Research Archives

Interdisciplinary Studies on Info-Socionomics and Demonstration of Intelprise Activism

Info-Socionomics Research Group

info-socionomics is a new discipline for studies of the information society that emerged in the third stage of modernization. In other words, it concerns the study of the information society, rather than information sociology.

The Info-Socionomics Research Group performs the core roles in info-socionomic studies at GLOCOM. To cover the broad areas of info-socionomics, the Group has several Units with diverse interests, and conducts its research on a project basis. Younger researchers act as Leaders of each Unit, with bold and unique research activities undertaken with a focus on international, collaborative, regional and other domains. Research projects include those commissioned by government bodies, independent studies and practical activities.

At present, International Unit is focusing its research on trends in information and communication policy measures and linguistic issues in different countries. The Collaboration Unit mainly studies the informatization of education, traceability and other topics. The Regional Unit has entered into an alliance with the Community Area Network (CAN) Forum (http://www.can.or.jp/) and other regional organizations to advance studies on electronic local government, for topics such as the research and application of regional informatization and reforms in IT procurement.

ised@glocom

ised@glocom is a new platform initiative to support interdisciplinary and multi-organizational research on info-socionomics. Entrepreneurs, researchers, engineers, bureaucrats and bloggers in their 20s or 30s, who are at, or are close to, the forefront of each respective area, are tapped from both inside and outside GLOCOM. Cutting-edge research into new paradigms for theoretical info-socionomics is underway. Here, “ised” stands for Interdisciplinary Studies on Ethics and Design of Information Society.

At ised@glocom, study meetings in two areas of “information society and ethics” and “information society and design” are alternated on a monthly basis, as the first phase of the project running from October 2004 to January 2006. The lectures held and records of discussions are disclosed on the website. The blog approach has been adopted for disclosure with cooperation from Hatena Inc., to enable prompt feedback from a broad array of readers. Studies supported by ised@glocom are open not only to experts in limited professions but to all netizens who use networks as a forum for thought. For information on study meeting schedules and brief personal bios of committee members, visit the official website at http://www.glocom.jp/ised/.

Media Content Group

the Group has conducted research projects in the niche between media content and pop culture, areas that have yet to be addressed by GLOCOM, and Internet and IT, areas in which GLOCOM excels. The Group’s perspective is that impetus for the development of the information society, over the longer term, will shift from infrastructure to application services and then to content.

The areas covered include the production of content, rendering, the environment for creation and the conditions for human resources development, as well as changes in the industrial structure that results as the media and communication converge, in addition to venture businesses and related intellectual property rights, as well as laws and policies for content, media, and so on. Also addressed are trends in content and pop culture-related industries in the globalizing information society as well as the social, cultural and political issues inside and outside Japan when accepting these trends, with consideration given to activities by international media capitals and policies for media and culture established in other countries.

 

Policy Proposal Group

From the outset, GLOCOM has placed importance on policy proposal activities that present the research results to society. These activities involve a number of areas, including the information and communication policies of the Japanese government, strategies for industry and enterprises and proposals related to new knowledge and methodologies for academic circles.

The Information Technology and Communication Policy Forum of Japan was formed in 1995, with the purpose of making proposals related to how Japanese information and telecommunication policies should proceed, with a focus on the NTT breakup issue. To consider the Y2K computer issues, the Y2K Study Group was organized to bolster awareness and action through information exchanges that crossed industry and organizational boundaries. The Group has also participated in policy proposal activities at international meetings, such as the Worldwide Vision Initiative (WWVi: March 2003), the Digital Opportunity Task Force (DOT Force) by G8, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN; an organization for managing domains on the internet) and World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) by International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Today, the policy intelprise market is finally emerging in Japan, as exemplified by the start of activities by a wide range of policy NPOs. GLOCOM will redouble its efforts to encourage competition and alliances with the government, mass media, policy NPOs and other bodies, to deliver policy proposals with a focus on information and communications.

 

Collaborative Education Project Group

Acting as the leading intelprise, GLOCOM has endeavored to form collaborations with industry, the national government, politicians and others.

The Intelprise Enterprise Collaboration Program (IECP) has been run jointly by GLOCOM and member enterprises since 1992 with the aim of establishing a new intellectual platform that fully leverages the internet and other information and communication technologies. Study meetings, colloquia, reading seminars and the like are held frequently, while information magazines, research papers and books published by GLOCOM are constantly made available to members.

“The Next-Generation Broadband Technologies and Businesses” is a lecture series that started in fiscal 2004, to enable participants to systematically acquire knowledge on the latest technologies and develop the capability to propose new business models. It is designed to foster human resources with balanced knowledge and capabilities for the true broadband era. The best lecturers have been invited for each area, to offer the most satisfying program.

 

Communications Industry Research Group

Virtually every researcher in the Center participates in the activities of the Communication Industry Research Group. This year, the following three study areas are being addressed, to look at what needs to be done if the communications industry is to cut itself free from the deflationary spiral and start on a new path towards development, and what would be the ideal forms of development for the information society.

The first study area deals with studies that can be used as references for building new business models that could lead to innovation. But rather than forming new business models for communication enterprises, the study focuses on analyses of industries and society that could serve as references for enterprises when developing new businesses. The second area looks at the fusion of broadcasting and communication and on the supply and distribution of new content. Finally, the third area examines social issues such as privacy and accessibility.

Study meetings are being held on these topics, enabling researchers to prepare papers and obtain useful results.

 

Other key project activities

 

* Creative Commons Japan

Since April 2004, GLOCOM has hosted Creative Commons Japan. Creative Commons Japan is made up of academics and professionals in various research areas, such as information communications technology, public policy, law, and media criticism. 'Hosting' here means that GLOCOM only provides a platform of activities such as the web page and mailing lists. Creative Commons Japan does not afford any tangible resource to fund the activity of its own. In short, Creative Commons Japan is best described as a group of interested individuals, rather than a formal organization.

 

* Regional Informatization Study Group

"Regional informatization study" refers to interdisciplinary research on the activism of those netizens emerging in spatially and geographically peripheral areas that have been commonly described as rural districts. It is one of the areas of study that comprises info-socionomics.

In 2002, GLOCOM set up the Regional Informatization Study Group, consisting of researchers from diverse fields and practitioners in different parts of Japan, as a base for regional informatization research in Japan. The Study Group emphasizes the actual site of creation, so case studies form the core of its research activities. In addition, researchers are deeply involved in activities carried out at actual sites. These methods are completely unlike those taken by existing research organizations.

 

* School Project

Education is undergoing major change, moving away from the conventional framework, with the influences of commercialization, informatization and the shift of authority to local government. To attain accurate perspectives on education in the information society, studies are required that consider not only for the education-related sector, educational administration and schools but also for parents and regional communities, the stakeholders, from a broader perspective.

Since 1995, GLOCOM has operated i-learn.jp, its own information website on education, and has gathered information on activities of about 30,000 school websites nationwide on a real-time basis. Using its abundant data resources, GLOCOM has been directly involved in the planning and presentation of the All Japan Elementary School Homepage Award (commonly known as the J-KIDS Award). GLOCOM believes it is important to deepen our knowledge through practical problem solving and social contribution.

 

* Airport Project

GLOCOM has conducted surveys and research since 2002 on trends in standardization, government policy and business models concerning radio frequency identification (RFID; radio IC tag), which has been described as “the Internet for objects” and is expected to enter widespread use in the near future. GLOCOM has also participated in the Advanced Airport Systems Technology Research Consortium (ASTREC), which is conducting demonstration tests, mainly at Narita International Airport, for the transport of in-flight baggage. This is regarded as a potential area of application of the RFID technologies.

 

* History of Information Policy Measures

GLOCOM has conducted surveys on the history of information policy measures and the information industry since March 2004. First, a Comprehensive Chronological Table of Information Policy Measures was prepared, listing major events since the 1950s. Next, interviews were conducted with the successive officials in charge of policy measures at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, as well as with key figures in industry and academia, to prepare oral records. Surveys will be expanded to include those who performed important supporting roles in policy formation and also those impacted by policy measures. These efforts are designed to deepen our analyses of the interaction between the government and private sectors.

 

* Personal Information Study Group

With the full implementation of the Privacy Protection Law in April 2005 nearing, the debate on personal information and privacy has gathered momentum over the past few years. Recognizing this, GLOCOM launched in the fall of 2003 the Personal Information Study Group. People with different opinions and from different walks of life participate in Group meetings held each month, to discuss topics such as personal information, privacy, monitored society and computerized information database of residents owned by government bodies, from legal, political, economic, business, social, technological and other perspectives.

 

* WSIS + Internet Governance