Canadian Rural Research Network

(CRRN)
http://rural-research-network.blogspot.com/

Alessandro Alasia
Network coordinator

Presentation to the Rural Development Network (RDN)

Thursday, August 12, 2010
1:30 pm to 3:00 pm (EST)

August 12, 2010 1

 Outline
• CRRN vision, development, and accomplishments
• An emerging research network model?
• Various sections of the CRRN blog and the other
social media tools
• Priorities for the coming year
• How individuals and organizations can become
involved with the CRRN

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 CRRN vision

A vibrant, free and comprehensive on-line

community of rural research stakeholders
that facilitates links, exchanges, partnerships
and information sharing among all parties
interested in rural research by means of new
and innovative networking approaches

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 CRRN development
• June 2009, the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) supports
a proposal to revitalize the network (as Canadian Rural Research Network)
with a renewed mandate and networking model

– June 2009, the CRRN blog is launched

– August 2009, first bi-monthly email update is sent out
– September/December 2009, a management committee is established
– December 2009, first online meeting of the management committee
– January/February 2010, established presence on social media
(Facebook, Twitter, YouTube)
– March 2010, first presentation of the CRRN at the BCRRHRN Scientific
Exchange
– May 2010, first annual meeting of the CRRN partners
– June 201, started LinkedIn Group
– July…. summer break…

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 Achievements
• Over 30 provincial and national organizations
with an interest in rural research meet around a
virtual table

• A volunteer management group spread across

Canada maintains the network

• A large number of feedback from a community

of users

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 Achievements
• Established a simple-to-use platform to compile
and disseminate rural research information
– Stats on usage over the past 15 months:
• Close to 10,000 unique visitors
• Close to 25,000 page loads
• Recently, between 20 and 30 visitors per day
• Email distribution list of about 3,500 contacts, largely in the
public (fed/prov/municipal) and non-profit sector

• Presence on major social media (LinkedIn,

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) and RSS feeds
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 An emerging research network model?

• Three ideas (with some simplifications) that can shape

an emerging research network model which brings
together supply and demand of rural research:

– The Wickinomics (of research information sharing)

• (Tapscott and Williams 2006)

– The Socialnomics (of research information sharing)

• (Qualman 2009)

– The world (of rural research) is flat

• (Friedman 2005)

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 Wikinomics, Socialnomics and research networks
• Shift in Internet applications (Web 2.0): from a publishing environment to a
participative environment

• People are getting more relevant, timely and free content from their
peers via social media (Qualman 2009)

• Cost of (online) collaboration has plunged

• A new mode of production emerges: peer production

– A way of producing goods/services that relies on self-organizing, egalitarian
communities of individuals who come together voluntarily to produce a shared
outcome (Tapscott and Williams 2006)

• Peer production works for production of: (1) “information” outputs; (2) small
increment contributions are possible; (3) low cost of re-assembly parts

• Peer production can outperform traditional production models because

people self-select for tasks

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 The (rural research) world is flat

• Several technological forces have converged and

generated a global, Web-enabled playing field that
allows for multiple forms of collaboration regardless of
distance and (soon) language (Friedman 2005)

• “Globalization 3.0” is about individuals and small groups

globalizing

• A flat rural research world is open for exploration.

Our research community should be at the cutting edge of
this exploration (because we know why and how
distance still matters!)

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 … more work is needed …
• Get all partners more involved with CRRN activities
– “Posting guidelines” draft
– The blog can have up to 100 authors (currently about 20)

• Expand interactive applications and opportunities for

users’ interaction
– Promote the use of and participation to CRRN social media
(LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, RuralTube
– … a wiki? Other?

• Promote the use of CRRN applications within specific

groups (graduate students, professionals, public sector)

• Develop simple rules for the operation of the network as

the network grows and expands
August 12, 2010 26
 How to get involved
• Take the lead! Share and/or develop your
ideas and/or make suggestions for
improvements

• Email: crrn@bell.net
• Email the management team (see web page)
• Join the management team (see web page)
– conference call meetings every second month

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 Thank you for your attention
--
Questions / feedbacks

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