The Role of the Researcher in New Information Infrastructure Research

In this chapter, the role of the researcher in new information infrastructure research is explored. The key ideas informing this chapter are drawn from a critical reflection on trends in information systems (IS) research and the need for a more pragmatic approach (Constantinides et al., 2012). The focus is on developing a better understanding of the consequences of research choices by drawing on the notion of phronesis – the reflective development of prudent knowledge that is continuously shaped by and imbued with situated values and interests (Flyvberg, 2001). Specifically, it is argued that, IS researchers must recognize that research involves not just choices about how to conduct a study (i.e. theoretical and methodological choices), but also about why we study what we study and who is affected by our work (i.e. the desirable outcomes and long-term impact of research).

The Development of a Regional Health Information Infrastructure in Greece

This chapter draws on empirical research carried out during the years 2003-2006 on the development of a regional health information infrastructure in Greece. Using the theoretical framework discussed in Chapter 3, this chapter examines the multilevel context, action arena, and outcomes in the case, placing great emphasis on the property rights put forward and negotiated between key stakeholder groups, as they strive to develop an information infrastructure. Drawing on the more recent outcomes of these negotiations, the chapter concludes with an analysis of the consequences of these outcomes for the region of Greece, and more broadly, for European Information Society programmes.

A Commons Perspective to Understanding the Development of Information Infrastructures

The critical review of the literature on information infrastructures has led to an identification of three key areas where future research needs to pay particular attention. These are: the multilevel context of infrastructural development, negotiations around that development, and intended and unintended outcomes emerging out of the implemented technologies. To understand the interdependencies between these three areas, this chapter explores research into other large-scale social systems (beyond information systems) to try to draw out some possible insights for information infrastructure research. In this effort, this chapter draws and adapts the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework–which was initially developed to study natural resource commons arrangements such as inshore fisheries, forests, irrigation systems, and pastures–while placing great emphasis on the complex problems and social dilemmas that often arise in the negotiations. The chapter concludes by highlighting the contribution of a commons perspective to understanding the development of information infrastructures.

Perspectives on Information Infrastructures

This chapter builds on the discussion in Chapter 1 by tracing the evolution of the concept of infrastructure into the concept of information infrastructure. The key objective is to describe in detail how different researchers have approached the notion from varied perspectives in their efforts to understand information infrastructure and its role in organizational transformation and practice. The objective is to clarify the distinct aspects of information infrastructures in relation to other information systems, whilst also to identify opportunities for constructing contributions in the existing literature. This chapter concludes with a summary of some key observations emerging from this critical literature review and identifies some implications for the theoretical approach adopted in the rest of this book.

The Governance of Information Infrastructures

This chapter continues on from the discussion in Chapter 6 by exploring the notions of co-production and polycentric governance structures in the development of information infrastructures. Drawing on Ostrom’s (1990) original principles toward commons governance, as well as more recent developments from commons studies (Anderies et al., 2004; Hess & Ostrom, 2007), this chapter builds on and extends extant research on the governance of information infrastructures and concludes with implications for further research into IT governance through a commons perspective.

Introduction

This first chapter offers a historical review of the development of infrastructures as a prologue to the key themes that will be explored in the rest of the book. This historical review focuses, firstly, on the infrastructural ideal of the early industrialized world toward building integrated cities, and, secondly, on the “splintering” of this infrastructural ideal by disintegrating previously public-held monopolies to private sector involvement. These historical processes of infrastructural development are then further unpacked by approaching them through the problem of collective action. The chapter concludes by summarizing the key learning points from the history on infrastructure development.

New Information Infrastructure Commons

This chapter explores the characteristics of new and emerging information infrastructures. In particular, the chapter focuses on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) projects, exploring what makes individuals and communities contribute code and ideas towards a FOSS product, but also how they negotiate and eventually agree on a set of institutional rules for structuring their collective action. The chapter also examines the emerging attributes of mashup projects and the ways that, once again, individuals and communities design and structure their contribution. The chapter concludes with some implications for further research on and around these new information infrastructures.

The Development of the English National Health Information Infrastructure

This chapter draws on a secondary analysis of publicly available data on the development of the English National Program for IT (NPfIT). Using the theoretical framework discussed in Chapter 3, this analysis focuses on the multilevel context, action arena, and outcomes in the NPfIT case, placing great emphasis on the property rights put forward and negotiated between key stakeholder groups. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the consequences of these negotiations for the English NPfIT and other such national information infrastructure projects.

Challenges to the Development of Information Infrastructures

In Chapters 4 and 5, two case studies involving the development of new information infrastructures were described and analyzed using the commons perspective and associated theoretical framework. Although the two case studies exhibited great differences in scope (regional versus national), context (Greek versus English health system), and time frame, each involved a set of contextual characteristics, an action arena, and a set of outcomes. The purpose of this chapter is to synthesize the findings from the analysis of the two case studies, while also drawing links with findings from other settings. This synthesis leads to some theoretical implications while establishing stronger associations between the literature on information infrastructures and traditional commons arrangements.

The Consequences of New Information Infrastructures

This chapter builds on the discussion in Chapter 8 by exploring the dynamics of social participation in the development of new information infrastructures. Specifically, this chapter focuses on the consequences of social participation and ‘free choice’ – if indeed individuals are free, i.e. without any external influence – into different types of interaction offered by new information infrastructures. The WikiLeaks information infrastructure is used as an example to set the ground for examining how new information infrastructures generate a number of consequences for the ‘freedom’ of individual users, and for those seeking to monitor and control infrastructure use. This discussion raises a number of ethical issues which are explored by drawing on Foucault’s notion of governmentality. The chapter concludes with some implications for further research on the ethical governance of information infrastructure development.