RePEc and Socionet as partners in a changing digital library environment, 1997 to 2004 and beyond

This paper examines the theoretical foundation and practical development of the the RePEc and Socionet.ru digital libraries. RePEc is a UK-founded but internationally operating digital library for the economics discipline. Socionet is a Russia-based, but multi-disciplinary digital library for the wider social sciences. In 1997, Socionet copied the business model of RePEc and much of its technical infrastructure. As the Socionet library has matured, it has diverged from the RePEc model. Currently it emerges as a model and platform to build the Russian national level scientific and educational digital information space

Science as a Social System and Virtual Research Environment

The accumulation of gradual changes in scientific landscape and research practice due to the Internet has the potential to enhance the quality of both cognitive and social aspects of science and scientists. New types of research outputs, modes of scientific communication and new circulation mechanisms, as well as enhanced opportunities for scientific re-use and measuring research impact, in combination with new approaches to research assessment and evaluation are all having profound effects on the social system of science. To be sure that these innovations will not break the social sustainability of the science community, it will be valuable to develop a model of science as a tool for computer simulation of social consequences from possible innovations within virtual research environment. Focusing on possible social problems related to these new virtual research environments this short paper provides a brief analysis of the current situation in science (challenges, problems, main actors), general views on model of science (landscape, main agents, important properties, etc.) and on areas where simulation can contribute to better understanding of possible futures for the scientific community.Virtual Research Environment, Science System Social Sustainability, Agent Based Modeling

Конструирование механизмов социально-экономической координации. Концептуальная модель

This study discusses the socio-economic coordination mechanism design, which allows, in comparison with the classical mechanism design theory, to obtain a wider class of solutions, but with the loss of the ability to use the mechanism design's mathematical models and methods. The concepts of the coordinating activities and the basic forms of coordination of socio-economic agents are defined. The fundamental coordination process, which is present in all coordinated systems, is described. On this methodological basis the prerequisites, fundamentals and properties of socio-economic coordination are considered. A conceptual model of coordination is proposed, including a three-step algorithm for the coordination mechanism designing. As illustrations, based on the proposed algorithm some of the well-known coordination mechanisms are considered. Using the conceptual model of coordination, possible changes in the design and properties of coordination mechanisms because of the digitalization of socio-economic processes are analyzed. В данном исследовании рассматривается проектирование механизмов социально-экономической координации, которое позволяет по сравнению с классической теорией экономических механизмов получать более широкий класс решений, но с потерей возможности использования математических моделей и методов теории экономических механизмов. Определены понятия координирующей деятельности и основные формы координации социально-экономических агентов. Описан фундаментальный процесс координации, присутствующий во всех координируемых системах. На этой методологической основе рассмотрены предпосылки, основы и свойства социально-экономической координации. Предложена концептуальная модель координации, включающая трехэтапный алгоритм проектирования механизма координации. В качестве иллюстраций на основе предложенного алгоритма рассмотрены некоторые известные механизмы координации. С помощью концептуальной модели координации анализируются возможные изменения конструкции и свойств механизмов координации в связи с цифровизацией социально-экономических процессов. Показано, что цифровизация приводит к сближению характеристик базовых форм координации и к унификации их элементов в цифровом виде. Это открывает возможность создания распределенной компьютерной системы, выполняющей функции универсального механизма координации. В качестве одного из направлений дальнейшего развития данного исследования предлагается создание компьютерной агентной имитационной модели экономики и общества со встроенными механизмами координации. Обсуждается возможность создания единой модели и общей теории социально-экономической координации, которые могут служить методологической основой для создания общей теории социально-экономической деятельности

Socio-Economic Coordination Mechanisms Design: Conceptual Model

This study discusses socio-economic coordination mechanism design, which allows, in comparison with the classical mechanism design theory, to obtain a wider class of solutions, but with the loss of the ability to use the mechanism design's mathematical models and methods. The concepts of the coordinating activities and the basic forms of coordination of socio-economic agents are defined. The fundamental coordination process, which is present in all coordinated systems, is described. On this methodological basis the prerequisites, fundamentals and properties of socio-economic coordination are considered. A conceptual model of coordination is proposed, including a three-step algorithm for the coordination mechanism designing. As illustrations, based on the proposed algorithm some of the well-known coordination mechanisms are considered. Using the conceptual model of coordination, possible changes in the design and properties of coordination mechanisms because of the digitalization of socio-economic processes are analyzed. It is shown that digitalization leads to the convergence of the characteristics of basic forms of coordination and to the unification of their elements in digital form. This opens the possibility of creating a distributed computer system that performs the functions of a universal coordination mechanism. As one of the directions for the further development of this study, the creation of a computer agent-based simulation model of economy/society with the embedded coordination mechanisms is proposed. The possibility of creating a unified model and general theory of socio-economic coordination, which can serve as the methodological basis for creating a general theory of socio-economic activity, is discussed

Micro-level description of the economic coordination

Economic agents (people) by information exchange can take into account each other's activities. This allows them to coordinate their individual actions. The current study identifies three basic forms of coordination, the content of which depends on the communication options between agents: 1) the contractual form, which is possible with direct communication between agents; 2) the stigmergy form, which is possible with indirect communication; and 3) the common rules-based action form, which is possible in the absence of communication. The proposed three basic forms of coordination reflect the diversity of natural abilities of humans to take into account the activities of other humans. The observable processes of economic coordination, e.g., the market, etc., can be represented as some manifestations of these three basic forms. It is proposed to consider these representations as the micro-level descriptions of coordination processes. Such micro-level descriptions can be treated as a fundamental one that allows us to make the assertion that all observable economic coordination processes can be represented as certain combinations of the proposed three basic forms. As a proof of this assertion, the known economic coordination processes like the market, hierarchy and network are considered as certain combinations of the basic forms of coordination. Based on this micro-level approach, the specific features of economic activity, which determine the structure and main characteristics of the system of economic coordination processes, are analyzed. The analysis showed that the processes of economic coordination at the micro-level are a complex hybrid of the three basic forms of coordination. The system of economic coordination processes consists of the one main process and two branches of additional processes. This approach can be used as a unified methodological basis for the analysis of diverse ways of economic coordination. The analysis results obtained by this way allow us to explore directions for the improvement of coordination processes in the economy

Fundamental socio-economic coordination process and metacoordination

In the agents’ socio-economic activity coordination, the factors important for the results of this activity, information about which, as Hayek noted, is distributed among the participants of the activity, can be taken into account by agents with varying degrees of completeness. The perfection of procedures for identifying such factors and the degree to which they are taken into account in the coordination process can determine greater or lesser benefits of agents from their joint activity. Thus, improving coordination characteristics can be considered as one of the sources of increasing the benefits of agents from their joint activity. In this study, the concept of a shared mental model (SMM) is used as a way for agents to take into account information that is important for coordinating their activities and which is initially distributed among all agents. Based on a number of hypotheses, the SMM features are described under three main options for communications between agents: direct communications, indirect communications, and the absence of communications. The transformation of the SMM into a universal instrument for coordinating socio-economic activities, the main elements of which are the “interface” and the “calculator”, is considered. The functioning of the universal coordination instrument is based on the fundamental process of coordination, which is present in all types of coordinated socio-economic activities. Among consequences arising from the results obtained are considered the possibility of generalizing the concept of general equilibrium, methodological connections with the concept of transaction costs and with the institutional economics. It is noted that this approach makes it possible to explore ways to build a unified model of socio-economic coordination, as well as to develop a metacoordination mechanism designed to improve existing coordination mechanisms and design new ones

Общая теория согласования социально-экономической деятельности: коллективные ментальные модели

The revolution in information and communication technologies that has taken place in the world over the past 30 years has led to a radical increase in the level of connectedness of people in society. The significantly increased intensity of direct communications as a result of this, as well as the expansion of the communication scope, means a significant increase in the degree of awareness of people about each other's actions. However, these changes have not yet led to comparable improvements in the coordination of the activities of socio-economic agents. One of the main reasons is the lack of socio-economic institutions and mechanisms that use the potential of direct communications between agents. Coordination of the activities of agents based on the direct communications between them is fundamentally different from how it happens with the help of market or hierarchal methods of coordination. It is known that joint activities in direct communications, for example, in the case of small groups, are based on the use of a shared mental model. The article proposes an approach to creating a theoretical description of the coordination of socio-economic activities in the context of direct communications between economic agents. The instrument of coordination in this case is the shared (collective) mental model. The proposed theory is quite general, allowing, on the one hand, to explain market and hierarchal mechanisms of economic coordination as special cases, and, on the other hand, to analyze the possibilities of constructing coordination mechanisms with given properties. As one of the applications of this theory, the article considers an ideal way of coordinating activities, which leads to a discussion of a single universal coordination mechanism that replaces the currently operating market and hierarchal mechanisms. The practical implementation of such a mechanism promises to increase the efficiency of socio-economic activity and accelerate economic development

Фундаментальный процесс социально-экономической координации и метакоординация

In this study, the concept of a shared mental model (SMM) is used as a way for agents to take into account information that is important for coordinating their activities and which is initially distributed among all agents. Based on a number of hypotheses, the SMM features are described under three main options for communications between agents: direct communications, indirect communications, and the absence of communications. The transformation of the SMM into a universal instrument for coordinating socio-economic activities, the main elements of which are the “interface” and the “calculator”, is considered. The functioning of the universal coordination instrument is based on the fundamental process of coordination, which is present in all types of coordinated socio-economic activities. Among consequences arising from the results obtained are considered the possibility of generalizing the concept of general equilibrium, methodological connections with the concept of transaction costs and with the institutional economics. It is noted that this approach makes it possible to explore ways to build a unified model of socio-economic coordination, as well as to develop a metacoordination mechanism designed to improve existing coordination mechanisms and design new ones. В данном исследовании в качестве способа учета агентами информации, которая важна для координации их деятельности и которая исходно распределена среди всех агентов, использована концепция коллективной ментальной модели (КММ). На основе ряда принятых гипотез описаны особенности функционирования КММ при трех основных вариантах коммуникаций между агентами: прямые коммуникации, косвенные и отсутствие коммуникаций. Рассмотрено превращение КММ в универсальный инструмент координации социально-экономической деятельности, основными элементами которого являются «интерфейс» и «вычислитель». В функционировании универсального инструмента координации выделен фундаментальный процесс координации, который присутствует во всех видах координируемой социально-экономической деятельности. Рассмотрены некоторые следствия, вытекающие из полученных результатов, в том числе возможности обобщения концепции общего равновесия, методологические связи с концепцией трансакционных издержек и теорией институциональной экономики. Отмечено, что данный подход позволяет исследовать способы построения единой модели социально-экономической координации, а также разрабатывать механизм метакоординации, предназначенный для совершенствования существующих механизмов координации и конструирования новых

Основания общей теории социально-экономической координации

The methodological foundation for building a general theory of socio-economic coordination, the need for which is caused by the ongoing digitalization, including coordination processes, are considered. An adequate theoretical instrument is required to analyze the possible socio-economic consequences of changes in coordination mechanisms. Due to the special place in the economy of the coordination processes, their improvement can become a new source of significant socio-economic development. In the proposed study, the ideas of the shared mental model of the participants in joint activities developed in the cognitive sciences are used as the initial basis for creating the required theory. In this context, the fundamental process of coordination of socio-economic activities is considered, based on the ability of agents to coordinate activities in direct and indirect communications between them. A description of the general scheme of the coordinating activity of agents is proposed, the various configurations of which, framed by the institutional structures, form the coordination mechanisms. The market, hierarchical and network coordination mechanisms are presented as special cases of the general scheme. The general conditions for the performance and success of various configurations of coordinating activities have been analyzed, including as an optimization problem. For economic activity, the specificity of its coordination is considered, which consists in the formation of a hybrid form of coordination. The principles of systematization and classification of the processes of coordination of both economic activity and non-economic activity are proposed. The features and possibilities of improving coordination mechanisms through digitalization of the coordinating activities of agents are considered. On this basis, clarifications of the theoretical picture of the socio-economic world are proposed. The idea of building a unified coordination mechanism that could serve the all needs of agents in coordinating their activities, both economic and social, is discussed