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Driver Project 1. Grid-based Assembly of Qualitative Records

This project seeks to explore the core research themes in the context of ethnographic studies of ubiquitous computing, which marks the movement of computing away from the desktop PC into the physical environment and on (even in) the person. Ubiquitous computing is mobile, location-based, and exploits invisible sensing infrastructures (such as GPRS, GPS, and WiFi) to embed computing in physical fabric of everyday life. Ethnographic studies are used to understand the social character of ubiquitous computing experiences. They build on the long tradition of social science studies of technology, particularly on ethnomethodological studies of technology-in-use . Beyond pursuing it's own immediate ambitions, this driver project also aims to inform the development of digital records by articulating what is involved in the assembly of qualitative records.

It draws on the core skills of ethnographers to articulate the work involved in combining heterogeneous data and generating field reports : combining video recordings, transcripts, text logs from online interactions and audio files generated by people on the streets in ubiquitous computing environments, GPS logs, logs of WiFi connection and disconnection, etc., with ethnographic descriptions of actions and events. The results have been reported at the International Conference on e-Social Science series, the Association of Computing Machinery's Symposium on Designing Interactive Systems, the Journal of Computer Supported Cooperative Work, and Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, reflexively informing research practice and shaping the development of computer support within the Node.