Introducing Pegasus: An ethnographic study of the ‘use’ of Grid technologies by the UK particle physics community Will Venters Department of Information Systems London School of Economics and Political Sciences Department of Information Systems

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting Pegasus Team Three year project funded by the EPSRC programme: “Usability challenges from e-science” Project started 1 st June for 3 years. Participants: –Dr Will Venters (Lecturer – LSE) –Dr Tony Cornford (Senior Lecturer – LSE) –Dr Mark Lancaster (Senior Lecturer in PP – UCL) –Dr Yingqin Zheng (Project Research Officer -LSE) –Avgousa Kyriakidou (Project student -LSE) Advisory Group: –To be arranged. Yingqin Tony Will

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting What is Information Systems? Study of ICT’s development and use in the real world of people, e.g. –Systems development methods and their reshaping –ICT and global outsourcing –Business strategy and ICT –Mobile technology and work –ID cards debate

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting IS at the LSE ICT in use influences and is influenced by the social context as well as by its technical characteristics We draw on the social sciences (e.g. economic, social, organisational, and political viewpoints) We have worked in, and done research on, complex infrastructures: –knowledge management –financial networks –health information systems –systems development –open-source processes Pegasus builds on and will contribute to this stream of work

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting Why is GridPP interesting to us? Our interest is in how complex infrastructures develop and evolve –particle physicists are pragmatic: contrast to other developers (e.g. consultancies, corporations) –particle physicists are distributed and have for a long time worked together as a "virtual organisation"; of great interest to others in e-science. –GridPP has to deliver on time for LHC

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting Pegasus Project We aim to study GridPP’s approach to e-science infrastructure development, deployment and use, and as a mix of technology, practices, knowledge, people, cultures, institutions, and politics… We study GridPP as a means to “do” science. Relevant for improving the potential of other Grids, and to inform other large infrastructures (e.g. NHS “connecting for health”, financial clearing and settlement …).

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting What are we planning to do? We trace: –development of GridPP; –what influences the technology; –how GridPP comes to be used for the LHC; –how this use affects GridPP We are interested not just in the rationalistic processes of design, but in the emergent behaviours, the “drift” in practices, the dynamic competences which evolve For many areas of IS development these are crucial issues: –global and distributed approaches, collaborations, and contingent ways of processes of innovation

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting Data CollectionAnalysisPublication How do we intend to do this Ethnography / Interviews Qualitative analysis using tools Journals E-Science guidance Education

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting ‘Data’ Collection BUT…the particle detector is looking at “objective” particles: we are looking at messy, complicated humans We cannot do a science experiment – instead we employ a technique from anthropology: Ethnography –Not devolved objective observers (we know that doesn’t work!) –observe, discuss, experience and participate –Interest in cultures, values, ways of working –Concerned with people’s interpretations –Confidentiality and Impartiality –Avoid bias from dominant opinions, or the researcher We are not from particle physics or computer science – so we can and will ask the “stupid” questions

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting ‘Data’ Collection Over the next two to three years we will be: –Attending GridPP Meetings etc. –Visiting workplaces –Asking questions –Observing the technology in development and in use –Reading and analysing documents –Interviewing (usually around an hour) –Tape recording (and maybe even video!) –Taking lots of notes! And analysing the results!

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting Specific Outputs From all this observation we will write a set of “thick descriptions” describing: 1.How the needs of the LHC shape GridPP 2.How GridPP is understood by, and comes to be used by, particle physicists preparing for the LHC 3.How GridPP is actually put to use by particle physicists in research using the data from LHC Using these reports to produce a framework and set of guidance for others developing similar Grids (including engineering, businesses and government).

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting Wider Contributions to IS Existing theories of infrastructure suggest infrastructure must be (Star and Ruhleder) : –Embedded inside both technologies and social arrangements –Built upon the installed base reflecting an inertia. –Transparent in use (and not reinvented for each task) –Only visible upon breakdown. –Reach beyond a single event or practice. –Learnt as part of “becoming” a member of a community. –Embodied in standards (negotiated with other infrastructure) We aim to draw upon, and contribute to such literature using, e.g. concepts such as bricolage, situated actions, virtual organisations, translation and inscription, and distributed cognition!

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting Finally...What’s in it for GridPP? The lessons of your hard work and insight will of value to others following (after) you. Help promote the work of GridPP. Help demystify GridPP, and let the public learn about the process of technological innovation and contemporary science. Help GridPP to reflect on its practices, and improve its own understanding. Provide an alternative perspective on your work.

Will Venters 27 th June 2006 – GridPP Collaboration Meeting The kind of second order questions we will be seeking answers to. How does the collaboration make technical judgements? How do you deal with the time pressures of scheduling (with the LHC looming)? How do you deal with inclusion – with people wanting (or not wanting) to become members / collaborators?