[Air-l] Reminder - IAMCR Cairo 2006 CP&T Call

[Jo Pierson]

CALL FOR PAPERS - Reminder

Dear all,

The Communications Policy & Technology (CP&T) section of the 
'International Association for Media and Communication Research' 
(IAMCR) invites submission of abstracts for original, research-based 
papers to be presented in person at the forthcoming IAMCR Cairo 
Conference, July 23-28, 2006.

The focus of the Section’s work is on Communication Policies and their 
link to the socio-economic and political aspects of technological 
change. CP&T welcomes work that bridges the theoretical and empirical 
spheres as well as research offering guidelines for policy action at 
the community, national, regional or global levels. The Section does 
not adhere to any single philosophical or theoretical school and 
actively encourages research that is critical and counter-intuitive.

Abstracts for the Cairo Conference should be original research studies, 
which ideally provide scientific and analytical data and analysis on a 
topic of your own choosing, but linked to the Conference Theme and 
especially to our own sectional focus. The theme of the IAMCR Cairo 
conference is ‘Knowledge Societies for All: Media & Communication 
Strategies’. This theme reflects the core of the CP&T Section’s own 
theoretical emphases and research activities. We therefore welcome 
abstracts on the main theme itself, reflected through the following 
sub-topics: 

Sub-theme 1 - Beyond Tunis: Policy and Technology after WSIS

Many IAMCR and other academic researchers and policy advisors across 
several of the Association’s Sections and Working Groups joined 
thousands of governmental, corporate and NGO leaders who participated 
in the Tunis Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society and 
related events, held in Tunisia in November 2005. WSIS participants as 
well as other specialists from the CP&T and other IAMCR Sections and 
particularly from the Digital Divide and Global Media Policy Working 
Groups are invited to share research-based perspectives and prognoses 
of policy and technology development after WSIS. Research and Analysis 
are being especially encouraged on issues of Financing ‘Information For 
All’, and on the newly formed Internet Governance Forum (IGF), the 
future of ICANN, the role of ITU and related Technology, Policy and 
Governance issues post Tunis.

Sub-theme 2 – People, Globalisation and Emerging Technologies

The Section aims to establish new insights into the multiple dimensions 
of policies related to the Digital Divide and strategies designed for 
the inclusion of a wide cross section of people in the development 
process. It invites examination of barriers and opportunities for 
growth, for innovation, adaptation and use of information and 
communication technologies and for the deployment of the media systems 
and policies for development. We welcome papers that emphasise 
innovative approaches and new policy initiatives towards a more 
globally inclusive knowledge society, aimed at participation at the 
social, political, technological, economic and cultural spheres.

Sub-theme 3 – New Policy Interfaces: Culture and Technology

Expansion of communication systems and emerging technology networks 
continue to give rise to new interfaces.  Many traditional, religious 
and political cultures are coming face to face with emerging 
technologies that challenge their conventional lifestyles and social 
practices, whether at the community, or national levels. What are some 
of the policy issues that arise in these contexts and how are these 
challenges being addressed? How do differing cultures and societies use 
communication technologies to bridge the policy and practice divides? 
What kind of methods can be applied to identify these techno-cultural 
differences and their possible consequences for policy? Papers are 
invited that address these issues of technology and intercultural 
communication, cultural diversity interfaces and the impact of new 
digital media and communication technologies on governance and 
policy-making.

Sub-theme 4 - People-Centered System Design and Innovation

Industrial policy and government initiatives on innovation often 
influence the manner in which technologies and services are designed. 
But what is the extent to which these designs are people-centered? 
User-centered system design may help to enable greater e-inclusion by 
deploying media and communication technologies that better fit the 
needs, knowledge, possibilities and everyday life of people. The 
Section invites abstracts and eventually papers that address this issue 
of user-oriented system design and people-focused innovation policy, 
both generally and specifically in a north/south context.

Sub-theme 5 – ICT and Telecom Policies in the Mediterranean Region

In the Mediterranean area, Europe meets Africa. This makes it an 
interesting zone for the study of the possibilities and challenges of 
developing a knowledge society for the developed and well as the 
developing societies. This area was also the venue of the second Phase 
of the WSIS. Papers are invited from contributors from within or 
outside of the Mediterranean area, reflecting the potential and 
obstacles of telecom and ICT policies within the Mediterranean region. 
We particularly welcome abstracts, and subsequently, full papers that 
critically address policy developments in telecommunications within the 
region.

Criteria for Selection of Abstracts:
The CP&T welcomes abstracts from the global research community. Both 
well-established scholars and younger researchers from all regions are 
encouraged to submit abstracts for evaluation. The CP&T will maintain 
its tradition of only accepting papers of a high academic and research 
standard. Abstracts and research papers are evaluated on the following 
criteria:
1.The scientific or policy relevance of the research problem
2. Relevance to the declared Conference Theme and Sub-themes
3. Clarity in the formulation of the central research issues
4. Clarity of the objectives, as well as in the analytical methods used 
in the paper
5.The consistency and documented support of the central argument 
advanced
6.The appropriateness of theories and/or methodologies used
7.The nature of the empirical evidence presented.

Abstracts of about 500 words should be sent to CP& T Section and 
addressed to Hopeton S. Dunn (hdunn at cwjamaica.com) AND to Jo Pierson 
(IAMCR-CPT-Cairo at telenet.be ) no later than January 30, 2006. The 
abstract should include title, name(s), institutional address and email 
address of author(s). All prospective presenters will be advised by 
March 1, 2006 of the outcome of their applications. The full text of 
accepted papers will be required for submission no later than June 15, 
2006.

Please visit http://www.aucegypt.edu/conferences/iamcr/ for more 
information about the conference, programme, registration, 
accommodation etc.