[Air-l] Call for Chapter Proposals -- Edited Collection on Open Source Software

[St-Amant, Kirk]

Call for Chapters - Submission Deadline Oct. 1, 2005

For the Edited Collection
Handbook of Research on Open Source Software: Technological, 
Economic, and Social Perspectives

Edited by Kirk St.Amant and Brian Still, Texas Tech University

INTRODUCTION
The decision to purchase or to use a particular software product can 
be the choice that results in the success or the failure of an 
organization.  For this reason, decision makers at different levels 
and in a variety of fields need to understand the factors that 
contribute to the effective adoption and use of software products. 
Open source software (OSS) is increasingly viewed as a viable option 
that can allow a variety or public and private organizations to 
achieve their desired goals.  OSS adoption and use, however, is 
complicated by the social agendas and the economic goals many 
individuals attach to the use of OSS materials.

OBJECTIVE OF THE BOOK
The purpose of this handbook is to provide readers with a 
foundational understanding of the origins, operating principles, 
legalities, social factors, and economic forces that affect the uses 
of OSS.  For this reason, the proposed handbook would focus on areas 
and concepts essential to understanding when and how various 
organizations should adopt OSS.  Chapters would present short 
(3,500-5,000 word), focused perspectives on a particular aspect of 
OSS adoption and/or use.  Such perspectives would be designed to help 
businesspersons, researchers, and other decision makers make more 
informed choices that would facilitate the ease and effectiveness 
with which their organization used or interacted with OSS products.

TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience for this handbook would be five groups that would 
use this text for a variety of reasons.
* Executives, manager, and administrators in business, government, 
and education, and academia
* Researchers investigating the history, uses, and perspectives 
(social and economic) related to OSS
* Librarians working for corporate, government, or educational 
organizations
* Graduate instructors and graduate students in MIS, MBA, and PhD 
programs
* Individuals in organizations that have adopted or are considering 
adopting OSS for certain activities

RECOMMENDED TOPICS
Prospective subject areas and specific topics for this publication 
include, but are not limited to, the following

The Hacker Movement & the Evolution of Open Source Software: Early 
Ideas to Current Practices
* The Origins of the Hacker Movement
* Who is an OSS Developer and What is OSS Culture?
* The Browser Wars and the Birth of Mozilla

Benefits and Limitations: Comparing Open Source Software to 
Proprietary Software Products
* Overview of Differences Between Open Source Software and 
Proprietary Software
* Forking Code and Product Development
* Providing Customer Service in a Not-for-Profit Environment

Tools and Technologies: Selecting the Right Software for the Job
* Content Management and Programs for Organizing Information
* Desktop Publishing: Is OSS a viable alternative to Windows?
* How to evaluate OSS in terms of staffing requirements, customer 
support, long-term viability

Business Models and Open Source Software: Balancing Profits with Ideals
* Red Hat: Providing Support and Making Money
* Selling the Server: Apache and the Business of Providing Online Access
* The Penguin Business: Linus Torvalds and the Rise of Linux

Licensing: Examining the Agreements that Make Use Possible
* Copyleft, OSS Licenses, and the Concept of Ownership
* Licensing Choices: Benefits and Limitations of OSS Licenses
* Licensing and Product Development: What Does the User Need to Know?

The (Il)Legalities of Open Source Software: Code, Copyright, and 
Cryptography
* Ripping multimedia: The Copyright Problems Related to OSS Use
* Privacy, Security, and Surveillance: Cryptography and Government 
Control
* Whose Code is it Anyway? Reflections on Microsoft vs. the SCO Group

Going Global: The International Spread of Open Source Software Use
* The EU's Adoption of OSS: A Model for the Future?
* Culture and Coding: Can We Create International Standards for OSS Use?
* Wiring the World: The Role of OSS in Shrinking the Global Digital 
Divide

Open Source and Education: Expanding Pedagogical Practices
* Uses of Drupal to Enhance Learning
* Claroline and the Packaging of Distance Education for Online Students
* Blogging as Educational Activity

Government Applications of Open Source Software
* Examining OSS Use at the Federal and the Local Levels
* Getting the Word Out: Government Uses of OSS to Interact with Citizens
* The Security Factor: National Defense, OSS, and Terrorist Networks

Expanding the Uses of Open Source Software: Perspectives for the Future
* Shifting the Model: Will OSS Become a For-Profit Industry?
* Development Practices: How Will the Code Be Created?
* Culture and Code: Projections on OSS and Global Computer Use

A more comprehensive list of topics of interest to the editors can 
also be provided upon request.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE
Prospective authors are invited to submit chapter proposals (one, 
single-spaced page maximum) on or before October 1, 2005.  In their 
proposal, prospective authors should clearly explain
* The purpose and the contents of their proposed chapter
* How their proposed chapter relates to the overall objectives of the 
book

Authors will be notified of the status of their proposal and sent 
chapter organization guidelines by October 30, 2005.  Drafts of 
chapters will be due by February 15, 2006.

Please send inquiries or submit material electronically (Rich Text 
files) to both editors at

kirk.st-amant at ttu.edu
and
brian.still at ttu.edu

This book is tentatively scheduled for publishing
by Idea Group Reference (an imprint of Idea Group Inc.)
<www.idea-group.com> in Spring 2007.