Infrastructuring an organizational node for a federated research and data network: A case study from a sociotechnical...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Translational Science
• Network Infrastructure

Background:

• Local nodes on federated research and data networks (FR&DNs) are essential for collaborative clinical and translational research.
• Infrastructuring work within these networks is often invisible, unplanned, and undervalued, leading to limited literature.
• This study addresses the gap in understanding the development and sustainability of FR&DN nodes in healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the assembly of infrastructure components for a PCORnet node.
• To identify the specific work efforts involved in node development and implementation.
• To develop theoretically grounded questions for sustainable node infrastructuring.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case study of a single PCORnet node was conducted.
• Analysis included review of artifacts, work efforts, and interviews.
• A sociotechnical lens was applied, with validity established through internal and external partners.

Main Results:

• Necessary resources were available internally but fragmented across units.
• Aligning, mediating, and institutionalizing for sustainability required more effort than technical deployment.
• A framework and questions for node infrastructuring were developed, emphasizing technology, work organization, and institutionalization.

Conclusions:

• Federated research and data networks (FR&DNs) are growing, necessitating a sociotechnical perspective on node development.
• The developed framework and questions offer insights into sustainable node infrastructuring.
• Further research is needed to assess the framework's applicability across different network configurations and for broader federated science initiatives.