My core interests include:
1. citizen engagement in science, policy, and innovation: citizen engagement is an umbrella term encompassing a range of practices, including citizen science and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) practices, which attempt to connect citizens, experts, and policymakers.
2. human-machine cooperation in collective intelligence: I am interested in how information and communication technologies (ICTs) mediate collective intelligence and participatory citizen science. I am interested in human computation and the design of cooperative human-machine systems.
3. science-policy interface: I am interested in how we can turn science into policy. My main goal is to explore how emerging technologies and policies foster a better society, more fair, and more accountable – a society where technology is used to promote broad social inclusion based on fundamental rights, democratic institutions, and the rule of law.
I am a hybrid of sociologist and information scientist. As such, my research output and approaches do not fit neatly into a single category. In my research work, I tend to draw from a range of fields, including library and information sciences, science and technology studies, social informatics, and e-research. In particular, science and technology studies, specifically actor-network theory, have influenced my research approach, directing my attention to the sociomaterial relations existing in social practices.
Generally, I lean towards the qualitative side of research, with a particular interest in ethnography (as a solo and joint endeavor). Still, I like to collaborate with quantitative researchers and embrace mixed-method approaches.
Marisa Ponti 