Progress 10/01/99 to 09/30/04
Outputs
No progress report submitted. See information below.
Impacts
This research has impacted community networks in various contexts. Ph.D. student Devan Rosen has used this research to explore online chat communities, particularly in the area of science education. This work was recently published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Ph.D. student Michael Jones has used the research to explain organizational communication between engineering team networks. This research has been expanded to examine multiple engineering environments leading to dissertation research.
Publications
- Rosen, D., Woelfel, J., Krikorian, D., & Barnett, G. 2003. Procedures for analyses of online communities. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 8 (4). Online [http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol8/issue4/rosen.html]
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
Research for this project has progressed in the form of presentations, publications, and extramural funding. Recent work has focused on the application of network tools in the form of software development. CRIS research has supported the development of data mining tools to automatically extract, analyze, and model online community networks. This research helped lead to a key software addition in the area of network visualization. As a result, online communities can be viewed as an over time communication network that illustrates relationships between individuals and groups and their message processes. The goal of this research was to provide a view of networks without knowledge of social network principles. By visualizing online communities, one can begin to understand where communication is occurring (and not occurring), how this communication changes over time, and the key network individuals or messages in communities. In 2002, a proposal on the implementation of
this software received funding from the Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research (CISER). It was awarded the top prize ($37,500) and was the first time a member of the Communication Department received this distinguished award. As a result, the progress of this research has provided other avenues for this research, particularly toward developing a tangible software product.
Impacts
This research has progressed in the area of application of this research in a wide variety of communities, allowing for a more broad impact of the proposed research. Ph.D. student Devan Rosen has used this research to explore online chat communities, particularly in the area of science education. This work has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Ph. D. student Michael Jones has used the research to explain the communication between engineering team networks, particularly in the relationship between face-to-face and computer-mediated work teams. Other research has explored the development of newsgroups, Internet clubs, and group email networks. As the research begins to broaden in scope, it has been realized that the resultant software applications can apply to multiple types of community networks. For example, it has recently been used to describe and predict covert network communication patterns particularly salient in the
wake of increased threats on homeland security. The expected impact of this project is to provide a unique software tool that visualizes networks and to help communities and their leaders understand the emergent network effects of their communication.
Publications
- Krikorian, D. H., & Kiyomiya, T. 2002. Bona fide groups as self-organizing systems: Applications to electronic newsgroups. In L. Frey (Ed.), Group communication in context: Studies of bona fide groups (pp. 335-365). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
- Krikorian, D. H., & Ludwig, G. L. 2002. Groupscope: Data mining tools for online communication networks. Paper presented at the annual Sunbelt Social Network Conference, New Orleans, LA.
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
Research on this project has developed through the incorporation of research publications, extramural funding efforts, and software development. The mechanisms for measuring online network communication have been established and are being used in a variety of contexts including online club formation, feedback forums for underrepresented minorities in an organizational context, and science education of rural children (particularly in the area of genomics). The Cornell Communication Network Analysis Laboratory (D. Krikorian, Director) has developed a tool (Chatpac) which measures online chat communication using neural network analysis techniques. This tool has been effectively tested in virtual world environments. Results from this research have uncovered differences between what boys and girls are discussing in informal science education forums. This project is a part of a larger initiative that is currently seeking NSF funding. Tool development has progressed using
publically available Internet clubs as a means to foster community building and has extended this research program. As a result data from over 1000 publicly available Internet clubs has been collected and partially analyzed. The resultant methodological tools supported by CRIS research (programmer salary) has also allowed for the implementation of automated algorithms which greatly ease the collection and analysis of online club data. Software development has progressed in the form of Groupscope, a network analytic tool (including the Group Internet Communication Boxscore and Group Microscope and Telescope) which provides insight into how individuals and groups socially network in an online environment. This software is the basis for a Cornell CISER Grant proposal for new faculty at Cornell. This software has the potential for commercialization to a wider audience. Ongoing research related to this sponsored research includes the incorporation of video and audio data, the examination
of online children's networks, engineering teams, rural community building in conjunction with CaRDI (Constance Kottmann), and distance education (the Cornell Global Seminar) efforts.
Impacts
This research is expected to provide new ways of understanding how individuals and groups communicate online. Coupled with recent efforts allowing for high-bandwidth communication in rural communities, it is expected that distant communicators will be able to use technologies to foster community relations. The tools developed from this project are expected to be a viable commercial product and current projects allow for examination into how online communities develop over time in various contexts such as distance education, rural community extension efforts, informal science education among children, underrepresented minorities in organizations, and publically available Internet clubs.
Publications
- Krikorian, D. H. (2001). Community networks and communication technology: Shared spaces and virtual places. Paper presented at the annual International Communication Association conference, Washington, DC, Communication Technology Division.
- Krikorian, D. H. (2001). Online community communication networks: Internet club applications. Paper presented at the annual Sunbelt Social Network conference, Budapest, Hungary.
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Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00
Outputs
Research in the area of networks and virtual communities has progressed in several arenas over the past year. Examination of the role of Internet communication in virtual communities resulted in one journal publication for the year 2000 (see below). A follow-up (methods) piece to this article is currently under review for publication. Conference participation in this area is reflected in four papers (presented or submitted) which examine the importance of communication theory on the Internet, virtual community communication (an extension of the Hatch proposal), and the aforementioned papers published or under review for publication. Data was collected, entered, and partially analyzed from a study examining the nature of group communication in virtual environments. Also, work has begun in the editing a book, "Internet Communication Processes: Theory and Practice." Several ties have been extended via collaborative efforts on virtual communities. An interdisciplinary
team of researchers has been established in pursuit of extramural funding. Important to this effort is the incorporation of science education, marginalized group interaction, and virtual community development. Other ongoing work examines University-community outreach and local community center applications. In the area of communication network analysis, one conference paper was presented in the year 2000 which developed new measures of Internet network communication, incorporating graph analytic techniques and directional ties. Also, a conference panel proposal examining organizational communication was submitted; the result of my graduate seminar in communication network analysis. Results of the network analyses performed by students in the seminar provided new insight into network measures and applicability to the current project. Finally a graduate concentration area in organizational communication was established at Cornell in 2000 emphasizing communication technology and
networks. Graduate students particularly interested in communication networks and technology have now have a specific research track suitable to the objectives of this proposal.
Impacts
Published research provides one of the earliest empirical examinations of virtual communication in a graphical space. Social impacts of the research include ongoing community outreach efforts, the uses of virtual technology by marginalized sectors in society, and the use of virtual communities for science education.
Publications
- Krikorian, D. H., Lee, J., Chock, T. M., & Harms, C. M. (2000). Isn1t that spatial?: Distance and communication in a 2-D virtual environment. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 5(4). Available: http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol5/issue4/krikorian.html
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