[ecrea] CfP Digital Transformers Symposium, Manchester Metropolitan University

***DEADLINE REMINDER: 28TH FEBRUARY 2013***

CALL FOR PAPERS

SYMPOSIUM FOR EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS AND POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS: 
Digital Transformers Symposium, Manchester Metropolitan University, 
Manchester, England, Thursday 23rd May 2013

The AHRC funded Digital Transformers Symposium 
(http://www.digitaltransformersnetwork.com 
<http://www.digitaltransformersnetwork.com/>) is a one day event aimed 
at postgraduate students and early career researchers in the Humanities 
on the methodological and conceptual approaches and techniques required 
for the study of digital data and digitally mediated environments. The 
event will combine presentations and workshops, giving participants 
hands on experience of new techniques for working with digital data and 
space for discussion about the methodological, conceptual and 
disciplinary challenges these emerging techniques and practices are 
generating.

Ways of understanding and analysing digital data and digitally mediated 
environments are varied and complex. The skills required are 
increasingly specialised and do not necessarily conform to any 
particular theoretical or epistemological perspective. At the same time, 
an expanding set of broadly applicable concepts, techniques and methods 
are emerging that can be used across, and tailored to, the needs of 
multiple disciplines in the Humanities. Examples include data 
visualisation techniques, text and data mining, and network analysis, 
and theories and concepts around the socio-cultural, socio-political and 
cognitive processes that affect the use and interpretation of digital 
data and digitally mediated environments.

Key symposium themes to be explored therefore include:

* Concepts and theories that inform the study of digital data and 
digitally mediated environments.
* The wider socio-political, philosophical and cultural concepts/issues 
surrounding these.
* Methodological approaches to the study of digital data and digitally 
mediated environments.
* Particular techniques and tools that can be used to study, analyse, 
and represent digital data and digitally mediated environments.

The symposium organisers invite papers from research students and early 
career researchers in the Humanities that explore these, and related, 
themes.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Abstracts (maximum 300 words) for 15 minute research and position papers 
related to the symposium themes are requested by the deadline of 28 
February 2013 to (digitaltransformersnetwork /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(digitaltransformersnetwork /at/ gmail.com)>

Proposals for panels of 3-4 speakers are also welcome. A proposal should 
have three to four papers and should consist of a panel title and short 
framing text, and abstracts for all the papers with paper titles and 
authors. Proposals are requested by the deadline of 28 February 2013 to 
(digitaltransformersnetwork /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(digitaltransformersnetwork /at/ gmail.com)>

Notification of acceptance: 31 March 2013

A small amount of funding is available on a competitive basis to cover 
travel and subsistence costs for participants unable to source funding 
from elsewhere. Applications for funding will open in March 2013.

ORGANISERS AND FUNDERS

The Digital Transformers Symposium is funded by a Collaborative Skills 
Development training grant awarded by the AHRC. It is being co-organised 
by postgraduate students and early career researchers from Manchester 
Metropolitan University's Department of Information and Communications 
and the University of Sheffield's Information School.

--
Kathleen Menzies
/PhD Student/
Department of Information and Communications
Manchester Metropolitan University
Geoffrey Manton Building
Rosamond Street West
Manchester
M15 6LL