Author Archives: serendipolis

Distributed, privacy-enhancing technologies in the 2017 Catalan referendum on independence: New tactics and models of participatory democracy

Posted on December 3, 2018 by serendipolis

My paper on how civic groups leveraged distributed technologies in the 2017 Catalan referendum on independence is now available at First Monday. https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/9402/7692 Abstract This paper examines new civic engagement practices unfolding during the 2017 referendum on independence in Catalonia. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blockchain, Law, mobile technologies, Open data, Politics, social media | Leave a comment

Assigning Creative Commons Licenses to Research Metadata: Issues and Cases

Posted on October 30, 2018 by serendipolis

Check out our new book chapter discussing licensing options for research metadata: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-00178-0_16 Pre-print available here: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1609.05700.pdf Abstract This paper discusses the problem of lack of clear licensing and transparency of usage terms and conditions for research metadata. Making research … Continue reading →

Posted in Law, Open data | Leave a comment

A Research Graph dataset for connecting research data repositories using RD-Switchboard

Posted on May 29, 2018 by serendipolis

Check out our paper at Scientific Data on Research Graph, an open-access graph connecting and visualising research data for discovery. https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201899 Abstract This paper describes the open access graph dataset that shows the connections between Dryad, CERN, ANDS and other … Continue reading →

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Inside Catalonia’s Cypherpunk Referendum

Posted on October 3, 2017 by serendipolis

The referendum for independence in Catalonia on 1 October opens up an uncertain era for both Catalonia and Spain — a new period that may also impact the future of the European Union. Read the full piece here: https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=54133

Posted in Politics, social media | Leave a comment

Democracy Models and Civic Technologies: Tensions, Trilemmas, and Trade-offs

Posted on May 27, 2017 by serendipolis

Check out my pre-print with Enric Plaza at https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.09015 Abstract This paper aims at connecting democratic theory with civic technologies in order to highlight the links between some theoretical tensions and trilemmas and design trade-offs. First, it reviews some tensions … Continue reading →

Posted in democracy, political crowdsourcing, Politics | Leave a comment

Microtasking: Redefining crowdsourcing practices in emergency management

Posted on April 30, 2017 by serendipolis

Check out my paper with Mari Fitzpatrick on crowdsourcing practices in emergency management at https://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=815917622185255;res=IELHSS Abstract This paper examines the roles, types and forms of virtual microtasking for emergency information management in order to better understand collective intelligence mechanisms and … Continue reading →

Posted in crowdsourcing, mobile technologies, social media | Leave a comment

What are the benefits of sharing grant data openly?

Posted on October 21, 2015 by serendipolis

Originally posted on Australasian Open Access Strategy Group:
Marta Poblet and Amir Aryani talk about the importance of open sharing of grant data – a topic not often brought into the OA debate Contacts on twitter: @mpoblet @amir_at_ands Every year, the Australian…

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Give me location data, and I will move the world

Posted on September 3, 2015 by serendipolis

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Behind the success of the new wave of location based mobile apps taking hold around the world is digital mapping. Location data is core to popular ride-sharing services … Continue reading →

Posted in crisis mapping, crowdsourcing, mobile technologies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

El moment constitucional

Posted on July 9, 2015 by serendipolis

Catalunya viu un moment constitucional sense precedents, derivat d’un procés polític inèdit i transitat d’incògnites. Un temps únic d’efervescència d’iniciatives, projectes i debats sobre allò que s’esdevé, potser, una vegada (o menys) per generació: com fer una nova constitució. Arreu, … Continue reading →

Posted in Law, political crowdsourcing, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

We the crowd? Constitution making 2.0

Posted on April 29, 2015 by serendipolis

This is an update of the post I wrote on crowdsourced constitutional reform in 2011. Constitution-making can be broadly defined as a set of activities intended to produce a constitution, the highest law of a state. To the UN Rule … Continue reading →

Posted in Law, political crowdsourcing, social media | Tagged , | 1 Comment