6.0350 Conf: Innovative Research Trends (1/409)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Tue, 10 Nov 1992 18:18:51 EST

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0350. Tuesday, 10 Nov 1992.

Date: Sun, 08 Nov 92 19:26:07 EST
From: MICHAEL STRANGELOVE <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA>
Subject: MISC: Innovative Research Trends in the Human Sciences

INNOVATIVE RESEARCH TRENDS IN THE HUMAN SCIENCES
University of Alberta
Nov. 27-28 '92

ISSUES:
- BUILDING TEAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS
- RETHINKING THE RESEARCH AGENDA
- SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIPS
- INNOVATIVE USES OF COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES
(INCLUDING THEIR DEMONSTRATION)
- FACILITATING ALTERNATIVE RESEARCH MODELS

AGENDA


N.B.:Unless otherwise specified, all presentations are no more
than twenty (20) minutes in length followed by a ten-minute
discussion period.

All sessions will be in Corbett Hall Lecture Theatre 2-39.

Friday, November 27, 1992

OPENING SESSION (8:30 - 10:00 a.m.)
Chair:Prof. C. R. James
Vice-President (Research), University of Alberta

Topic: The Growth of Collaborative Research in the Human
Sciences
Speaker:Dr. Louise Dandurand, Secretary General, SSHRC

Topic:"New Research Emergent from Technology: Reconfiguring
the Disciplines"
Speaker: Prof. Ian Lancashire
Department of English, New College
Director, Centre for Computing in the Humanities
University of Toronto

Prof. Elaine Nardocchio
President, Consortium for Computers in the Humanities &
Chair, Department of French
McMaster University

Topic: Opportunities and Challenges Inherent in Recent
Collaborative Trends
Speaker:Prof. R. L. Busch
Associate Vice-President (Research), University of Alberta

REFRESHMENT BREAK

BUILDING TEAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS - SESSION I (10:30 -
12:30 pm)
Chair:Dr. Cliff Hickey
Director, Canadian Circumpolar Institute

Topic:"Conditions for Successful Team Research Initiatives"
Speaker:Prof. Harold Coward
Director, Centre for Studies in Religion and Society,
University of Victoria

Topic:"Cross-disciplinary Collaboration: Coming of Age and
Growing Pains"
Speaker:Prof. Allan Dobbs
Director, Centre for Gerontology, University of Alberta &
Member of the Canadian Aging Research Network (CARNET)

Topic:"Not a Christmas Tree: Multidisciplinary Research
Efforts and their Problems"
Speaker:Prof. Rosemary Ommer
Research Director,
Institute of Social and Economic Research,
Memorial University

Topic:"Crossing Old Borders with New Ideas: Models for East-
West Academic Cooperation -Results of a Canadian-Russian
Joint Venture in Multimedia Program Development"
Speaker:Prof. Samuel D. Cioran
Director, Humanities Computing Centre
McMaster University


Lunch: 12:30 - 2:00pm
Location: Conference site


RETHINKING THE RESEARCH AGENDA - SESSION II (2:00 -
3:30pm)
Chair:Prof. Baha Abu-Laban
Professor of Sociology & Associate Dean (Research),
Faculty of Arts
University of Alberta


Topic:"The Case for Research Collaboration Across Council
Boundaries"
Speaker:Prof. Kenneth D. Craig
Killam Research Fellow, Department of Psychology
University of British Columbia


Topic:"The University of Alberta-Based Government Interchange
Program"
Speakers:Ms. Phyllis Woolley-Fisher
Director, Government Interchange Program,
Faculty of Business, University of Alberta

Mr. David Hudson
Deputy Minister, Alberta Consumer & Corporate Affairs

Topic:"Alternatives to the Scholarly Book and Article"
Speakers:Ms. Sandra Woolfrey
Director, Wilfred Laurier University Press

Prof. David Marples
Department of History, University of Alberta

REFRESHMENT BREAK

SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIPS(4:00 - 5:30pm)
Chair:Mr. Steve Karp
PhD Candidtate, Department of History, President,
Graduate Students Association,
University of Alberta

Topic:"Organizational and Disciplinary Constraints Affecting
the Supervisory Relationship"
Speaker:Prof. Louis Maheu
Vice-Dean, Professeur Titulaire, Dpartement de
Sociologie, Facult d'Etudes Suprieures,
Universit de Montral

Topic:"Optimizing the Dissertation Experience"
Speakers:Prof. T. Elrod
Associate Professor, Department of Marketing & Economics
Analysis,Faculty of Business, University of Alberta

Ms. Joan White
PhD Candidate, Faculty of Business,University of Alberta

Topic:"Collaborative and apprenticing arrangements at the
Centre for the Editing of Early Canadian Texts"
Speaker:Prof. Mary J.Edwards, Director,
CEECT,Carleton University


Time:Cocktails (6:30pm)
Dinner:7:00pm
Location:Stollery Centre, Faculty of Business
Keynote Speech:"Jumping the Wall"
Speaker: Dr. Matthew Spence
President,
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1992

INNOVATIVE USES OF RESEARCH AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
I(8:30 - 10:00am)
Chair:Prof. Mohan Matthen
Department of Philosophy and Associate Dean (Humanities
and Fine Arts), University of Alberta

Topic:"ICONCLASS in Pictorial Information Systems"
Speaker:Prof. Peter van Huisstede
Researcher, Department of Computers and Humanities,
University of Utrecht

Topic:"Index of Christian Art"
Speaker:Prof. Brendan Cassidy
Professor, Department of Art & Archaeology,
Princeton University

REFRESHMENT BREAK

INNOVATIVE USES OF RESEARCH AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
II(10:30 - 11:45am)
Chair:Prof. Craig Montgomerie
Associate Professor, Department of Educational
Administration & Research Coordinator for
Telecommunications, Office of the Vice-President
(Research),
University of Alberta

Topic:"The Case for Research on Computer Assisted Instruction"
Speaker:Prof. Milt Petruk, Department of Educational
Administration,
Director, Apple Innovation Support Centre, University of
Alberta & Executive Director, Apple Canada Education
Foundation

Topic:Innovative Uses of Library Network Resources
Speakers:Mr. Doug Poff
Head, Information Technology Services,
The University of Alberta

Mr. Ernie Ingles
Chief Librarian & Director of Libraries,
The University of Alberta


Lunch:11:45 - 1:00pm


INNOVATIVE USES OF RESEARCH AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
III(1:00 - 2:50pm)

Chair: Mr. Michael Strangelove
Department of Religious Studies
University of Ottawa

Topic:"Establishment of a (North-American) Consortium to
Sponsor the Computer Network Publication of Refereed
Journals"
Speaker:Ms. Carolynne Presser
Director, University of Manitoba Library

Time:1:30 - 2:00pm
Topic:"Getting Electronic Journals Up and Running"
Speaker:Prof. Jean-Claude Gudon
Dpartment de Littrature Compare, Universit de Montral
& Editeur, Surfaces

Topic:"Use of List-servers-Bulletin-boards-News-groups for
Research"
Speaker:Prof. Timothy Stephen
Associate Professor, Communications
Department of Language, Literature & Communications
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute


Time:2:30 - 2:50pm


REFRESHMENT BREAK


INTERNAL & EXTERNAL FACILITATION OF ALTERNATIVE MODELS
(2:50 - 5:30pm)

Chair:Prof. Olav Slaymaker
Associate Vice-President (Research) &
Professor, Department of Geography
University of British Columbia

Topic:Decanal & Chair Perspectives
Speakers:Prof. Ron Bond
Dean of Humanities, University of Calgary

Prof. Robert V. Kubicek
Associate Dean of Arts (Research, Promotions & Tenure)
University of British Columbia

Prof. Robert Silverman
Chair, Department of Sociology, University of Alberta

Topic:National Perspectives on Facilitating Interdisciplinary
Collaboration Within and Across Granting-Agency
Boundaries
Speakers:Prof. Louise Quesnel, Dpartement des Sciences
Politiques,
Universit Laval &
President, Social Sciences Federation of Canada

Prof. Elaine Nardocchio
Vice-President, Canadian Federation for the Humanities

Ms. Catherine Armour
Program Officer (Networks),
Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council

[Medical Research Council [Speaker, TBA]

Dr. Louise Dandurand
Secretary General,
Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada


**The University of Alberta gratefully recognizes the support of
The Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada,
The Social Sciences Federation of Canada and the Canadian
Federation for the Humanities **

REGISTRATION FEE: BY NOV.13: $80.(CAN.) AFTER NOV.13 $100.
1/2-DAY SESSIONS: $30
STUDENTS: $35 (ALL SESSIONS) $15 (1/2-DAY SESSIONS)
BANQUET FEE $35 [MAX. 80]
CONFERENCE CAPACITY: 200

FOR CONFERENCE REGESTRATION MATERIAL OR FURTHER INFORMATION:
MS. EILEEN CROOKES, COORDINATOR OF PROGRAMS
1-3 UNIVERSITY HALL, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
EDMONTON, ALBERTA, T6G 2J9
FAX: (403) 492-6446; e-mail: ECROOKES@UALTAVM.UCS.UALBERTA.CA

INNOVATIVE RESEARCH TRENDS IN THE HUMAN SCIENCES
(Session descriptions)


I.PLENARY SESSION
This Session will hear three twenty-minute presentations. The
first, representing SSHRC, will address the growing importance
of collaborative research for the Council. This will include
thoughts on bridging disciplines and making the case for
research collaboration among constituents of CanadaUs three
Granting Councils. The next presentation will address newly
emergent types of research resulting from technological change -
for example, the use of hypercard for relational databases,
research on computer-assisted education, etc. A third speaker
will review the alternatives to a traditional research model,
e.g., single-scholar approach, publication essentially by paper
only. This speaker will endeavour to bring out the strengths of
the alternatives, including their "value added" in terms of
research outcomes and enabling structures. Conversely, this
speaker will also address the putative limitations of the
alternatives, as well as the human and institutional barriers
that can be encountered in pursuing them. Emphasis in this
presentation will be on a balanced introduction of the issues to
be addressed in the sessions to follow.

II.BUILDING TEAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS
The Canadian Tri-Council communique of April 24, 1992 has
emphasized the CouncilsU increasing commitment to a Rgrowing
trendS in interdisciplinary and collaborative research both
within and across the Councils' "boundaries." Successful
collaboration cannot be imposed, but rather needs to be a
"natural fit" whose advantages in terms of enriched
perspectives, critical mass, ability to undertake and complete
large tasks within a reasonable time, and educational rewards to
student participants are readily justifiable. That the
Councils are making collaboration and networking more of a
priority should occasion researchers to explore the
possibilities for a natural fit. This Session will emphasize
the necessary conditions for successful team research, and will
present a variety of case studies that embody the collaborative
concept and strengthen its rationale.

III RETHINKING THE RESEARCH AGENDA
This Session will relate an Alberta experience of setting up an
extensive Government-University interchange program to help share
and generate knowledge of use to the broader community.
Additionally, it will examine, the issue of finding credible and
valuable supplements to the scholarly book and article for
disseminating the results of human-sciences scholarship to
decision makers in government and the private sector, as well as
to the general public.

IV SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIPS
An important trend in education involves fostering a
learner-centred process as distinct from an
instructor/professor-centred process. Learner-centred education
has undoubtedly been highly characteristic of graduate studies
at their best, particularly at the doctoral level where
creativity is expected of candidates. However, there may be
further room to move in this direction. While some
human-sciences may be more conducive than others to promoting
collaborative supervisory approaches, and, indeed, disciplinary
constraints on collaboration will be addressed, nevertheless
collaborative relationships are conceivable for almost any
field. Several of these will be exemplified.

V INNOVATIVE USES OF RESEARCH AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
One can maintain that computers not only aid research, but
sometimes make new sorts of research possible. This will be
demonstrated on the basis the automated Index of Christian
Art and on the basis of ICONCLASS a hierarchical, automated
classification system that allows the retrieval of information
from image data-bases in response to queries from researchers in
different fields, using unregimented natural language.
Additionally, this Session will demonstate ways that computers
can be used for advanced research in education delivery, and
University of Alberta Library staff will present on the
innovative use of library network resources. Another Session
under this rubrique will focus on the challenges and
opportunities inherent in the rapid emergence of electronic
journals. If scholars in the human sciences can meet refereeing
responsibilities, dispense with traditional dependence on paper
and be "at home" on modern high-speed networks electronic
journals offer a cost-effective, "environmentally-friendly" way
to handle the information explosion at the speed-of-light. In
addition to hearing about the Canadian experience with
Surfaces and strategies for getting electronic journals "up
and running", and an American experieince with Comserve: an
on-line Disciplinary Centre for Communications Scholars
and Students, attendees will learn of the forthcoming
Manitoba Conference to promote the Establishment of a
[North-American] Consortium to Sponsor the Computer
Network Publication of Refereed Journals.

VI INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITATION OF ALTERNATIVE MODELS
As a word "networking" may still grate on some ears, but it,
along with collaboration, has become increasingly prominent in
scholarship. This suggests that scholars have already been
resourceful in developing collaborative and networked
relationships. It might be asked whether success has resulted
from concerted institutional support, from benign institutional
neglect or in spite of institutional barriers. To put matters
more constructively, one can ask what institutions and/or their
sub-units need to do to facilitate scholarly collaboration and
networking. This might be through encouraging interdisciplinary
projects, through encouraging the use of telecommunication
applications by supplying effective support-staff and training
opportunities, through having the reward system recognize
meaningful contributions to applied research aspects of
networking and collaboration, etc. Perspectives on
institutional facilitation will be sought from two panels; panel
discussion; one in which representatives of the the Granting
Councils state their views on the importance of facilitating
collaborative research either within or acrosss Council
boundaries; a second panel of university administrators will
share their views on this subject.