[Reader-list] Centre for Internet and Society's Researchers At Work Programme - Histories of the internets in India

[Nishant Shah]

Dear All,
It is with the greatest pleasure that we announce the launch of The Centre
for Internet and Society's Research Portfolio and the beginning of its
flagship programme Researchers At Work (CIS-RAW) . The CIS-RAW encourages
innovative ideas and perspectives that emerge from dialogue and exchange,
structured around a theme that changes every 2 years. The Theme for its
first two years is "The Histories of the internets in India". The CIS-RAW is
targeted at scholars, practitioners, theoreticians and thinkers willing to
engage with the specific themes that CIS is immediately interested in and
offers full financial support towards quantified academic and intellectual
productions.

Here is a list of FAQ for the CIS-RAW programme (It can also be accessed at
http://cis-india.org/research/cis-raw

*What is the CIS-RAW?*

The CIS-RAW stands for Researchers at Work, a multidisciplinary research
initiative by the Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore. The CIS firmly
believes that in order to understand the contemporary concerns in the field
of Internet and Society, it is necessary to produce local and contextual
accounts of the interaction between different internets and the
socio-cultural and geo-political structures. The CIS-RAW programme hopes to
produce one of the first documentations on the transactions and
negotiations, relationships and correlations that the emergence of internet
technologies has resulted in, specifically in the South.

 The CIS-RAW programme recognises 'The Histories of Internets and India' as
its focus for the first two years. This particular thematic was envisioned
because though many disciplines, organisations and interventions in various
areas deal with the internet technologies, there has been very little work
in documenting the polymorphous growth of the internet technologies and
their relationship with the society in India. The existing narratives of the
internet are often riddled with absences or only focus on the mainstream
interests of the major stakeholders like the State and the corporate. We
find it imperative to excavate the three decade histories of the internets
to understand the concerns and questions in the field in the contemporary
times.

 *How does The CIS-RAW programme work?*

In its first two years, CIS-RAW is interested in working with theoreticians,
scholars, practitioners and interventionists who have had a stake and
experience in researching the field of Internet and Society. We are looking
at a model of collaboration where different individuals and/or organisations
are invited to come up with proposals for constructing historical and
contextual accounts of the internets in India, from their own perspective
and interests.

*What is the role of CIS in the CIS-RAW programme?*

The Centre for Internet and Society sees itself as involved in research in
many different ways. We would of course be involved in providing critical
input, ideas and comments to the original proposals by the different
collaborators. We will also be, depending upon the individual expertise at
the CIS, providing research and intellectual infrastructure required for
several projects.

However, we do not believe in doing everything ourselves. One of the pivotal
roles that we see ourselves playing is that of an enabler. Through financial
support, through establishing networks, through physical and intellectual
infrastructure, the CIS hopes to enable multidisciplinary and unique
research that inaugurates the field of Internet and Society in India.

CIS also believes in a longer commitment to the CIS-RAW projects beyond the
scope of the immediate research. We shall also be committed to disseminating
the findings and the information contained in each individual project
through public media like blogs and newspapers, and also through publishing
of the individual projects as approach papers, journal articles and
curricula designing in various peer-reviewed and respectable academic
spaces.

*What are the responsibilities of a CIS-RAW researcher?*

The CIS quantifies the research responsibility of a CIS-RAW researcher in
consultation with them, based on their individual expertise, interests and
skills. Different projects, depending upon the object that is being
analysed, lend themselves to different processes of documentation and
historiography. Hence, each individual project will have the scope to define
the methods by which the researcher wants to work and the modes of
documentation. We believe in multidisciplinary and innovative forms of
methods and documentation as critical to creative thought and would
encourage that in all our research programmes. However, each research
project will be committed to producing the following minimum research
outputs:

   1.

   An approach paper that charts in detail, the larger scope of the field
   with analysis and information (approximately 50 – 60 pages with additional
   appendices and annexures).
   2.

   A working paper that can appear in a scholarly journal; the working paper
   is a condensed and more precise version of the approach paper.
   (approximately 5,000 – 7,000 words including references and footnotes)
   3.

   Contribution to our various media forms like blogs, newspapers, curricula
   design etc. depending upon the scope of the project.
   4.

   A detailed annotated bibliography and resource list to build our library
   and information archives.
   5.

   A commitment to peer review, public outreach and engagement with the CIS
   networks defined in consultation with the researchers.

*What is the nature of financial support that the CIS-RAW programme offers?*

Currently, we do not have a specified budget for the CIS-RAW researches.
Depending upon the scope of the project and the skills of the researchers, a
budget is arrived at by mutual agreement. We follow precedent when costing
projects in different sectors but are sensitive to the varied needs of
different projects and the research costs involved.

*Does the CIS-RAW programme have a fixed time-line?*

We see the CIS-RAW projects as spanning 6-9 months, leading to the producing
of quantifiable research outputs. However, we also look upon the CIS-RAW
projects as works in progress. Moreover, there are no fixed beginning and
termination time-lines for the CIS-RAW programme itself. New ideas and
innovative approaches to the field of Internet and Society are always
welcome to come and find us and we can initiate the project based on further
conversations.

*Do I get to work in your office if I am a CIS-RAW researcher?*

The Centre for Internet and Society has its offices, currently, in
Bangalore. If you are based out of Bangalore or outside of Bangalore (or
relocating to Bangalore for the scope of the project), we would be more than
happy to offer you office space and research infrastructure that might be
required for your research, including research equipment and your own space
in the office.

*I have an idea but it is more about an activity rather than research…*

We, at the Centre for Internet and Society, believe that research happens in
many forms – through theoretical apparatus, through philosophical debates,
through proactive interventions and through dialogue and exchange of ideas
and information. We like to think of Research as a broad umbrella term to
encompass many different activities.

However, we also believe that any project deserves (and indeed, needs) a
contextualisation and historicisation document which helps more clarity
about the aim, the scope and the relevance of the project. We offer the
CIS-RAW programme as a space to think of these various histories and
contexts and thus offer resources and infrastructure for projects which
might eventually take a life of their own beyond the CIS-RAW programme.

If you have an idea of a new field of inquiry, or a more active intervention
oriented project, and if it fits within the scope of our interests and
measures against our vision statement, we would be happy to collaborate with
you over the idea in its initial state and hopefully help with more
resources and administration. You might also be interested in looking at our
Advocacy Programmes <http://cis-india.org/advocacy> for more information.

  *I have a research idea which does not fit your theme. Would you still be
interested?*

All of us at CIS are always excited about new research questions and ideas.
Even if you have something in mind that doesn't fit anything that we might
have documented on this website, please feel free to approach us with the
idea. As a young and growing centre, we see ourselves as much in the
learning mode as we imagine ourselves as in the enabling mode. To learn,
through dialogues and exchange, is our motto and we have the fortunate
flexibility of resource allocation to engage in projects which might have
been outside of our earlier visions or imaginations.

 In other words, if you have an idea, please buzz us or walk in to our
offices. We promise really good coffee and hopefully interesting
conversations.



*Are there any other forms of research outside the CIS-RAW programme?*

The CIS engages in many different kinds of research programmes that cover a
wide spectrum of areas and a huge galaxy of modalities. For more information
you might want to look at the other programmes available under the
Research<http://cis-india.org/research/>and
Advocacy <http://cis-india.org/advocacy> Portfolios.



*I don't have research experience but I am interested in the CIS-RAW
programme…*

The CIS-RAW, as a programme, is focussed specifically on individuals or
organisations which have already been in the field of Internet and Society
or related areas. It is designed to document the existing knowledges with
new perspectives and frameworks, which are not available as a useful
resource right now due to lack of such an initiative.

However, we are also committed to looking at younger researchers in the
field and have many interesting ways of collaborating – through teaching,
workshops, projects, internships, etc. We also have interest in creating
inclusive pedagogic practices and would love the opportunity to exchange
thoughts and ideas with you. Just write to us or walk into our office and we
can take things from there.

If you are looking at involving yourself with CIS, you might want to have a
look at our Advocacy Portfolio <http://cis-india.org/advocacy> which is
always looking for motivated volunteers who are ready to learn, intervene
and make a contribution in the fields that we are concerned with.

 You can also look at the other programmes in the Research
Portfolio<http://cis-india.org/research/>to see if we might have
something that caters to you.



*Are you looking at more international research involving comparative
studies across countries?*

The Centre for Internet and Society considers itself an international
research centre based in India, with a particular interest in South-South
exchange and dialogue. We are certainly interested in opportunities of
collaboration, exchange and engagement with researchers from other contexts
or researchers in India who have larger cross-boundary projects in mind.

However, for the CIS-RAW programme, we are focusing largely on India and its
contexts. If you have a much larger project in mind, you might be interested
in our Project Inception
Grants<http://cis-india.org/research/projects-inception-grant>Programme.
*For more information on the specific theme of the Histories of the
internets in India, please read here:*
http://cis-india.org/research/cis-raw/histories-of-the-internet

We welcome all ideas, conversations or programmes that the people on this
mailing list might be interested in. Please contact us either on phone or
via email (If you have specific queries about collaboration, please email us
in person so that we can spare the list some traffic), or if you are going
to be in Bangalore, just drop in to our office.

Warmly
Nishant

P.S. Posting it on several lists, apologies if you get it several times!
-- 
Nishant Shah
Doctoral Candidate, CSCS, Bangalore.
Director (Research), Centre for Internet and Society,( www.cis-india.org )
Asia Awards Fellow, 2008-09
# 0-9740074884