[Air-L] IAMCR Communication Policy & Technology Leicester 2016 - CfP deadline in 2 weeks

[Jo Pierson]

COMMUNICATION POLICY AND TECHNOLOGY (CP&T) section - Call for Papers

International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR)
Academic Conference, July 27-31, 2016, Leicester (UK)
http://iamcr.org/news/cfp2016

The Communication Policy and Technology (CP&T) Section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) invites submissions for the IAMCR 2016 conference to be held from July 27-31, 2015 in Leicester (UK). The deadline for submissions of abstracts for papers and panel proposals is February 15, 2016.

The conference will be held under the general theme: 'Memory, Commemoration and Communication: Looking Forward, Looking Back'. The latter seeks to explore the relationship between memory, commemoration and communication. This theme anticipates the 60th anniversary of the IAMCR in 2017, an organisation which has played a strong role in the development of media and communication studies. Although scholars have long been interested in memory and culture, advancements in technologies are providing new and innovative opportunities to think about how it is created, preserved, passed on, and archived.

Starting from the remit of the Communication Policy and Technology section, we focus on the role and meaning of media and communication technologies, both analogue and digital, in past, current and future societies, as well as their policy implications. For the IAMCR conference in Leicester we especially invite papers that analyse and discuss the interrelationship between society, analogue and digital media and the shifting borders between public, private and corporate space in past, current and future societies. We refer to media, communication technologies and online platforms, ranging from print-cultures, telecommunication, social media to sharing economy applications in different domains of society (health, hospitality, transport, education, surveillance, etc.). We are interested in the politics of these media platforms and communication technologies and how they relate to the transformation of public, private and corporate space. With public space in a state of flux, the relations between (state) institutions, citizens, and corporations are being fundamentally reconfigured. There is a strong push to limit and reduce the role of state institutions in the organization of public space, whereas citizens and corporations claim and are also expected to fulfil key public functions. Although this push should be understood as part of the long-term development of the neoliberal mode of governance, the rapid rise of digital media platforms appears to both accelerate and further complicate this development. A key aspect of these developments is the collection, storage, processing, (re)use and commodification of (personal) data, based on the ‘datafication’ in all areas of life. We need to critically assess from interdisciplinary perspective what this means for the (dis)empowerment of users/citizens/consumers as (not) being in control (any more) regarding identity, security, privacy and publicness.

The CP&T section therefore invites submissions that critically engage with these issues. In addition we welcome papers and panel proposals addressing the following more particular themes that fit in the general call for papers and are relevant to the section:
- Technologies of/for memory: the social, political, economic and policy implications of digital media for archives, museums, broadcasters and public and private heritage institutions as well as individuals, families and organisations. Especially in relation to access, ephemerality and obsolescence, creative and cultural industry policy, data citizenship
- Technologies of digital media storage for researchers: the social, political, economic and policy implications of digital media for data archives, data repositories and especially access to publicly funded research data
- Digital media and contested spaces of commemoration: mobile networked media and digital platforms provide new tools for recording, sharing and contesting formal rituals of commemoration - from state occasions to family and group memorials. How are they used to reshape boundaries between public and private and to contest official 'he-stories'?
- Internet governance and the implications of the safe harbour ruling in relation to transnational data exchange between Europe and the United States: Post Schrems ruling and implications for privacy
- Social media governance and online harassment, trolling and cyberbullying particularly as it relates to gender, race, class etc.
- Emerging implications of ubiquitous and embedded computing and networking especially in relation to smart cities, the internet of things
- Issues around institutional or activists’ memories, linking past and present in social and political struggles to affect policy or discursive change
- Issues around archiving and securing social movement content at risk of disappearing through corporate or state repression
- Issues around too much memory, the right to be forgotten rather than remembered
- Issues around big data and memory, linked to the point above
- Policy issues around media and communication technology pluralism, diversity and concentration
- Policies and debates around public service broadcasting and the public interest
- Policies and research into digital literacy and the digital divide.

In addition we also strongly invite abstract proposals for a panel on Internet governance co-sponsored by the Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet). Topics may include but are not limited to technical and legal questions of Internet governance, governance mechanisms and their implementation and the analysis of key Internet governance concepts such as net neutrality, multi-stakeholderism and cyber-security. The CP&T Section will also look for additional opportunities for hosting joint sessions with other IAMCR Sections and Working groups.

Submission information

The CP&T section welcomes proposals for papers bearing on the above or related issues by submitting an abstract. Abstracts should contain title, main question or research problem, theoretical framework, method(s) used, and – if applicable – (expected) empirical outcomes. Submitted abstracts will be evaluated by a double blind review on the basis of: (1) theoretical contribution, (2) methods, (3) quality of writing, (4) literature review, (5) relevance of the submission to the work of the CP&T section, and (6) originality and/or significance of the work.

The scholarly presentation of accepted submissions can take place in two types of sessions: paper presentation sessions (i.e. 4-5 presenters each with 12-15 minutes, requiring full paper submitted on time) and high intensity sessions (i.e. 6-8 presenters each with 5-7 minutes).

Proposals for panels of 90 minutes are also welcome. A complete CP&T panel proposal must have 4 to 5 papers and include:
1. The panel description text, including, the panel title, a framing text, the names of the panelists and the titles of their papers. The framing text (maximum 350 words) should contain the overall idea and goal of the panel, and how it responds to the CP&T section call. A panel chair and a discussant should also be proposed.
2. An abstract for each paper, including title and author(s).
The panel description text and the individual abstracts must be submitted individually. Thus a panel with 5 papers involves making 6 separate submissions via the Open Conference System (OCS). Abstracts can be submitted directly by the panel authors or the panel coordinator can submit them on the authors’ behalf. All abstract submissions in a panel must indicate “PANEL:” as the first word of their title and the complete title of the panel must appear in the first line of each abstract. The panel proposal will be reviewed and based on this review we will accept, accept with revisions, or decline the panel.

Submission of abstracts, panel proposals and (if accepted) full papers must be submitted through the online Open Conference System (OCS) at http://iamcr-ocs.org from 1 December 2015 until 15 February 2016. Early submission is strongly encouraged. There are to be no email submissions of abstracts addressed to any Section or Working Group Head.

It is expected that for the most part, only one (1) abstract will be submitted per person for consideration by the Conference. However, under no circumstances should there be more than two (2) abstracts bearing the name of the same applicant either individually or as part of any group of authors. Please note also that the same abstract or another version with minor variations in title or content must not be submitted to other Sections or Working Groups of the Association for consideration, after an initial submission. Such submissions will be deemed to be in breach of the conference guidelines and will be automatically rejected by the Open Conference System, by the relevant Head or by the Conference Programme Reviewer. Such applicants risk being removed entirely from the conference programme.

Upon submission of an abstract, you will be asked to confirm that your submission is original and that it has not been previously published in the form presented. You will also be given an opportunity to declare if your submission is currently before another conference for consideration. Presenters are expected to bring fully developed work to the conference. Prior to the conference, it is expected that a completed paper will be submitted to Section, Session Chairs, and Discussants.

If a proposal is accepted, the presenter must also register for conference participation in order to be included in the final conference programme of the Section. A CP&T best paper award prize may be awarded to one of the paper presenters, based on the full papers submitted in time.

Please note following deadlines and key dates for the 2016 IAMCR Conference:
1 December 2015: Open Computer System (OCS) available for abstract submission at http://iamcr-ocs.org
15 February 2016: OCS closes - final deadline for submission of extended abstracts and panels (submissions will be assessed by double blind review)
8 April 2016: Notification of acceptances of abstracts
28 April 2016: Confirmation of participation by presenters
20 May 2016: Deadline for early bird registration
30 June 2016: Deadline for full paper submission via OCS (around 7,500 words, excluding notes and references). There is no second round of reviewing for acceptance.
27-31 July 2016: IAMCR Leicester 2016 conference (UK)

Additional questions about the CP&T sessions (submission, themes, panels etc.) at the IAMCR 2016 conference can be addressed to Aphra Kerr (aphra.kerr [AT] nuim.ie). For further information, please consult the IAMCR website (http://iamcr.org/leicester2016/cfp). For general information on the CP&T section (http://iamcr.org/s-wg/section/cp-t).

Section Chair:  Jo Pierson / Vice-Chairs: Aphra Kerr and Bart Cammaerts