[ecrea] Possible ICA Panel on Virtual Worlds

> We are looking for two  researchers interested 
> in participating in a panel we are proposing for 
> the upcoming International Communication 
> Association conference to be held in Singapore 
> June 22-26, 2010. The conference has stressed 
> the need to examine the political, cultural and 
> technological challenges facing communication in 
> the modern age, and has even highlighted the 
> growing presence of virtual worlds as locations 
> and means for communication. Research into 
> virtual worlds has received increasing attention 
> in the conference, the organization, and 
> universities around the world. At Metaverse U in 
> 2009, there was much buzz about 
> interoperability, increased and diversified 
> worlds, simplified tools for user-generated 
> worlds, and the 3D internet. Decades worth of 
> research on virtual worlds, digital games, 
> virtual reality and avatars has generated 
> hundreds of articles with a variety of methods 
> and methodologies on display. At this past 
> Transforming Audiences 2 conference in London, 
> there was much discussion on new media reception 
> studies sometimes â??reinventing the wheelâ??, 
> not being reflectively cognizant of theories and 
> studies that have gone on before in reception 
> studies, or even in other fields of inquiry. Is 
> the field of research into virtual worlds on a 
> similar trajectory? We know a lot about virtual 
> worlds, but how aware of we about what we and 
> others are doing to know virtual worlds? How 
> much are we learning from others? Given the 
> complexity of virtual worlds, is there is single 
> methodological approach to study them, or should 
> a multiple, mixed approach be undertaken? And if 
> so, how? In connection with an upcoming special 
> issue for the journal Convergence on methods and 
> methodologies in virtual worlds research, we are 
> proposing to do a panel at ICA 2010 that 
> addresses these issues. Additionally, we want a 
> panel comprised of a variety of methodological 
> viewpoints that do not present in isolation; in 
> other words, we do not want researchers to just 
> present on what they have done. Instead, we are 
> proposing a panel that is a structured 
> discussion of people with different 
> methodological approaches to discuss, in a 
> series of rounds, what they do when they study 
> virtual worlds. First, each panelist will talk 
> about what they did in their study(s) â?? what 
> method/methodology they chose and why, and what 
> they learned from what they did, with more focus 
> on method/methodology than knowledge about the 
> phenomenon. Second, each panelist would reflect 
> on what the other panelists have said, 
> indicating what they learned from each other, 
> where they saw overlaps and/or divergences. 
> Third, we would open it up to the audience to 
> comment on what they learned, to offer 
> suggestions the panelists have not offered, 
> and/or to ask questions about method/methodology 
> (saying that questions about results can be 
> handled outside of the panel). We believe 
> suggesting such a panel would be seen favorably 
> by ICA given a) the topic of challenges to 
> understanding how to understand virtual worlds 
> and b) the unique nature of the panel that is 
> more than just a series of presentations. We are 
> asking if you would like to participate because 
> we find valuable both your approach(es) to 
> studying virtual worlds, and your demonstrated 
> ability and desire to reflect upon these 
> approaches. If you would like to participate, 
> please send a title and brief abstract (no more 
> than 150 words) on what method(s) and/or 
> methodology(s) for what study(s) you would be 
> addressing in the discussion.  That is, how you 
> place yourself in the field of research on 
> virtual worlds in terms of what your approach 
> is, and one or two studies that illustrate this 
> approach you would like to discuss. Please have 
> this sent to me by NOVEMBER 3rd as we need to 
> gather the panel proposal together to send out 
> November 6th.  We apologize for the shortness of 
> this time period; we had not anticipated how 
> many people were not planning on attending this 
> conference.  You will be notified by November 
> 5th if we are using your submission.  PLEASE 
> NOTE we are looking for people who are able to 
> be in Singapore for the conference.  If you have 
> any questions, then please send them along to 
> CarrieLynn Reinhard, (carrie /at/ ruc.dk) CarrieLynn D. 
> Reinhard, PhD Virtual Worlds Research http://worlds.ruc.dk/

----------------
ECREA-Mailing list
----------------
This mailing list is a free service from ECREA.
---
To unsubscribe, please visit http://www.ecrea.eu/mailinglist
---
ECREA - European Communication Research and Education Association
Postal address:
ECREA
Université Libre de Bruxelles
c/o Dept. of Information and Communication Sciences
CP123, avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, b-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Email: (info /at/ ecrea.eu)
URL: http://www.ecrea.eu
----------------