The Biosecurity Commons project engages students in national security policy issues through activities like data mining, information sharing, and critical analysis. Students and faculty collaborate on this "web-tank" concept, merging traditional research and writing with new web-based and social media approaches. The guiding philosophy relies on a genuine faculty-student partnership where students conduct research, write briefs, and have their work publicly posted and attributed online. This provides immediate recognition of students' contributions while building an online database of security-related information and analysis.

1. Biosecurity Commons: Year 1 Brian J. Gorman Assistant Professor Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice Towson University 6th Annual ODNI Intelligence Community Centers of Academic Excellence Summer Seminar August 2, 2010 Gaylord National Harbor Hotel and Conference Center, National Harbor, MD

2. Goal of Biosecurity Commons: To engage students in national security policy issues while making valued contributions to stakeholders through: Data Mining, Information Sharing, and Critical Analysis.

3. Methodology: Via a new “Web-tank” concept that fuses the interests and efforts of faculty and students. The web-tank merges classic and cutting concepts including: Traditional Think tank collaboration Traditional Scholarly research & writing Traditional Journal production New Web-based information approaches New Social networking platforms

4. Guiding Philosophy The concept relies upon a genuine Faculty/Student partnership. *Not a mere student project, rather it’s a collaboration on a genuine contribution to the field. Faculty leads, but students are relied upon for critical input. Some students are co-authors while others are publicly identified researchers who are associated with their published work. Analogy given to students: “A published paper on the net is like a tattoo; it is public and permanent!”

5. Immediate Attribution of student contributions available online

6. Mastheads: Law Review inspired & reinforces pride in publicly shared work product.

7. Software: Wiki format for database

8. Manuscript Hosting by Scribd which is free and provides reading and download stats.

9. Readership Stats, graphics & Readership Feedback.

10. BsC Topics

11. Status Brief: State-of-the-art briefing for Stakeholders.

12. Weekly Protocol: RBP not GTL -Research- -Brief- -Post- 1. Research any BsC Index Topic. 2. Brief findings conforming to website specs. -i.e. the facts, opinions & findings that inform policy on the topic. 3. Post to the BsC website. 4. Enter topic covered during the week on whiteboard and provide a digital copy of the sources for follow-up or verification.

13. Sample White Board for Weekly Protocol

14. Basic entry: citation, facts,& cross-indexed for surfing database.

15. Analytical Report initiated ¾’s into the year using database as point of Departure

16. Facebook Presence

17. BsC Director & Staff from Towson University

18. Affiliate Opportunities Faculty Affiliates are welcome to join Biosecurity Commons and the companion project, Security Commons, with their own Independent Study Students. Contact Brian J. Gorman at bgorman@towson.edu