Papers by Ralph Schroeder
In many ways, the physical sciences are at the forefront of using digital tools and methods to wo... more In many ways, the physical sciences are at the forefront of using digital tools and methods to work with information and data. However, the fields and disciplines that make up the physical sciences are by no means uniform, and physical scientists find, use, and disseminate information in a variety of ways. This report examines information practices in the physical sciences across seven cases, and demonstrates the richly varied ways in which physical scientists work, collaborate, and share information and data.
This report details seven case studies in the physical sciences. For each case, qualitative interviews and focus groups were used to understand the domain. Quantitative data gathered from a survey of participants highlights different information strategies employed across the cases, and identifies important software used for research.
Finally, conclusions from across the cases are drawn, and recommendations are made. This report is the third in a series commissioned by the Research Information Network (RIN), each looking at information practices in a specific domain (life sciences, humanities, and physical sciences). The aim is to understand how researchers within a range of disciplines find and use information, and in particular how that has changed with the introduction of new technologies.
Alcohol Research & …, Jan 1, 2002
American Journal of …, Jan 1, 2001
Social Informatics: An Information Society for all? In …, Jan 1, 2010
The Socio-Technical Interaction Network (STIN) strategy for social informatics research was publi... more The Socio-Technical Interaction Network (STIN) strategy for social informatics research was published late in Rob Kling’s life, and as a result, he did not have time to pursue its continued development. This paper aims to summarize existing work on STINs, identify key themes, strengths, weaknesses and limitations, and to suggest trajectories for the future of STIN research. The STIN strategy for research on socio-technical systems offers the potential for useful insights into the highly intertwined nature of social factors and technological systems, however a number of areas of the strategy remain underdeveloped and offer the potential for future refinement and modification.
Genomewide linkage analyses of bipolar disorder: a new sample of 250 pedigrees …
The American Journal of …, Jan 1, 2003
Analyzing Fragments of Collaboration in Distributed Immersive Virtual Environments
Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 2006
Working together at a distance has been a long-standing research goal of collaborative virtual en... more Working together at a distance has been a long-standing research goal of collaborative virtual environments (CVEs). While desktop-based CVEs have come into widespread use for online games and to some extent for distributed work, immersive projection technology (IPT) ...
Proceedings of the 2003 symposium on Interactive 3D graphics - SI3D '03, 2003
ABSTRACT This study examines pairs of subjects who used networked immersive projection technology... more ABSTRACT This study examines pairs of subjects who used networked immersive projection technology systems to collaborate on five tasks over an extended period of time (210+ minutes). The aim was to compare zero history and mutual history partners, to examine how their experience changed over time, and compare their experience of different tasks. Analysis yields a number of interesting findings for these comparisons. Overall, the study shows that users could collaborate effectively over an extended period of time, but that understanding the intentions and activities of the other person remained a hindrance.
IEEE Proceedings. VR 2005. Virtual Reality, 2005., 2005
Immersiveness and Symmetry in Copresent Scenarios Ilona Heldal* 1 , Ralph Schroeder 2 , Anthony S... more Immersiveness and Symmetry in Copresent Scenarios Ilona Heldal* 1 , Ralph Schroeder 2 , Anthony Steed 3 , Ann-Sofie Axelsson 1 , Maria Spante 1 , Josef Wideström 4 ... Ilona Heldal, ilohel@mot.chalmers.se 1 CAVE is a trademark of the University of Illinois at Chicago. ...
Anyone Speak Spanish?: Language Encounters in Multi-User Virtual Environments and the Influence of Technology
New Media & Society, 2003
ABSTRACT In this study we investigated how people using different languages interact and communic... more ABSTRACT In this study we investigated how people using different languages interact and communicate in an internet-based virtual environment, Active Worlds. The focus was on situations where a new language is introduced in a conversation held in another language. With this we wanted to establish an understanding of: (1) the intentions of introducing a new language; (2) the response to this language introduction; (3) the consequences of language introduction; and (4) the factors influencing rejection or acceptance of language introduction. We found that the response to language introduction depends mainly on: (1) type of language; (2) character of the setting; and (3) perceived intention of language introducers. We found that non-English speakers and regular English-speaking users in less public, ‘themed’ settings are most tolerant to other languages. Apart from national languages, we also studied encounters between users familiar with ‘insider’ jargon - as against users not familiar with it.
Virtual Reality im Unterricht: Eine Sozialwissenschaftliche Erörterung
Virtual Reality, 1993
Proceedings of the third international conference on Collaborative virtual environments - CVE '00, 2000
In this study we compared collaboration on a puzzlesolving task carried out by two persons in a v... more In this study we compared collaboration on a puzzlesolving task carried out by two persons in a virtual and a real environment. The task, putting together a cube consisting of different coloured blocks in a 'Rubiks' cubetype puzzle, was performed both in a shared virtual environment (VE) setting, using a Cave-type virtual reality (VR) system networked with a desktop VR system, and with cardboard coloured blocks in an equivalent real setting. The aims of the study were to investigate collaboration, leadership and performance in the two settings. We found that the participants contributed unequally to the task in the VE, and also differences in collaboration between the virtual and the real setting.
Teleoperators and Virtual Environments - Presence, 1998
This paper describes an experiment that compares behaviour in small groups when they carry out a ... more This paper describes an experiment that compares behaviour in small groups when they carry out a task in a virtual environment (VE) and then continue the same task in a similar real-world environment. The purpose of the experiment was not to examine task performance, but to compare various aspects of the social relations between the group members in the two environments. Ten groups of 3 people each, who had never met before, met first in a shared VE and carried out a task that required the identification and solution of puzzles presented on pieces of paper stuck around the walls of a room. The puzzle involved identifying that the same-numbered words across all the pieces of paper formed a riddle or 'saying'. The group continued this task for 15 minutes, and then stopped to answer a questionnaire. The group then reconvened in the real world, and continued the same task. The experiment also required one of the group members to continually monitor a particular one of the others in order to examine whether social discomfort could be generated within a VE. In each group there was one immersed person, with a head-mounted display and head-tracking, and two non-immersed people who experienced the environment on a workstation display.
This paper describes a conference which linked several remote sites via a virtual environment so ... more This paper describes a conference which linked several remote sites via a virtual environment so that the virtual audience could follow the presentations and interact with real presenters. The aim was to assess the feasibility of linking distributed virtual audiences to an ongoing conference event. Various types of data about the conference were gathered, such as participant observations, interviews and a survey of the audience, and analyzed. The main finding is that a number of 'low tech' improvements could be made that could greatly enhance this type of virtual conferencing. A related finding is that the visual fidelity of the environment and of the avatars plays a lesser role than other factors such as audio quality. Given the paucity of research on how virtual conferencing can substitute for travel, plus the urgency of this topic for environmental reasons, a number of suggestions are made for the implementation of remote virtual conference participation.
Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 2000
This paper describes an experiment that compares behaviour in small groups when they carry out a ... more This paper describes an experiment that compares behaviour in small groups when they carry out a task in a virtual environment (VE) and then continue the same task in a similar real-world environment. The purpose of the experiment was not to examine task performance, but to compare various aspects of the social relations between the group members in the two environments. Ten groups of 3 people each, who had never met before, met first in a shared VE and carried out a task that required the identification and solution of puzzles presented on pieces of paper stuck around the walls of a room. The puzzle involved identifying that the same-numbered words across all the pieces of paper formed a riddle or 'saying'. The group continued this task for 15 minutes, and then stopped to answer a questionnaire. The group then reconvened in the real world, and continued the same task. The experiment also required one of the group members to continually monitor a particular one of the others in order to examine whether social discomfort could be generated within a VE. In each group there was one immersed person, with a head-mounted display and head-tracking, and two non-immersed people who experienced the environment on a workstation display.
CyberPsychology & Behavior, 2001
of main contributions:
Computers & Graphics, 2001
In this paper we present the results of a trial in which two participants collaborated on a puzzl... more In this paper we present the results of a trial in which two participants collaborated on a puzzle-solving task in networked virtual environments. The task was a Rubik's cube type puzzle, and this meant that the two participants had to interact with the space and with each other very intensivelyFand they did this successfully despite the limitation of the networked situation. We compare collaboration in networked immersive projection technology (IPT's) systems with previous results concerning collaboration in an IPT system linked with a desktop computer, and also with collaboration on the same task in the real world. Our findings show that the task performance in networked IPT's and in the real scenario are very similar to each otherFwhereas IPT-to-desktop performance is much poorer. Results about participants' experience of 'presence', 'co-presence' and collaboration shed further light on these findings. r
Collaboration and effectiveness for distributed meetings
... Collaboration and Effectiveness for Distributed Meetings. Författare: Ilona Heldal (Instituti... more ... Collaboration and Effectiveness for Distributed Meetings. Författare: Ilona Heldal (Institutionen för teknik och samhälle); Lars Bråthe (-); Ralph Schroeder (Institutionen för teknik och samhälle). Publicerad i: 12th International Word ...
Proceedings of Presence …, 2003
Presence and copresence have been key goals of researchers and developers of shared virtual envir... more Presence and copresence have been key goals of researchers and developers of shared virtual environments. Much research has assumed that the two reinforce each other; that is, an enhanced sense of presence enhances copresence and vice versa. In this essay we ...
HCI International 2005, the …, 2005
Participants using immersive projection technology (IPT) systems tend to behave as if they were r... more Participants using immersive projection technology (IPT) systems tend to behave as if they were really in the space depicted by the displays. This behavioral presence leads them to adopt responses and strategies to events and situations that are similar to what they would adopt in ...
Proceeding of Home …, 2003
All authors are at the Department of Technology and Society, Chalmers University, 412 96 Gothenbu... more All authors are at the Department of Technology and Society, Chalmers University, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden, except * at the Department of Computer Science, University College London, London WC1E ... 6BT, United Kingdom. Corresponding author: Maria Spante, ...
Uploads
Papers by Ralph Schroeder
This report details seven case studies in the physical sciences. For each case, qualitative interviews and focus groups were used to understand the domain. Quantitative data gathered from a survey of participants highlights different information strategies employed across the cases, and identifies important software used for research.
Finally, conclusions from across the cases are drawn, and recommendations are made. This report is the third in a series commissioned by the Research Information Network (RIN), each looking at information practices in a specific domain (life sciences, humanities, and physical sciences). The aim is to understand how researchers within a range of disciplines find and use information, and in particular how that has changed with the introduction of new technologies.