[Commlist] Hipertext.net, n. 25 | Call for Papers: Interfaces: networks, ecology and evolution

Hipertext.net | Call for Papers:

Extended Deadline: October 1st, 2022

Interfaces: networks, ecology and evolution

Guest editors:
Carlos A. Scolari
Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona
(carlosalberto.scolari /at/ upf.edu) 
<mailto:(carlosalberto.scolari /at/ upf.edu)> <mailto:(carlosalberto.scolari /at/ upf.edu) 
<mailto:(carlosalberto.scolari /at/ upf.edu)>>

Francisco Albarello
Universidad Austral – Argentina
(falbarello /at/ austral.edu.ar) 
<mailto:(falbarello /at/ austral.edu.ar)> <mailto:(falbarello /at/ austral.edu.ar) 
<mailto:(falbarello /at/ austral.edu.ar)>>

Deadline for submission: October 1st, 2022
Notification of acceptance: October 30th, 2022
Publication: November 2022

Introduction

The concept of ‘interface’ appeared at the end of the 19th century to
designate a surface or membrane that separated two substances, but, at
the same time, served as a filter between them. Throughout the 20th
century, the concept was used in countless situations and theoretical
contexts. Perhaps the most widespread and prolific use has been in the
field of Human-Computer Interaction: since the 1980s the concept of
‘graphical user interface’ (GUI) has been displacing other uses and
meanings. Today, when someone says the word ‘interface’, everyone
immediately thinks of a mouse, a joystick, or an interactive screen.
However, some researchers have explored the concept and used it to
conceptualize or describe situations that go beyond the traditional user
sitting in front of an interactive screen (Lévy, 1990; Johnson, 1999;
Galloway, 2012).

On many occasions, scientific concepts -and their statements- continue
to be used even though their ability to describe and explain the world
has clearly diminished. Ulrich Beck considered that most concepts in
sociology "are misleading to some extent" (2004:145) and proposed the
category of ‘zombie concepts’ to define categories that endure after
their death. Beck acknowledged that "maybe we need some new categories",
but "we would have to make this shift in a very sophisticated way, with
maybe some new concepts that are close to the specific people, networks,
and experiences we are working with" (154). Furthermore, he argued that
“sociologists should start doing their job in the right way: they should
start redefining society beyond its zombie categories” (163). In this
context of semantic and epistemological renewal, the concept of
‘interface’ can become a very useful category to understand the changes
in contemporary society and guide concrete actions to deal with its
problems.

To transform the concept of ‘interface’ into a flexible and useful
analytical tool, the first condition is to leave the ‘graphical user
interface’ behind and take it to another level. The interface understood
as a network of actors, relationships and processes is a first step in
that direction (Scolari, 2021). The expansion of the concept of
‘interface’, and its application to all kinds of social, technological,
economic, or cultural processes, must be accompanied by theoretical and
methodological work that only empirical praxis can generate. Although in
recent years this perspective has been applied to museums (Scolari,
2020), video games (Scolari, Pires, and Masanet, 2022) or new actors in
media ecology (Scolari and Establés, 2020; Tomasena and Scolari, 2022),
there are many roads to travel and interfaces to explore.

The editors are pleased to invite researchers from all over the world to
submit their proposals. Both theoretical contributions and practical
applications of the 'extended' model of the interface will be positively
valued. The following topics are presented as a guideline, but they are
not exclusive:

• Theory of interfaces: beyond Human-Computer Interaction.
• Relations of the interface theory with other theoretical frameworks
(relational sociology, actor-network theory, social construction of
technology, etc.).
• Relationships of the concept of ‘interface’ with other adjacent
concepts (‘medium’, ‘platform’, ‘field’, etc.).
• Interface metaphors. New metaphors to think about interfaces beyond
the interface as an instrument, as a network, etc. Possibilities and
limitations of each metaphor.
• Analysis focused on the interface: application and evaluation of
qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Difficulties and
methodological possibilities of an interface-centered analysis.
• Practical applications of the interface theory in different fields
(educational, cultural, urban, political, gastronomic, sports, etc.):
from the identification of tensions and critical points to the redesign
of interfaces.
• Challenges presented by the graphic representation of networks of
actors, relationships, and processes.
• Ecology and evolution of interfaces. Concepts, theories, and analyses.
• Interfaces and innovation processes: the analysis of interfaces as a
preliminary phase of Design Thinking processes.


Bibliography:

Ash, J. (2015). The Interface Envelope. Gaming, Technology, Power.
Bloomsbury.
Beck, U. (2004). The cosmopolitan turn. In: N. Gane (ed.) The Future of
Social Theory. Continuum.
Galloway, A. (2012). The Interface Effect. Polity Press.
Johnson, S. (1999). Interface Culture: How New Technology Transforms the
Way We Create and Communicate. Basic Books.
Lévy, P. (1990). Les Technologies de l’intelligence. L’avenir de la
pensée à l’ère informatique. La Découverte.
Scolari, C.A. (2021). Las leyes de la interfaz. Gedisa (1º edición: 2018).
Scolari, C.A. (2020). El museo como interfaz. De la crisis al rediseño.
In: AAVV. El museo sin cuerpo. K6 Gestión Cultural.
Scolari, C. A. & Establés, M. J. (2020). Ecología mediática en tiempos
de pandemia: virus, comunicación e interfaces. En: Cartografía de la
comunicación post digital: medios y audiencias en la Sociedad de la
COVID-19/Post digital communication cartography: media & audiences in
COVID-19 Society (pp.57-72). Cizur Menor: Civitas Thomson Reuters.
Scolari, C. A., Pires, F. & Masanet, M.-J. (2022). Gamers never play
alone: An interface-centred analysis of online video gaming. First
Monday, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v27i1.11623 
<https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v27i1.11623>
<https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v27i1.11623 
<https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v27i1.11623>>
Tomasena, J.M. & Scolari, C.A. (2022). Books, Videos & Platforms:
Exploring the BookTube interface. Paper accepted to the 72nd Annual ICA
Conference, Paris, 26-30 May 2022.


Information and contact:

Carlos A. Scolari
Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona
(carlosalberto.scolari /at/ upf.edu) 
<mailto:(carlosalberto.scolari /at/ upf.edu)> <mailto:(carlosalberto.scolari /at/ upf.edu) 
<mailto:(carlosalberto.scolari /at/ upf.edu)>>
Francisco Albarello
Universidad Austral – Argentina
(falbarello /at/ austral.edu.ar) 
<mailto:(falbarello /at/ austral.edu.ar)> <mailto:(falbarello /at/ austral.edu.ar) 
<mailto:(falbarello /at/ austral.edu.ar)>>

Deadline for submission: October 1st, 2022
Notification of acceptance: October 30th, 2022
Publication: November 2022
Author guidelines: http://raco.cat/index.php/Hipertext/about/submissions 
<http://raco.cat/index.php/Hipertext/about/submissions>
<http://raco.cat/index.php/Hipertext/about/submissions 
<http://raco.cat/index.php/Hipertext/about/submissions>>

Section Policies:
• Papers. Original texts of between 4,000 and 8,000 words, excluding the
bibliography. Recommended structure: introduction, theoretical
framework, methodology, results, discussion, and references.
• Analysis and case studies. Texts of between 4,000 and 8,000 words,
excluding the bibliography. With free structure.
• Letters. Texts of between 1,000 and 3,000 words. Recommended
structure: introduction, report, discussion, references.

Publication Fees:
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freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. The
authors do not need to pay an article-processing charge (APC)

Languages:
Originals written in Spanish, English and Catalan are accepted

Revision:
Peer Review

Contact: Editorial team, (hipertext /at/ upf.edu) 
<mailto:(hipertext /at/ upf.edu)> <mailto:(hipertext /at/ upf.edu) 
<mailto:(hipertext /at/ upf.edu)>>

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Hipertext.net prioritizes states of the art and the results of research
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More about call for papers:
https://raco.cat/index.php/Hipertext/announcement/view/160 
<https://raco.cat/index.php/Hipertext/announcement/view/160>

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