SONIC Lab is proud to welcome Caroline S. Wagner, who will present a talk on Monday, October 13, 2014 2:00 P.M. in SONIC Lab in the Frances Searle Building room 1.459. All are welcome to attend. To schedule a one-on-one meeting with a Dr. Wagner please schedule a time at http://bit.ly/1qPpBW7. Please contact Nancy McLaughlin with any questions/comments.

How Much Do We Know about Knowledge-creating Networks? 

The early excitement of network analysis has given way to a long slog towards testing the meaning of network structures. Software allows us to picture network typology, but we do not yet know how to read the typology in relationship to the value being created. Knowledge-creating networks often involve informal groupings that self-organize into teams. Various data allow us to measure network structures. However, a gap exists between the ability to draw and measure networks on one hand, and the ability to interpret the network data in terms of the value of the structure to participants and beneficiaries. To gain insight into the relationship between the whole network typology and the individual role within the network, testable hypotheses need refinement, and more detailed studies are needed. This talk benchmarks where we are now in our understanding of team networks, and outlines the challenges faced by those of us who study networks, teams, and communication dynamics to outline the research questions we face as we move into the next phases of research.

About Caroline Wagner

Dr. Caroline S. Wagner, an expert in the field of science and technology and its association to policy, society, and innovation, holds the Ambassador Milton A. and Roslyn Z. Wolf Chair in International Affairs at the John Glenn School of Public Affairs, Ohio State University, where she also serves as the Director of the Battelle Center for Science & Technology Policy and a faculty member. She earned a doctorate from the University of Amsterdam in Science and Technology Dynamics with a focus on collaborative research networks. Her career in science and technology policy analysis has spanned more than thirty years and three continents. She has worked for government, non-profits, and academic institutions.