Workshop on the Future of Observatories in the Social Sciences, December 2010

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides support for a workshop on the future of observatories in the social sciences, to be held during December 2010 in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The workshop will convene a group of experts to discuss how a network of social observatories might contribute to the advancement of science and how such a network might best be designed to meet this objective. The workshop will consider the potential value of a network of social science observatories, either attached to existing physical science observatories or sited independently, for advancing scientific research; criteria for siting such observatories; data that could be collected through the observatories; and data storage and data access issues. Materials to be prepared for the workshop include a background paper on existing physical and environmental science observatories and a critical review of existing sources of data for social science research. There has been considerable past work to develop networks of physical and ecological observatories. Among those involved with these efforts, there is a growing sense that social and economic data are needed to augment the physical observations presently being collected. In addition, it has been argued that a network of social observatories could provide the infrastructure necessary to support important new interdisciplinary research within the social sciences. By providing the beginnings of a blueprint for the establishment of a network of social observatories, this workshop can be expected to have an initial impact on human-environment research and a longer-term impact on interdisciplinary research in the social sciences. Plans for dissemination to the broader community include a journal article to be prepared at the conclusion of the workshop.