Exploring e-Science: An Introduction

A number of terms are in vogue that describe the transformation of science through utilization of Grid computing, Internet-based instrumentation, and global collaboration. For the purposes of this special theme section of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, the term e-science serves as an umbrella for these initiatives. This article introduces the contributions to the collection and includes a number of suggestions for extending the exploratory work performed to date, including attention to disciplinary and contextual diversity and the importance of longitudinal research designs and historical awareness and of the social shaping of technology as a theoretical concept to understanding the changes currently underway in the scientific enterprise.