JRA6: Virtual Communities
Network of Excellence in Internet Science (EINS)
FINAL REVIEW
Brussels, 27, 29 May 2015
Prof. Chris Marsden (Sussex)
FP7-ICT-2011.1.6-288021 EINS
Network of
Excellence in
Internet Science
JRA6 Vision: 2010
§  The history of Internet-based communication is also a
history of the rise of virtual communities,
Ø 
Ø 
tied into the geographic penetration of access to the Internet,
creating a symbiosis between online and offline experiences.
§  Our strong working assumption is that virtual communities
§ 
typically arise from, and respond to, offline communities.
JRA6 further develops interdisciplinary research,
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
to bridge successfully between disciplines in a manner which
enriches both quantitative and qualitative method,
while explicitly acknowledging the normative dimension of our work.
our further work packages will take this work forward.
JRA6 Virtual Communities
Final EINS Review, Brussels, 27,29 May 2015
What does that vision look like in 2015?
JRA6 Virtual Communities
Final EINS Review, Brussels, 27,29 May 2015
JRA6 Achievements
§  2012/14 production of 12 case studies
Ø  fields
from sociology to politics to law to
evolutionary economics,
Ø  intensively developed using a specifically
tailored methodology,
Ø  CAMPO (context-actors-method-practicesoutcomes) led by a team from Trento-NEXA.
§  official workshop 30/6/2014 of 26th Human
Behaviour & Evolution of Society conference
§  Case studies for cross-cutting analysis in the
final report – read it!
JRA6 Virtual Communities
Final EINS Review, Brussels, 27,29 May 2015
JRA6 Links with other activities
§  JRA6 official opening workshop 26th Human
Behaviour and Evolution of Society
Ø  interdisciplinary:
evolutionary economics, neuroscience, many doctoral students
§  Sartori/Prandini hosted Bologna workshop 2014
§  JRA6 co-leaders: JRA1 (Tamas) JRA8 (Sartori)
Ø  Marsden/David-Barratt
papers to JRA1 & JRA2
workshops 2014
Ø  JRA4-5 intense interaction with JRA6
§  Symposia on future of money,
Ø  Stockholm
(Jan 2014) Gikii Sussex (Sept 2014)
JRA6 Virtual Communities
Final EINS Review, Brussels, 27,29 May 2015
Conclusions
§  All tasks/deliverables delivered successfully
§  Tightly networked community – especially of
young interdisciplinary researchers
Ø  CAMPO
method applied by researchers
Ø  JRA6 researchers now lead half of JRAs
§  Many research papers/conferences
Ø  More
to come with case study development
§  Interactions with Web & Network Science
Ø  Also
Canada GRAND network e.g. IAMCR’15
JRA6 Virtual Communities
Final EINS Review, Brussels, 27,29 May 2015
Future Plans
§  Several projects follow from JRA6
§  Sigma-Orionis H2020 coordination
•  Collective Awareness Platforms for Sustainability and
Social Innovation (CAPS 2020):
§ 
http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/collective-awarenessplatforms-sustainability-and-social-innovation
§  Oxford Dunbar's ERC Advanced grant
•  "Psychology of relationships, networks and
community cohesion"
§  Marsden/Guadamuz (Suss) Dini (LSE)
Ø  DG
Justice for Openlaws.eu 2014-16)
Ø  open legal data/EU social community of lawyers.
JRA6 Virtual Communities
Final EINS Review, Brussels, 27,29 May 2015