CFP: 13th ICA Mobile Pre-Conference: The All-Powerful Mobile

CALL FOR WORKSHOPS

13th ICA Mobile Pre-Conference:

The All-Powerful Mobile

June 8, 2016, Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan

Deadline for Workshop Proposals: December 15, 2015.

Two decades of research on the social implications of mobile-mediated communication have passed, during which the repertoire of mobile devices and mobile contents, functions and usage contexts have tremendously expanded. As we stand at the threshold of the third decade of mobile media research, we can look back at how powerful the influence of mobile media has been in several aspects of people’s everyday life, and use these insights to speculate about what the future of mobile media and mobile research may bring.

The 13th annual ICA Mobile pre-conference aims to reflect upon the influence of mobile technologies on everyday practices through the theme “The All-Powerful Mobile.” The pre-conference will be organized into Blue Sky Workshops. These workshops will provide a forum where graduate students, new faculty, and more experienced scholars can discuss their research, thus creating an opportunity to cultivate a supportive and integrated community of thinkers. The preconference will also feature an opening keynote speaker and other engaging informal, more social, activities.

We invite workshop proposals covering a broad range of topics related to the social implications of mobile media. Topics may include mobile media and civic engagement, mobile activism and social movements, mobile social media, mobile learning and education, mobile media research methods, mobile media and youth, mobile media in international contexts, mobile health, mobile cultures and art, mobile media and place, mobile journalism, mobile media usability and UX issues, mobile language, sociology/anthropology/psychology of mobile communication and mobile media histories.

Workshop proposals are welcome from scholars at all stages of their careers and across multiple disciplines related to mobile communication. We particularly encourage mobile scholars from the Asian region to submit a proposal. Each workshop will be allotted a timeslot of approximately 2 hours. Workshops should focus on the dissemination and discussion of new ideas, theory and empirical results, but can also be more practically or industry oriented. A workshop is typically organized around a consortium of 4-5 proposers who present and discuss their work, but should be open to the active partcipation of other preconference attendees. Preconference attendees can attend multiple workshops.

Submissions should include a workshop summary of 500-800 words (excluding title and references). This summary should describe:

(1) the topic and its relation to the preconference theme,

(2) the goal of the workshop

(3) the scheduled activity, detailing how participants and the audience may be involved, and

(4) the proposers and their contribution to the workshop.

Proposals can be submitted via email to icamobile16@gmail.com. The workshop summaries will be published online and in the printed program. Submissions will be reviewed by a review committee of mobile scholars, and selected based on criteria of relevance, originality, theoretical/practical contribution, clarity of presentation, as well as fit with the conference theme. Review will be non-blind due to the workshop nature. Notifications of acceptance will be emailed to contributors by January 2016.

Mobile scholars who wish to submit a workshop proposal but are still looking for additional participants to form a consortium, are advised to use the twitter hashtag #icamobile16 or to add a post on the ICA Mobile Facebook page.

MobileMe&You

MobileMe&You: A Mobile-First Conference

October 28-30

COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN

For more information contact Gary Kebbel at garykebbel@UNL.EDU 

or call 703.582.6758

Mobile media are here.
The future is how you use them. 

Learn the best mobile media practices for informing, discussing and solving. Come to Mobile Me & You at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Oct. 28-30.

WHAT: A conference discussing the power of mobile media to improve our daily lives

WHO: Anyone - professionals, faculty or students - who wants to reach the audience of the future

WHY: Discover how mobile media apply to your discipline, your issues, your audience

CFP: Media Ecology Association Affiliate

ECA 2016 Convention: Call for Papers, Media Ecology Association Affiliate

June 23-26, 2016
Bologna, Italy

ECA's Media Ecology Association Affiliate invites submissions for the 107th Annual ECA Convention. We invite competitive papers, thematic panels, roundtables, etc., relevant to the field of media ecology. Of particular interest would be papers and sessions related to the theme of the MEA's annual meeting, to be held in Bologna, Italy, on June 23-26, 2016, hosted by the University of Bologna ("Interfaces of Play and Game: Engaging Media Ecosystems"). For more information on media ecology and the MEA, see <http://www.media-ecology.org/>.

We are also interested in submissions based on the ECA convention theme, which is [R]evolution.  Media ecology scholarship has long been interested in the various revolutions associated with the introduction of new communication technologies, from the first writing systems, the alphabet, and the printing press, to the communications revolution of the 19th century, and and the social and cultural revolutions related to the electronic media, television, computers, the internet, web, social media, and mobile technology. At the same time, we recognize the process of media evolution, and the continuity that exists from orality to literacy to electricity and digitality. We welcome submissions from students, junior and senior scholars alike, and we encourage co-sponsored submissions that promote interdisciplinary collaboration.

All submissions, which should fall into one of the two categories listed below, must be received by 11:59 PDT October 15, 2015 in order to be considered.

I. Competitive Papers

A. Competitive papers should not have been presented previously at another conference, (with the exception of a student-only conference), be accepted for publication, or have been published.

B. Individual submissions of complete competitive papers should include two separate attachments:

1. Title page, which includes the title of the paper, the names of all authors, and each author’s address, phone number, email address, and affiliation. Please use an asterisk to note which author will be the presenter.

• Please label all debut papers with the phrase “DEBUT PAPER” in the upper right-hand corner of the title page. To qualify as a debut paper, the author or co-authors must not have presented a paper at a state, regional, national or international convention. All authors of a co-authored paper must meet these eligibility requirements for a paper to be considered a Debut Paper.
• Where appropriate, label “STUDENT” in the upper right-hand corner of the title page. All authors must be students to be considered a student paper.
• Audio-visual requests should be listed on the detachable title page. Please note that equipment availability is limited.
• The following statement MUST be included with every submission in order for it to be eligible for review:
  
  In submitting the attached paper or proposal, I/We recognize that this submission is considered a professional responsibility. I/We agree to present this panel or paper if it is accepted and programmed. I/We further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA’s annual meeting must register and pay required fees.

1. A manuscript that includes: (a) a 250-500 word abstract of the paper (with title appearing on this page) and (b) a maximum of 25-pages of text, excluding references and tables. No information in the paper that identifies the author(s) (beyond that which appears on the title page). Please remove any identifiers, such as the author’s name, from the paper and electronic file from the header or on the file label. Please follow APA format guidelines.

II. Panel and Roundtable Proposals
A. Panel, roundtable, and innovative presentation proposals should focus on some unifying theme or concept relevant to research, theory, or instruction related to the field of media ecology.

1. Programs may consist of a chair, individual presenters, and a respondent; however, roundtable discussions, performance venues, or other unique formats are encouraged.
2. We request that any person serving as chair and/or respondent not be a participant in the panel or roundtable.
3. Innovative program proposals, especially those that provide opportunities for engaged interaction among participants and attendees, are encouraged.
4. Programs co-sponsored with other interest groups are also welcome. Programs that relate to the convention theme, “[R]evolution,” are encouraged.
5. The panel organizer is expected to take responsibility for communication with the Interest Chair, alert her to any changes or problems and to ensure that panelists register for the conference and deliver their papers.

B. Panel proposals should include the following:

1. Thematic title of the panel/roundtable.
2. One-page rationale for the panel/roundtable and explanation of how the papers are thematically linked.
3. Names of the chair and respondents (if any). Chairs should not also be designated as respondents.
4. Names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and institutional affiliations of all participants.
5. Title and brief (1-2 paragraph/s) description of each presentation.
6. A program copy (no more than a 75-word description) as it should appear in the final program.
7. Equipment needed for the program. Please note that equipment availability is limited.
8. The following statement MUST be included with every submission in order for it to be eligible for review:
   
   In submitting the attached paper or proposal, I/We recognize that this submission is considered a professional responsibility. I/We agree to present this panel or paper if it is accepted and programmed. I/We further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA’s annual meeting must register and pay required fees.

Please send your submissions and/or inquiries to the MEA affiliate planner, Lance Strate, at strate@fordham.edu. All submissions should be submitted as either a .doc/.docx, .odt, or .pdf file. Remember, the deadline for submissions is 11:59 PDT October 15, 2015.

Please note that acceptance of a paper or panel proposal obligates authors to attend the conference and present the paper.

CFP: Ubiquitous Media Systems

Call for Papers: Ubiquitous Media Systems 

Special issue of the Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research

Guest Editors: Eusebio Scornavacca, Stefano Za, Kevin Carillo

The Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research is planning a special issue on Ubiquitous Media Systems.

As of 2014, the total number of all types of mobile-connected devices has exceeded the world’s population and is forecasted to reach 1.5 devices per human being in 2019 [1]. The pace of the emergence and mainstream adoption of new forms of ubiquitous computing devices such as smartphones, tablets and ‘phablets’ has not ceased gaining momentum - demarking an evolutionary step in the ubiquitous computing trend [2]. The extinction of mobile phones and the proliferation of fluid multi-device platforms such as iOS, Android and Windows 8 have blurred the traditional boundaries between stationary and mobile information systems [3], [4].

This dissolution of the traditional segmentation of computing contexts represents a remarkable shift in the fundamental temporospatial nature of IT artifacts [5], [6]. Indeed, individuals are gradually ceasing to perceive their mobile and non-mobile devices as independent ecosystems, but rather as an evolving collection of interconnected devices that are progressively playing a major role in their daily lives [7], [8]. This significant technological evolution has given birth to a new and complex form of connected IT artifact, Ubiquitous Media Systems (UMS),  that encapsulates various functions and provides fluid information access across a variety of channels; allowing users to accomplish a multitude of tasks and interact fluidly in a ubiquitous ecosystem [4].

As information access becomes fully ubiquitous and the utilitarian, as well as hedonic functionalities of those devices increase, the emergence of fluid and evolving techno-ecosystems poses important challenges and opportunities for ecommerce theory and practice. By gradually blurring physical, social and temporal boundaries ubiquitous media systems allow to deliver new as well as existing online products and services through a multitude of interconnected channels, but also engender radically novel and unthought-of opportunities for e-commerce [9]–[11].

Ubiquitous access to the Internet of things also represents new marketing opportunities for businesses as well as the challenge to deeply understand users’ behavior in this fluid digital ecosystem [12]. Apprehending ubiquitous media systems user behavior is a difficult challenge as the rules that govern its functioning keep being redefined each time a new form of connected device appears on the market [13], [14].

Unfortunately, the understanding of the specificities that surround ubiquitous media systems in the electronic and mobile commerce contexts is also limited in information systems research [15], [16]. There is a general tendency to focus on individual or subsets of devices, functionalities, or sub-phenomena, which leads to a fragmented and distorted understanding of the ubiquitous media systems reality [17], [18]. This new, complex, interconnected and amalgamated form of IT artifact requires a more holistic and encompassing research approach that is capable of capturing the specificities and pervasiveness of ubiquitous media systems.

Subject Coverage

The objective of this Special Issue is to present the current state of research and practical experiences on ubiquitous media systems from the perspective of electronic commerce research. Particularly we welcome interdisciplinary research that is able to connect theory and practice; aiming to break the traditional conceptual research boundaries dividing stationary and mobile systems. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  

Usability of ubiquitous media systems

System fluidity – seamless access across multiple devices

The impact of ubiquitous environments on productivity

Legal, social ethical issues regarding ubiquitous media systems

Multi-channel ecommerce applications and strategy

Trust, loyalty, and privacy issues in ubiquitous media systems

Security in ubiquitous media systems

Ubiquitous media systems and new business models

Challenges and specificities for payment systems

Big data and ubiquitous media systems

Notes for Intending Authors

We are seeking original, innovative, and scientifically rigorous papers presenting practical experiences, methodological challenges, or impacts of ubiquitous media systems. Especially empirical research, case studies or theory based qualitative and quantitative studies, are welcome.

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Author guidelines can be found at http://www.jtaer.com/author_guidelines.doc . All submissions will be refereed by at least three reviewers. Submissions should be directed by email to jtaer.ums@utalca.cl.

For more information, please visit the following web site: http://www.jtaer.com.

Important dates

Full paper submission: 15 December 2015

Notification of acceptance: 15 February 2016

Revised submission: 15 March 2016

Final acceptance notification: 15 April 2016

Camera ready version of paper: 15 May 2016

Publication: May – September 2016

Guest Editors

Eusebio Scornavacca

Merrick School of Business

University of Baltimore

1420 N. Charles St.

Baltimore, MD 21201 – USA

Phone: +1 (410) 837 6624

escornavacca@ubalt.edu

Stefano Za,

eCampus University

Via Isimbardi, 10

22060 Novedrate (CO) – ITALY

Phone: +39 06 85225 553

stefano.za@uniecampus.it

Kevin Carillo

Toulouse Business School

20 Boulevard Lascrosses,

31068 Toulouse – FRANCE

Phone: +33 5 61 29 47 74

k.carillo@tbs-education.fr

References

[1] Cisco, “Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update 2014–2019,” 2015.

[2] K. Lyytinen, Y. Yoo, U. Varshney, M. Ackerman, G. Davis, M. Avital, D. Robey, S. Sawyer, and C. Sorensen, “Surfing the next wave: design and implementation challenges of ubiquitous computing,” Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst., vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 697–716, 2004.

[3] S. Vodanovich, D. Sundaram, and M. Myers, “Research Commentary —Digital Natives and Ubiquitous Information Systems,” Inf. Syst. Res., vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 711–723, Dec. 2010.

[4] K. Carillo, E. Scornavacca, and S. Za, “An investigation of the role of dependency in predicting continuance intention to use ubiquitous media systems: combining a media sytem perspective with expectation-confirmation theorie,” in Twenty Second European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS2014), 2014, pp. 1–17.

[5] M. H. Jackson, “Fluidity, Promiscuity, and Mash-Ups: New Concepts for the Study of Mobility and Communication,” Commun. Monogr., vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 408–413, Sep. 2007.

[6] E. Scornavacca, “Incorporating System Portablity into Technology Acceptance Models,” in International Conference on Mobile Business, 2014.

[7] C. Sørensen and D. Gibson, “Ubiquitous visions and opaque realities: professionals talking about mobile technologies,” info, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 188–196, 2004.

[8] R. Scheepers and C. Middleton, “Personal ICT Ensembles and Ubiquitous Information Systems Environments: Key Issues and Research Implications,” Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst., vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 381–392, 2013.

[9] K. Lyytinen and Y. Yoo, “Research Commentary: The Next Ware of Nomadic Computing,” Inf. Syst. Res., vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 377–388, 2002.

[10] O. Henfridsson and R. Lindgren, “Multi-contextuality in ubiquitous computing: Investigating the car case through action research,” Inf. Organ., vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 95–124, 2005.

[11] R. Lindgren, M. Andersson, and O. Henfridsson, “Multi-contextuality in boundary-spanning practices,” Inf. Syst. J., vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 641–661, Nov. 2008.

[12] a. Ghose and S. P. Han, “An Empirical Analysis of User Content Generation and Usage Behavior on the Mobile Internet,” Manage. Sci., vol. 57, no. 9, pp. 1671–1691, 2011.

[13] IDC, “A Future Fueled by Phablets – Worldwide Phablet Shipments to Surpass Portable PCs in 2014 and Tablets by 2015, According to IDC,” Framingham, Massachusetts, 2014.

[14] A. Oulasvirta, T. Rattenbury, L. Ma, and E. Raita, “Habits make smartphone use more pervasive,” Pers. Ubiquitous Comput., vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 105–114, 2012.

[15] A. Ghose, S. P. Han, and K. Xu, “Mobile commerce in the new tablet economy,” in Thirty Fourth International conference on Information Systems (ICIS2013), 2013.

[16] A. Ghose, A. Goldfarb, and S. P. Han, “How is the Mobile Internet Different?,” Inf. Syst. Res., vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 613–631, 2012.

[17] Y. Bang, D.-J. Lee, K. Han, M. Hwang, and J.-H. Ahn, “Channel Capabilities, Product Characteristics, and the Impacts of Mobile Channel Introduction,” J. Manag. Inf. Syst., vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 101–126, 2013.

[18] Y. Bang, D. Lee, and K. Han, “Access Affordance of Mobile Technology in e-Commerce: Change of Purchase Time Dispersion,” in Thirty Fifth International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS2014), 2014, pp. 1–15.

CFP: WHAT IS MEDIA?

WHAT IS MEDIA?
Experience • Exploration • Emergence

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • PORTLAND, OREGON, USA • APRIL 14-16, 2016

What is media today? How is media studies defined? How have media technologies transformed media theory and practice? What are the futures of media and how are they evolving?

With media including a wider and wider range of concepts, products, services, and institutions, the definition of media continues to be in a state of flux. Important questions abound and we will address a sweeping range of issues at the What is Media? event next April in Portland.

The conference will feature a unique coalescing of media scholars, government and community officials, industry professionals, alumni, and students, as well as artists, filmmakers, grassroots community organizations, and the public. The event will feature keynote speakers, roundtables, paper presentations, and special events, in an attempt to answer questions about the ever-evolving nature of media.

Presentations/papers/installations may include the following topics (as well as others):

• What is a medium? What distinguishes a medium from the media? How are they changing? What are the new emerging media? What are immersive media?
• What is media studies? What is the relationship between media, communication, and film studies?
• How does media studies relate to other areas of inquiry and other disciplines?
• What are current approaches to the study of media effects, media audiences, and media psychology?
• What can media professionals learn from media studies and vice versa?
• What is media industry studies? and its relationship to political economy and media economics?
• What is citizen/civic media? and the roles/responsibilities of the media in contemporary democracy?
• What are media ecologies? In what ways do they address the environmental crisis?
• How is media similar/different in various cultures? and the significance of media in a global context?
• What new economic, cultural, political, and social factors are affecting media?
• How does media studies highlight gender, race, and/or indigenous concerns?
• What is the philosophy of media? media ethics? media aesthetics?
• How does science and technology studies deal with media?
• What is mediation and/or mediatization?
• What are the relationships between media technologies and media content?
• What are the positive/negative consequences of media technologies for the public interest?
• What are the current trends in media education and media literacy?
• How have media technologies been embraced by spiritual/contemplative organizations?
• Where do media, the arts and sciences converge (e.g. intermedia, biomedia, etc.)?
• What laws, regulations, and/or policies are appropriate for the media today?
• What are the emerging discourses of media, surveillance and cybersecurity?
• What is media archaeology? What can media history teach us about the future of media?

Conference Organizers:
Janet Wasko (University of Oregon) and Jeremy Swartz (University of Oregon)

Send 100-150 word abstracts of papers or presentations by November 2, 2015 to:
Janet Wasko • jwasko@uoregon.edu
School of Journalism and Communication
University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403-1275, USA

CFP: Convergence

Convergence: Special Issue vol. 23, no. 3 (August 2017)

Users Across Media
http://www.crmcs.sunderland.ac.uk/journals/convergence/cfp-aug-2017/

Guest Editors: Stine Lomborg and Mette Mortensen (University of Copenhagen)

The concept of crossmedia has primarily been associated with the production of media content for multiple platforms. At the same time,media users also cross media – they combine, juggle, and move almost seamlessly between various media platforms and services: to pursue information and entertainment, to communicate about and undertake tasks, and respond to demands in their everyday lives. Mobile media such as smartphones and tablets with ubiquitous internet access epitomize this development and converge various media on a single multi-purpose platform. A key observation in the current, digital media landscape is that media use – from television to telephones – is increasingly personalised, fragmented and connective. Blurring the boundaries not only between users and producers, but also between amateurs and professionals, laymen and experts, this development has prompted new forms of participation (collaboration, co-creation etc), and, consequently, new terms such as produsers, citizen journalists, prosumers etc. Crossmedia use transforms interpersonal communication, journalism, political communication, cultural consumption, celebrity culture, and many other central areas and aspects of society. But how might new types of users – and forms of crossmedia use – be defined? How do users combine and reinterpret the relationship between so-called 'old' and 'new' media? And to what extent are traditional distributions of power challenged and changed by the ability of users to circulate content on and across multiple platforms?

Understanding how individual media users cross media, and how they organise and make meaning in networks of media, is pivotal to furthering academic scholarship on crossmedia and the contemporary media user.

This speial issue of Convergence aims to develop the conceptualisation and analysis of contemporary crossmedia use and users in order to study the implications for users themselves as well as for media companies and society at large.

We encourage theoretical as well as empirically grounded contributions on crossmedia use and users addressing subjects such as:

• Conceptualisations of crossmedia in a personal media environment
• Changing relations between consumption and production (e.g. produsage, prosumption)
• Personalised and connective media use and its consequences
• The consequences of audience fragmentation for the measurement of media use and targeting
• New actor roles and forms of participation
• Power structures and flows in crossmedia communication
• Institutional and private crossmedia flows
• Audience studies adapted to cross media usage and users

Submission details:

Prospective authors should submit an abstract of no more than 500 words by email to Stine Lomberg and Mette Mortensen.  A selection of authors will be invited to submit a full paper. Please note that acceptance of abstract does not guarantee publication, given that all papers will be put through the journal's peer review process. All enquiries should be directed to the editors of this special issue.

Deadline for abstracts:  15 September 2015
Notification to authors:  15 October 2015
Deadline for submission of full papers:  1 May 2016
Final revised papers due:  1 November 2016
Print publication:  August 2017

CFP: International Digital Divide Conference 21-22 October 2015, Scottsdale (Phoenix), Arizona, USA

PARTNERSHIP FOR PROGRESS ON THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

2015 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Creating Connections, Building Bridges: Advancing the Digital Divide Research, Policy, and Practice Agenda

21-22 October 2015

Arizona State University SkySong

Scottsdale (Phoenix), Arizona USA

http://www.ppdd.org/conferences/ppdd2015/

In 1995, based on U.S. Census data collected in 1994, the newly created U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) prepared and released the landmark report “Falling Through the Net: A Survey of the ‘Have Nots’ in Rural and Urban America”. As a result, the inequalities of online access began to be discussed as the “Digital Divide” was recognized as a key challenge in countries around the world.

Twenty-one years after that identification of the digital divide through social scientific research, the gaps persist and in many cases grow. According to the latest available data from the International Telecommunication Union, in all but 21 out of 228 countries around the world, and even in the vast majority of developed countries, at least 20% of the population does not benefit from even minimal access to the Internet at home. Even within the top 50 countries in Internet access, 18 countries, ranging from Bahrain to New Zealand to the United States, have 20-30% of their households offline and in 11 countries, including Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Russia, 30-38% of their populations have no Internet access at home. And, that trend continues with even some developed and wealthy countries with Very High Human Development according to the United Nations having around half their households without Internet access (e.g., Greece with 44%, Saudi Arabia with 46%, and Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, with 51% offline).

While the digital divide has always impacted groups across a wide range of ages, now, given the number of years the digital divide has already persisted and its likely continuation into the future, these experiences of inequality will affect individuals across their entire life course. More than two decades of research, policy, and practice have taught us that the digital divide is about gaps in access and connectivity; the skills and digital literacy needed to interpret, understand, and navigate information presented online; effective use by individuals and communities; the impact of socio-economic factors on user behavior; the role of motivation, attitudes, and interests; differences in patterns of usage; the ways in which people use the Internet to create content; and the resulting socio-economic and cultural effects. But, more than that, when fully assessed and understood, it is evident that the digital divide has now taken its place alongside other long-standing, persistent issues of social equity and social justice.

The interdisciplinary Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide (PPDD) 2015 International Conference brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to strategize actions and catalyze solutions to this pressing societal concern. PPDD 2015 provides an extended, in-depth opportunity to consider the current state and future possibilities for research, policy, and practice that informs issues related to the digital divide around the world. Further, the Conference works to identify new areas of necessary, productive research focus to foster greater understanding and enlighten policy and practice going forward so that all global citizens can participate fully in the digital, networked age. As a major outcome of PPDD 2015, we plan to produce an edited volume of the top papers as well as special issues of journals on specific themes within the digital divide area.

Hosted by the Arizona State University (ASU) School of Public Affairs, PPDD 2015 will be held at ASU’s high-tech SkySong in the Scottsdale area of Phoenix, Arizona, USA with complimentary transport to/from discounted hotel room blocks in pleasurable Old Town Scottsdale, a 5-10 minute drive from SkySong.

Involving scholars, policymakers and practitioners at all stages of their careers, sessions at PPDD 2015 will include reports of research from any discipline and any theoretical and methodological approach that contributes to exploring the issues surrounding the digital divide as well as discussions of policy and practice work, experiences, ideas, challenges, and opportunities. In addition, there will be plenaries, including an opening plenary luncheon on 21 October, and a keynote luncheon on 22 October.

The final session of PPDD 2015 is a highly interactive, lively brainstorming and collaborative thinking dialogue among all presenters and other attendees to create partnerships and inspire new ideas for digital divide research, policy, and practice. All participants in PPDD 2015 will have the opportunity to provide in advance position papers for this session that will be made available prior to the Conference and permanently archived via an e-book on the PPDD website.

If you would like to present and discuss your work during PPDD 2015 and have it included in the online PPDD 2015 Conference Proceedings and/or if you would like to provide a Position Paper for inclusion in the PPDD 2015 E-Book, please see the Call for Participation (http://www.ppdd.org/conferences/ppdd2015/cfp/) for instructions on how to submit your work for consideration.

If you would like to just attend PPDD 2015 to explore the issues and grow your knowledge and network of connections, please know that you are very welcome and valued in the PPDD Conference Community.

Please join PPDD and an unprecedented broad multi-disciplinary coalition of co-sponsoring organizations from academic and practitioner communities to share your insights and expertise. Together, we will enrich the dialogue, connect research, policy and practice, and advance the agenda on the digital divide.

Please contact conference [at] ppdd [dot] org with any questions.

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CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

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If you would like to 1) present and discuss your work during PPDD 2015 and have it included in the online PPDD 2015 Conference Proceedings and/or if you would like to 2) provide a Position Paper for inclusion in the PPDD 2015 E-Book, we look forward with enthusiasm to your contribution and ask that you please follow the instructions provided at http://www.ppdd.org/conferences/ppdd2015/cfp/ to submit your work.

1) Deadline to Submit Your Work for Consideration for Presentation: 20 August 2015 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Time

Notification of Acceptance: 27 August 2015

If you have visa or other time-sensitive concerns, please submit your work as quickly as possible as directed below and email conference [at] ppdd [dot] org to request an expedited review so you can receive notification shortly after submission.

Submissions that follow the instructions provided at http://www.ppdd.org/conferences/ppdd2015/cfp/ are welcome from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners at all stages of their careers, from any theoretical and methodological approach, and across multiple disciplines engaged in work that informs issues related to the digital divide, including but not limited to:

• gaps in access and connectivity
• digital inclusion
• digital exclusion
• digital (dis)engagement
• challenges and opportunities
• social and cultural aspects of the divide
• the skills and digital/information literacy needed to interpret, understand, and navigate information presented online
• effective use by individuals and communities
• the impact of socioeconomic factors on user behavior
• the role of motivation, attitudes, and interests
• differences in patterns of usage
• characteristics and conceptualizations of non-users
• the ways in which people use the Internet to create content
• different forms of capital and power relationships
• the impact of new and evolving technologies
• the mobile divide
• the interplay of influence with mobile technologies
• socioeconomic and cultural effects
• social equity, social and economic justice, and democracy
• the ethics of digital inequality
• community informatics
• social informatics
• social planning
• international development
• indigenous populations
• education
• ICTs and well-being
• health
• disability and accessibility
• politics, digital government, digital citizenship, smart cities/citizens/government, civic engagement, adoption issues, and (in)equality
• global citizenship
• policy and its impacts, including information/telecommunications policy, net neutrality, and open access
• public access initiatives
• practitioner-oriented topics considering aspects of design, management, implementation, assessment, and collaboration
• the application of research to communities, practice, and public and private sector initiatives

2) Deadline to Submit a Position Paper for the PPDD 2015 Conference E-Book: 7 September 2015 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Time

All PPDD 2015 attendees may submit a position paper and all submissions that follow the guidelines provided at www.ppdd.org/conferences/ppdd2015/cfp/ will be included in the PPDD 2015 Conference E-Book.

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HOTELS, VENUE, AND POST-CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES

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On the PPDD 2015 Hotels, Venue, and Post-Conference Activities page (http://www.ppdd.org/conferences/ppdd2015/hotelsvenue/), you will find full details about our hotels, SkySong, and the Scottsdale area as well as post-conference information if you are also attending AoIR IR16 and/or would like to take advantage of exciting opportunities to see digital divide work in action in the Gila River American Indian Community and experience the natural wonders of the American Southwest on a study tour to Sedona and the Grand Canyon, both of which require registration by 31 August.

We have secured extremely low room rates at two quality hotels with great amenities. You are strongly encouraged to make your reservations at these hotels through the links provided below because other area hotels have much higher rates with fewer amenities and only guests staying at these two hotels within the PPDD 2015 room block will be provided with complimentary daily roundtrip transportation to/from SkySong (i.e., if you do not reserve your room through the links below, you will be responsible for your own daily transportation to/from SkySong).

Hilton Garden Inn Scottsdale Old Town

Single or Double: $119USD/night (plus tax) including complimentary continental breakfast, Internet access, parking, and more

Please make your reservation at http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/groups/personalized/S/SCTGIGI-PPDD-20151017/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG

Reservation Deadline: This special discounted room rate will be available until 21 September or when the group block is sold-out, whichever comes first.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Scottsdale Old Town

Single or Double: $109USD/night (plus tax)

Triple: $119USD/night (plus tax)

Quad: $129USD/night (plus tax)

All rates include complimentary hot breakfast buffet, Manager’s Reception Tuesday-Saturday with beer, wine, soda and light snacks, Internet access, parking, and more.

Please make your reservation at http://www.hiexpress.com/redirect?path=hd&brandCode=ex&localeCode=en&regionCode=1&hotelCode=PHXSR&_PMID=99801505&GPC=PPD

Reservation Deadline: These special discounted room rates will be available until 14 September or when the group block is sold-out, whichever comes first.

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REGISTRATION

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The PPDD 2015 Conference registration fee is $99USD and includes full access to the Conference as well as lunch on 21 and 22 October plus the Conference reception and banquet dinner after the Conference programming on 21 October.

Please note that all presenters must register by 10 September to ensure their place in the PPDD 2015 Conference Program.

Please note the deadline to register for the post-Conference Gila River Telecommunications Field Trip or Gila River Telecommunications and Natural Wonders of the American Southwest Study Tour to Sedona and the Grand Canyon is 31 August.

Please register at http://ppdd2015.brownpapertickets.com/

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YOUR PPDD 2015 CONFERENCE LEADERSHIP TEAM

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Conference Organizers

Susan B. Kretchmer, Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide

Rod Carveth, Morgan State University and Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide

Conference Host

Arizona State University School of Public Affairs

Karen Mossberger, Director

Europe Sessions Organizer

Grant Blank, Oxford University and Oxford Internet Institute

Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa Sessions Organizer

Gerard Goggin, University of Sydney

Canada Sessions Organizer

Richard Smith, Simon Fraser University and Centre for Digital Media

United States Sessions Organizer

Susan B. Kretchmer, Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide

Latin America and the Caribbean Sessions Organizer

Laura Robinson, Santa Clara University

Policymaker and Practitioner Liaison

Angela Siefer, National Digital Inclusion Alliance

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CO-SPONSORS

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American Anthropological Association Committee on the Anthropology of Science, Technology, and Computing

American Political Science Association Information Technology and Politics Section

American Public Health Association Health Informatics Information Technology Section

Communication and Information Technologies Section of the American Sociological Association

Community Informatics Research Network

International Association for Media and Communication Research

International Association for Media and Communication Research Communication Policy and Technology Section

International Association for Media and Communication Research Digital Divide Working Group

International Communication Association

International Communication Association Communication and Technology Division

International Communication Association Communication Law and Policy Division

International Communication Association Mass Communication Division

iSchools

National Communication Association

National Digital Inclusion Alliance

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PUBLISHING PARTNERS

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Information Technologies and International Development

Journal of Community Informatics

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics

Additional journals may be forthcoming

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SPONSORS

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The PPDD 2015 International Conference would not be possible without the generosity of our Sponsors whose dedication to enriching the dialogue and connecting research, policy, and practice leads the way in advancing the agenda on the digital divide. Please join us in thanking them.

**Premier Sponsor and Conference Banquet Host**

Arizona State University School of Public Affairs <http://spa.asu.edu/>

**Premier Sponsor and Opening Plenary Luncheon Host**

USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism <http://annenberg.usc.edu/>

**Platinum Sponsor**

Arizona State University School for the Future of Innovation in Society <https://sfis.asu.edu/

Institute of Cultural Capital <http://iccliverpool.ac.uk/>

**Gold Sponsor**

Arizona State University American Indian Policy Institute