Event #1: Uses of inventive methods

Transmissions: Uses of inventive methods
Half day symposium/workshop

Monday 8th April
School of Information and Computer Science, University of California

The initial plan was to hold just one event, but co-ordinating teaching timetables, flights and diaries to get US, UK, EU and Australian speakers and participants together turned out to be too challenging. The alternative? Host smaller, distributed events.

This first event was designed to bring together Intel, Irvine and ISTC (Intel’s Science Technology Centre for Social Computing) researchers, faculty and students engaged in interdisciplinary practice involving inventive methods and modes of transmission. The workshop featured an eclectic group of people from anthropology, sociology, computer science, art and design with an interest in a spectrum of research (as is illustrated in the following Speed Methods session writeup). Many thanks to everyone involved, and special thanks to Mel Gregg, Paul Dourish and Geof Bowker from ISTC for hosting the event at UCI, to Dawn Nafus and Scott Mainwaring from Intel for their participation and contribution and also a special mention to Julio Rodriguez who made everything run without a hitch.

The afternoon took the form of two framing talks and a response, discussion, followed by a short break and a speed methods session.

Schedule
Time: 13.00- 17.50
Location: UCI, Donald Bren Hall room #5011
Format: Short seminar/ roundtable followed by speed methods presentations with select participants.

13.00-13.15: Kat Jungnickel – Welcome, objectives and overview of afternoon

13.15-13.45: Nina Wakeford – What is an inventive method for social research?

13.45-14.15: Kat – The transmission of interdisciplinary ideas and practice through projects

14.15-14.45: Geof Bowker – Response in relation to interests of STS/ ISTC

14.45-15.00: Discussion facilitated by Dawn Nafus

15.00-15.15: Break

15.15-16.45: Chaired by Mel Gregg – Speed methods session: 10 x 8min rapid presentations:

“A methodological proposal or problem”
In our ‘Speed Methods’ session each participant will have 8 minutes to present their research topic and a methodological challenge in relation to the empirical process of their work (actual or anticipated). We’d like you to focus on one current problem/impasse you are tackling, with regards, for example, to problem definition, data collection/analysis, presenting results, etc. Given the theme of the workshop we are particularly interested in the possibilities of re-imagining methods and their ‘inventiveness’ (see workshop description). Feel free to be adventurous with your 8 minutes – for example contributions could attempt to enact the problem!

16.45-17.30: Mel Gregg – Discussion, common themes, next steps, wrap up

An overview of the workshop in the form of a research ‘zine is here.