[Air-l] 2nd Call for Papers - Internet Research

[Kathleen O'Riordan]

Call for Papers

Internet Research 5.0: Ubiquity?

International and Interdisciplinary Conference of the Association of 
Internet Researchers at the University of Sussex, England, 19-22nd 
September 2004

Submission site opens: December 15th 2003
Deadline for submissions: February 2nd 2004

Conference Websites:
http://aoir.org/2004  or http://www.sussex.ac.uk/cce/aoir

The internet seems to be at once everywhere and invisible but 
simultaneously it structures only a fraction of the communications of the 
total global community.  It can facilitate greater interaction, 
understanding and political activism; being used at the same time to 
exclude, destroy and exploit.  The much cited ubiquity of the internet 
needs to be examined in both the contexts in which it is accepted and those 
in which it is contested.

The theme of 'ubiquity?' addresses the following questions: Is the internet 
everywhere?  How and where does the internet appear and act in technical, 
social, political, or cultural contexts?  What does it mean to have access 
and who does and doesn't have it? How does the presence of the internet 
affect individuals, communities, families, governments, societies and 
nation-states?  What are the implications of 'internet everywhere'? 
Submissions addressing these and other questions regarding the internet are 
welcome.

Internet Research 5.0 will feature a variety of disciplinary and 
interdisciplinary perspectives on the Internet.  Examining and challenging 
the visibility and prevalence of the Internet and Internet discourses, the 
conference will bring together a wide range of researchers, practitioners 
and scholars for the exchange of formal and informal ideas.  As with 
previous AoIR conferences, the aim is to promote a deep, coherent and 
situated understanding of the Internet and connected networks.

IR 5.0 will take place at the University of Sussex, in the UK, close to the 
historic and lively seaside City of Brighton and Hove and on the edge of 
the spectacular Sussex South Downs.  The conference is hosted by the Centre 
for Continuing Education at the University of Sussex in association with 
local partners.

Submission of Proposals

The Association of Internet Researchers invites paper, presentation and 
panel proposals on topics that address technical, social, cultural, 
political, pedagogical, economic, and aesthetic aspects of the internet. We 
welcome interdisciplinary submissions as well as submissions from within 
specific disciplines. We especially seek panel proposals that establish 
connections across disciplines, institutions, and/or continents. We also 
encourage creative presentations that will make use of internet 
technologies and artistic techniques.

* Proposals for individual papers should be in the form of 500-1,000 word 
abstracts.

* Creative presentations and demonstration projects should consist of a 
500-1,000 word abstract, this should include links to illustrative 
materials.

* Panels will generally include three to four papers or presentations. The 
panel organiser should submit an approximately 500 word statement 
describing the session topic, include abstracts of up to 500 words for each 
paper or presentation, and indicate that each author is willing to 
participate in the session.

Each submission must also be accompanied by a 100-word abstract that will 
go into the conference proceedings if the submission is accepted.  All 
papers, presentations and panels will be peer reviewed.   If you are 
interested in reviewing submissions for this conference, please contact 
program chair Sheizaf Rafaeli at the address below.

Abstracts should indicate the disciplinary or conceptual approach, 
theoretical orientation, methodology of the research or ideas, and the key 
results or hoped-for results of the research.  Reference should also be 
made to the broader significance of the work and its relationship to 
existing bodies of work.  Clarity of the themes, content, aims and 
outcomes, is of greater importance than word length.

Full-length papers will be required after the conference and a selection of 
the highest quality papers will be published in an Annual Review (subject 
to authors' permission).

Proposals can be for three types of contribution to the conference: papers; 
creative presentations; and/or panels.

Each person is invited to submit a proposal for no more than 1 paper or 1 
presentation. In addition you may also submit or be part of no more than a 
single panel. The aim is to include as wide a range of speakers as possible 
and to thus avoid speakers using time in more than one session.  Average 
time allotted for a paper or creative presentation will be 15 minutes. 
Average time allotted for a panel will be 1 hour and 15 minutes, including 
discussion time.

There will be additional opportunities to contribute to the conference by 
chairing sessions, taking part in roundtables and workshops and through 
audience participation.

All proposals must be submitted electronically at
http://www2.cddc.vt.edu/confman/

Deadlines:

Submission site available: 15th December 2003
Final date for proposal submission: February 2nd 2004
Author notification: March 15th 2004
Presenter's Registration to the conference: September 1st 2004
Student Award: Completed paper: July 15th 2004

Graduate Students:

Graduate students are strongly encouraged to submit proposals. They should 
note their student status with their submission in order to be considered 
for a special Student Award.  If accepted in the conference, students 
wishing to be a candidate for the Student Award must also send a final 
paper by July 15th 2004.

Pre-Conference Workshops

Prior to the conference, there will be a limited number of pre-conference 
workshops, which will provide participants with in-depth, hands-on and/or 
creative opportunities. We invite proposals for these pre-conference 
workshops; local presenters are encouraged to propose workshops that will 
invite visiting researchers into their labs or studios or locales. 
Proposals should be no longer than 1000 words, and should clearly outline 
the purpose, methodology, structure, costs, equipment and minimal 
attendance required, as well as explaining its relevance to the conference 
as a whole. Proposals will be accepted if they demonstrate that the 
workshop will add significantly to the overall program in terms of thematic 
depth, hands on experience, or local opportunities for scholarly or 
artistic connections. These proposals and all inquires regarding 
pre-conference proposals should be submitted as soon as possible to the 
Conference Chair Kate O'Riordan k.s.o-riordan at sussex.ac.uk, and will be 
accepted up to March the 1st 2004. Notification of terms and space 
allocations will be sent out as soon as details are confirmed, with final 
acceptance required by March the 31st 2004.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Program Chair: Sheizaf Rafaeli,
Center for the Study of the Information Society (InfoSoc)
University of Haifa
sheizaf at rafaeli.net
All inquiries on reviewing,  acceptances and programme

Conference Chair: Kate O'Riordan (University of Sussex, 
k.s.o-riordan at sussex.ac.uk)
All inquiries on Sussex conference, local sponsorship and pre-conference 
workshops

AoIR President: Nancy Baym, University of Kansas, nbaym at ku.edu
Inquiries regarding the Association of Internet Researchers and sponsorship

On site conference team, aoir5 at sussex.ac.uk
All inquiries on location, accommodation, registration

Association Website: http://aoir.org

Conference Website: http://aoir.org/2004  or 
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/cce/aoir