed cognition!
Finally...What’s in it for GridPP? • The lessons of your hard work and insight will of value to others following (after) you. • Help promote the work of GridPP. • Help demystify GridPP, and let the public learn about the process of technological innovation and contemporary science. • Help GridPP to reflect on its practices, and improve its own understanding. • Provide an alternative perspective on your work.