[Air-L] ICQI 2008 - Call for Papers for Panel(s)

[Lois Ann Scheidt]

Applying and Extending Qualitative Inquiry to Internet Research

As the number of academic studies utilizing qualitative research 
methods on internet data has increased, so have the questions and 
issues surrounding how one does research in/on online sites. 
Experienced researchers and novices grapple with multiple issues as 
they adapt, modify, and develop various research methods to online 
venues including chatrooms, instant messaging, blogs, social utilities, 
webpages, games, and 3-D virtual worlds such as Second Life. How does 
one identify sites for one's study? What sampling procedures work best? 
What software is to be used in internet research? What are the benefits 
and weaknesses of using particular methods?  What issues arise when 
adapting a particular qualitative method for use in/on an online site?

We call for abstracts and papers that address these issues for a panel 
or series of panels, at The Fourth International Congress of 
Qualitative Inquiry (QI2008) - Ethics, Evidence and Social Justice 
(http://www.icqi.org/) that will take place at the University of 
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from May 14-17, 2008. In particular, we 
are interested in presentations that look at qualitative methods and 
the difficulties researchers encounter as they do or have done internet 
research. Our focus is not on results; rather we are looking for 
colleagues interested in sharing knowledge and discussing challenges of 
the
"nuts and bolts" of internet research.

The list of qualitative methods to consider includes but is not limited to:
-- Discourse analysis
-- Ethnography
-- Interviews and surveys
-- Narratives and biographies

Interested parties should email 1000 character (approximately 150 
words) abstracts for each paper or presentation by November 15, 2007 to 
the organizers.

Please include the following information for each author with your 
submission:  Author's Name, Department, University, Address including 
City, State/Province, ZIP/Post Code, Country (if not US, please specify 
if you need a visa for travel), Telephone/Fax, E-mail.

Lois Ann Scheidt and Inna Kouper (Organizers)
Doctoral Students
School of Library and Information Science
Indiana University
lscheidt at indiana dot edu
inkouper at indiana dot edu