Update: changed the semantics page as requested by Khatuna (see comments). Also added UNDP logo and made other minor changes.
Update 2: added a reference page. I consider this finished.
Here is the first attempt at the network analysis report. I tried to make it very short: only 561 words, aided by 8 sleek images.
The format lends itself to easily making a presentation. This is designed with UNDP employees in mind: maybe participating in a conference, or giving an internal presentation to the top brass.
Khatuna, @Lurglomond, @gazbee sorour, could you have a look and see if you like it? I may still make minor changes. Also you, @Noemi, @ArthurD and Inga – your input is welcome on this format.
Alberto, thank you very much for this! Looks great and easy to grasp. Just one thing that comes immediately to my mind for the audience that’s not so aware of tech slang: perhaps little bit simplify the Semantics page? Many would not know what Ethnographic coding mean…and also, who can do the network analysis? can any member of the network have access to the tool? [the answer might be already on the network, but pardon my ignorance] . From the management perspective, say for UNDP manager to be able to produce the network analysis independently would make a monitoring part very interesting, what do you think?
I can certainly add a bit of explanation to the Semantics page.
You can perform the network analysis by yourselves, but that requires you teach yourselves a little bit of Tulip. @Benjamin Renoust has added links to Tulip files at the end of this post: this means that the files have already been built, so you don't need to re-run the scripts (though you can, there are also links to the code) and can start exploring the graphs right away. However, we are not going to make these files available for general download. When the exercise is finished, we will lock them. The reason is ethical: the Edgeryders-STF community has consented to their conversations being analyzed by UNDP and us for this specific purpose, and we would like some control on further uses. We can release pseudonymized data (identical networks, but no information on who is who), but that would mean doing extra work, so we are being a bit careful.
On the second point -fair enough - fully agree on ethical part… I’m more or less aware of how this works after MN’s workshop and thank you for that! >what I actually meant is that it is excellent that network analysis tool is more or less easy to grasp for ordinary mortals who are e.g. project partners, who can use it as a monitoring tool, in addition to traditional reporting, which is remarkable in the context of how bureaucracies could establish connections with social networks.
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Ethnographic coding was applied to 161 posts and 782 comments. Coding is a standard ethnographic technique. It consists of reading all contributions and assigning relevant keywords to snippets of texts.
Such coding can be used to add semantic meaning to each individual connection in the network. 243 tags in 6 categories were identified as recurring all along the STF conversation.
If the conversation network is similar to a system of highways, semantic meaning can be thought of as the traffic actually riding on those highways.
@Alberto, this is first rate! Well done to you and the team!
A few thoughts (not for the report, just of interest):
The insight on Armenia having a stronger connection with Egypt than Georgia is unexpected and fascinating. Any additional insights on what is driving this?
Also, the northwest of the graphic on page nine has three standout keywords: cooperation, collective initiatives and common goals. I would love to know a little more about the context of the reference. Is there insufficient cooperation (you don’t often hear complaints about “too much cooperation” or a lack of clarity on goals?
I understand that the conference touched upon how bureaucracies should interact with networks.
Perhaps in response to the above, UNDP should be setting up “change labs” – spaces to crate shared understanding between participants as a basis for common action. Skills for the lab team to develop: ethnography, foresight, tactical design, new media.
Change labs - as the link between bureaucracies and networks?
George, loved your last point on ‘change labs’ , because if we look at the perspective of “what’s next” How can bureaucracies and social networks work together in mutually reinforcing manner, what is required is a connecting link. In a very interesting conversation with Vinay at the final Futurespotters conference in Tbilisi this is the idea that resonated with me the most - that in partnership between multinationals and social networks there is no need to take over each other’s roles, but rather find the connecting link, which might as well be the ‘change labs’ you are describing. Any way to continue this brainstorming ?
Well, the network report is only half of the story: the other half is the ethnography proper, that delves into content where the network stuff is more concerned with structure. Inga is working on it now, a draft should be out by Friday.
The fact that you, George, are looking at the network and asking questions about content brings contentedness to my heart, because it shows that you can indeed use algorithms on conversational data to surface questions that can then be answered by delving into the units of content highlighted by the algorithms. My vision for Edgeryders is to be a platform for collectively intelligent discussion, with a community that is good at scenario exploration and debate and tech to help lift the good bits from that conversation. This calls for qualitative data analysis (QDA, what Inga is doing) augmented by quantitative analysis (network stuff, what Ben has been doing). By the way, Khatuna, having your point of view downstream of Masters of Networks would be really good.
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The vision for Kolba is that it eventually becomes a regional/global lab… next stop Georgia? We could provide the digital infrastructure for your change lab’s online community (i.e add Georgian as one of the site’s languages). Your work with micro-narratives fits into this very well. Joint pitch to the global innovation facility next year?
But I like where your mind is on this one… wish list for a change lab (please add): physical space (preferably near but not within the UNDP office); community manager (skills: new media and ethnography); online community (small funds to upgrade Kolba’s website to include Georgian); travel funds (for the lab team to get out and for the outside world to come to you); “office supplies” (sticky notes, IT, etc.). Let’s Skype on how to pitch it to Nils et al.
I have hardly any comments to the existing version, maybe just a minor stylistic one: it is not comfortable for me to read text on a black background. but maybe it is just me. Also, I am working on the ethnographic part - but I am afraid that I will be able to finish just by the next Friday. I will do my best though to do it asap.
Many would not know what Ethnographic coding mean…and also, who can do the network analysis? can any member of the network have access to the tool? [the answer might be already on the network, but pardon my ignorance] . From the management perspective, say for UNDP manager to be able to produce the network analysis independently would make a monitoring part very interesting, what do you think?
