Meeting 2 Notes

Co-ordinator = Chris Atkinson

PARTICIPANTS

• We could spend some time in refining human-machine networks from an ontological/epistemological perspective but perhaps it is more useful now to study its application.
• We can use, for instance, actor network theory (ANT) to view this whole process in which we are engage as a particular case study for its application.
• In ANT there is the notion of a focal actor, which in this case could be Raul, and there is a problem or a description of it that is wanted to be addressed. In order to do that, it seems to be convenient to bring together a number of different human and machines through any means that is necessary. Then there is the process of identifying which are actors are relevant to this problematisation and what are the mechanisms that are holding them together (contracts, interests, threats, rewards) and aligning their interests. At the same time it is necessary to identify what is called obligatory passage points where there is a fusion point formed between networks. Then we have a part of enrolment where actor networks evolve to become the solution to the problematisation. The actors, as we have said, could be humans or machines. 
• My interest in particular is in understanding how to turn ANT into a problem solving process. If we look at ANT as a framework we can apply it to this particular exercise to build a case study. This syntegration could be a passage point where the members are mobilised to produce probably certain ends like research proposals, papers or case studies.
• If we consider the actors in these networks we can identify all the members of the network as well as the technology we are using (e.g., email, the Web Page). Notice that the chat space was an actor that was betrayed in terms of ANT because it fails in enrolment. The methodology itself is an important actor in this network.

CRITICS

• Where does an actor network end/stop? You seem to be including everything we mention as part of the network!
• I would be very grateful to this group if you could help me see how is this integration of humans and artefacts in a network, what sort of instruments you have that would help us to bring together this network so that we can increase the chances of emergence from the net. 

PARTICIPANTS & CRITICS

• Is the focal actor in an AN acting as a catalyst or is acting as in some form of directing the process? 
• I would say that it could be acting in both ways. But it could be possible that the AN betrays the original intention of the focal actor.
• We need to read more because we, as a group, don't know much about ANT. A few references could be by Latour and Callon.
• I think we have to make a decision now if we are going to use ANT as a base for a methodology to study the process we are in or if we want to do a comparative study of different methodologies to decide which could be the best one to use.
• If we start doing a CATWOE for this process we would have something like this. The Customers are Raul and the whole Infoset as well as EPSRC. The transformation is for not having an overall specification for a consolidated AN and their artefacts to having one. 
• We can identify two levels for the transformation process here. One is how we transform these actors into an AN to solve some problem like the systems integration and other is how you transform a set of actors here into a network that find its own direction and interests. How do you persuade people to become active actors of the network?