Charter for innovation, creativity and access to knowledge
This charter for innovation, creativity and access to knowledge talks about a revolution in the flow of ideas and knowledge and proposes reforms that would ensure wider civic engagement and dissemination of knowledge. While I'd agree with their legal demands, I think this charter is an interesting example of how particular beliefs and assumptions can generate change.We are in the midst of a revolution in the way that knowledge and culture are created, accessed and transformed. Citizens, artists and consumers are no longer powerless and isolated in the face of the content-providing industries: now i

Empirical research and theory
While digitizing a part of my archive, I found Merton's "The Bearing of Empirical Research Upon the Development of Sociological Theory" (American Sociological Review 13, 505-515, 1948). Here is what he says about the role of empirical research in the construction of social theory.The model of empirical research as testing or verification of hypotheses fails, because it doesn't describe what actually occurs in fruitful investigation. Empirical research goes beyond the passive role of testing and verification; it initiates, reformulates, deflects and clarifies theory.These functions can be described as follows:The serendipity pattern: the unanticipated, a

Paper: Innovation and knowledge in the digital media sector
An article in the new issue of Information, Communication and Society (Vol. 12, N 7, 2009) - Innovation and knowledge in the digital media sector (pp. 994 - 1014, by subscription).The article has some interesting terminology, but no particularly interesting claims or findings. It distinguishes between the terms "creative industry", "digital content industry", and "cultural industry" and proposes to rely on the latter, the cultural industries, and incorporate it into the concepts of information economy and the primary information sector (PIS). This shoul

A long-term fix for science education
In Wall Street Journal three experts share their thoughts on how to improve math and science education in the US (Why we are failing math and science, Oct 26 2009). In short, they suggest:recruit better teachersspend more money to attract talent and reward excellenceuse technologyscare people that if they don't compete with Chinese and Indians in education, they will fall behindmake K-12 education more competitive and bring business to educationFear and business are certainly not good strategies, but these suggestions also ignore stud

Eight P's of information architecture
Thom Haller in the ASIST Bulletin IA Column ( October/November 2009):1. Performance – What do users need or want to do in this information space? How do we measure successful performance? 2. Perspective – What is our focus? Are we focusing on who’s using the communication product, what they want from the product and their context?3. Product – What technological choices best suit the needs of the users of this information? 4. Presentation – How can we visually structure information so people can accomplish what they want to accomplish (without becoming thwarted)?5. People