[Air-L] ICA Preconference - 10 years on: looking forwards in mobile ICT research

[Charles Ess]

(submitted on behalf of Rich Ling)

10 years on: looking forwards in mobile ICT research
 
ICA Communications and Technology Division
Mobile Communications 10th Anniversary Pre-Conference Workshop
 
16th and 17th June 2013
London School of Economics and Political Science
Media and Communications Department
 
Lead Organisers:
Leslie Haddon (Senior Researcher LSE)   
Jane Vincent (Visiting Fellow University of Surrey Digital World Research)
 
 
We are pleased to invite papers for the Mobile Communications ICA
Pre-Conference Workshop. In celebration of its 10th Anniversary Year we also
announce the introduction of an Award for the Best Paper.  We look forward
to receiving your submissions and to welcoming you in London in June 2013!
 
 
Aims of the Pre-Conference Workshop
This Workshop aims to understand more about the implications of the fast
moving mobile world both on the social practices of the users of mobile ICTs
as well as, and following the main ICA conference theme, on the ability of
researchers to deliver reliable and effective research material.  This 10th
Mobile Communications ICA pre-conference provides a chance to take stock,
reflect on and look forward to developments in research in this field over
the forthcoming years. This will include discussing the general expectations
and aspirations of an invited panel of experts and exploring the future
research implications of contemporary studies to be reported at the
conference.
 
 
Workshop Topics
Mobile communications are by no means new when we think in terms of
walkie-talkies or car telephones but the hand held digital voice and data
mobile communications that now populate our always on connected lives have
only become omnipresent in the last five years. Ten years ago, when the
first ICA Mobile Communications Pre-Conference Workshop was held, Twitter
was unheard of, wifi virtually non-existent and mobile phone subscriptions a
fifth of their present day numbers. Nowadays mobile ICTs are no longer
merely mobile phones nor do they just involve communication between people.
Instead mobile devices like smartphones, tablets or laptops use many
convergent technologies (3G, 4G, Wifi, Television etc).  How can this
experience of, and exponential global growth in, mobile ICTs inform our
ideas about the future?
 
We anticipate many diverse topics which will be linked through the common
thread of looking forwards in mobile communications perhaps also providing
material that may help set a future research agenda.
 
We welcome abstracts that relate to the following broad areas of mobile ICT
research
* Cultural differences
* Gender 
* Children 
* Elderly 
* Mobile media 
* Migration 
* Social Media 
 
This range is in part designed to produce a broad overview, but other more
specific areas will be considered. For example, contemporary studies are
already identifying challenges in achieving consistency, reliability and
quality of results in a fast moving world of Big Data, petabytes and change.
New research has already highlighted the effects of people on the move
around the globe ­ migration within and between nations; as well as
emotions, affect and sentiment with regard to using mobile devices.
 
 
Best Paper Award
An Award for the best paper will be given at this event; only full papers
submitted by the entry date can be included for consideration for this
award.
 
Programme Outline
Commencing 9am Sunday morning 16 June 2013 and concluding at 1pm 17th June,
this one and a half day event will consist of expert panel presentations and
reflections, and strands for the presentation of papers.
 
There is an upper limit of 46 papers, and a limit of 70 delegates.
Poster sessions may be an option if there is high demand.
 
More details of programme and social events will be released as they are
confirmed 
 
Venue and Cost
 
The event is hosted by The London School of Economics and Political Science
Media and Communications Department. 
 
The LSE is the world¹s leading social science institution for teaching and
research, with an academic profile spanning a wide range of disciplines,
from Economics, International Relations, Government and Law, to Sociology,
Geography and the Environment and Accounting and Finance. Teaching and
research are conducted through 18 departments and 26 research centres and
institutes, with students drawn from more than 130 countries worldwide.
 

 Map link http://www2.lse.ac.uk/mapsAndDirections/howToGetToLSE.aspx
<http://www2.lse.ac.uk/mapsAndDirections/howToGetToLSE.aspx>

The cost will be £70 per person inclusive of lunch Sunday and coffee/tea
Sunday and Monday morning.
 
Paper Submission Process
 
Contributions are invited from scholars from multiple disciplines studying
mobile ICTs and at all stages of their career. In keeping with the
pre-conference theme, those submitting abstracts should write something
about the broader implications, issues, trends, future research, etc. that
can be derived from the particular empirical study or the topic they focused
upon. This will also help to seek further publication of any papers.
Although the papers may well cover diverse topics this will ensure they have
a common thread of implications for communications research.
 
 
Abstracts 250 ­ 500 words to be sent to <j.vincent at surrey.ac.uk>
 
Please include a 50 word max biography
 
 
Abstract Deadline 16 November 2012
 
Confirmation of acceptance by 4 January 2012
 
Only Full Papers (max 8000 words) submitted by 31 March 2013  will be
considered for the Best Paper Award. 

==
And good luck!
- charles
Associate Professor in Media Studies
Department of Media and Communication
University of Oslo 
P.O. Box 1093 Blindern
NO-0317 
Oslo Norway
Tel. +47 228 50404
email: charles.ess at media.uio.no

Lifetime member, Association of Internet Researchers

³At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste
sig selv² [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to
lose yourself] - Kierkegaard