Group1
Theme: Net ethnography
Facilitators: Juha Kronqvist
Presentators: Sirkka Järvenpää, Johanna Maria Silvennoinen
http://somus.etherpad.vtt.fi/159
Place: TU3

This group discusses the issues around doing ethnography on the internet or other digital media. The main discussions are formed around the interests and experience of the participants. Therefore, in addition to two scheduled talks, the participants are asked to introduce their research topics and how they might relate to the theme of the workgroup.

Group2
Theme: Social networks on the Internet and their analysis methods
Facilitators: Kari A. Hintikka, Timo Haukola
http://somus.etherpad.vtt.fi/161
Place: TU4

The work group gather different forms and fields of social networks – on the Internet – and their related refearch fields varying from social sciences to practical business uses and from social network analysis (SNA) to Internet-based materials and tools, like IssueCrawler. The participants are encouraged to introduce themselves and their related research or intentions to it (appr. 3 min). The aim of the work group is to gather and list common and general issues, problems, solutions and terms of this research topic in different fields of science. You can see the overall schema of the topic here: http://bit.ly/copeuF

Group3
Theme: Openness and sharing: The research objects fight back?
Facilitators: Auli Harju
http://somus.etherpad.vtt.fi/162
Place: TU5

The work group come together to discuss how openness and sharing as characteristics of social media effect – and change – the ways we conduct research. The possible topics include, but are not restricted to: How openness enabled by social media relates the ways of gathering and analysing empirical data or changes the ways we see our research objects, and interact with them? For instance, can people we study become our co-researchers – or even further, do we let them disagree with us online? In addition, are the academic practices, such as funding or publishing, in change due to the possibilities of social media and online environment in general?

Group4
Theme: User research
Facilitator: Pirjo Näkki
http://somus.etherpad.vtt.fi/163
Place: TU6

The work group discusses doing user research in social media. The possible topics include e.g.: How to identify and involve users of social media in user studies? How to involve users of social media in user-centered design? How to support user-driven innovation of new products and services in social media? Do we still need user research (by researchers) or more facilitation of user-driven design processes?

Group5
Theme: OPEN THEME
Participators:
http://somus.etherpad.vtt.fi/160
Place: TU7

Here’s the draft program for our free social media seminar on the 31th August.

8.30-9.00 Morning coffee (provided)
9.00-9.15 Welcome to the seminar discussion
9.15-10.00 Lisbeth Klastrup: Users are Useless – Some Reflections by a Social Media Researcher discussion
10.00-10.45 Jaakko Suominen: How do you do, Social Media? On triangulation matrixes and everyday research practices (blog pre-reading (in Finnish)) discussion
10.45-11.00 Break
11.00-11.45 Minna Isomursu: Social media in user research: immersion, privacy and contribution discussion
11.45-12.15 Speaker panel based on themes raised by the audience and social media participants discussion
12.15-12.30 Introduction to workshops and forming of workgroups
12.30-13.30 Lunch (self-sponsored)
13.30-14.30 Workshops: Introducing participator cases (classrooms TU3, TU4, TU5, TU6, TU7)
14.30-14.45 Afternoon fruit break
14.45-16.00 Workshops continued and seminar wrap

You can register for the event here.

The seminar takes place in the Aalto University campus at Espoo/Otaniemi TUAS-building, Otaniementie 17, lecture hall TU1 (map).