Informatics Goes Global: Methods at a Crossroads
Indiana University, Bloomington
March 3-5, 2006
CALL FOR PAPERS AND FOR CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION
CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
How can studies of IT in use become worldwide, cohesive endeavors? What are the opportunities and challenges in broadening the Informatics research agenda? We invite you to the Indiana University School of Informatics in Bloomington for a two-day conference to address these issues. The program will feature paragon research in globalizing research on information technology while addressing methodological pitfalls.
AREAS OF FOCUS
The conference will address IT globalism in four areas, two in methodology and two on cases. The areas of methodology are (1) historiography and (2) ethnography. Specific methodological issues include but are not limited to the following:
- Critiques of bias (e.g., “Western”) in existing Informatics research;
- Properly contextualizing research in non-Western spaces; or
- Creation of tools that foster international and global research.
The two cases are (1) free/libre and open source software (F/LOSS) and (2) intellectual property rights. Again, possible presentation topics include but are not limited to ethnographic or historical research on:
- Whether F/LOSS tends to make IT similar everywhere, or does it support independent cultural production;
- The extent to which F/LOSS advocacy and development lead to different social development dynamics from those fostered by proprietary approaches; or
- Whether the world is moving toward a single structure regarding intellectual property, and/or if it should.
You can participate in two ways: as a presenter/panelist or as a participant. All participation except for the opening plenary will be by invitation only; see the instructions below for submission procedures.
SCHEDULE AND PROCESS FOR PROSPECTIVE PRESENTERS/PANELISTS
We invite submissions for papers on the four areas listed above. Submissions will be reviewed in two rounds: abstract and full paper rounds. We anticipate that abstracts that are accepted will normally lead to accepted full papers for inclusion in the conference.
December 5, 2005: Abstracts due (about 500 words)
December 15, 2005: Authors notified of conference response to abstract
February 1, 2006: Full papers due (to be made available at the conference)
In addition to the usual abstract content–an overview of the research problem, argument, evidence, and method–please also include a statement of how your work fits into the broader agenda of globalizing informatics research.
We anticipate conference papers will be published, either in a proceedings volume from Indiana University Press in a new series on Informatics or in a special journal issue (e.g., The Information Society). In addition to consideration as a panelist/presenter, abstract submission also ensures priority consideration for conference participation.
SCHEDULE AND PROCESS FOR ALL PROSPECTIVE PARTICIPANTS
Because of space limitations, conference participation will be by invitation only. If you are interested in participating in the conference, please outline your interest in and perspective on making informatics research more global. Such expressions of interest should be about 200 words and should be submitted to David Hakken (dhakken@indiana.edu) by February 1, 2006.
CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE
Friday, March 3, 2006, 5 pm:
Opening Conference Plenary address by a distinguished globalization
scholar and presentation of the position paper on Globalizing
Informatics Research prepared by a subcommittee of the IU School of
Informatics Globalization Committee.
Saturday, March 4, 2006:
9 am Opening case study panel (three presentations of 20-25 min,
followed by discussion), on Intellectual Property Rights
10:30 Coffee
10:45 Workshops on issues in globalizing Informatics research, to be
set up based on the substantive interests of conference participants.
12:15 Lunch (on participants’ own)
2 pm Opening methodological panel (3 presentations) on Ethnographic
Approaches
3:30 tea, sodas
3:45 Workshops on methodological issues.
5:15 adjourn for dinner (on participants’ own)
Sunday, March 5, 2006
9 am Second case study panel On Free/Libre and Open Source Software
10:30 break
10:45 Second methodological panel on Historical Approaches
12:15 Summary panel, on opportunities for globalizing research
1 pm conference adjourns
