CALL FOR PAPERS

Special Issue of International Journal of Human-Computer Studies

Title: Locative Media and Communities

Guest Editors: Katharine S. Willis (University of Siegen)

Keith Cheverst (University of Lancaster)

TOPIC

The development of locative media applications is not simply about the physical location or social setting in which the interaction occurs, but rather about situating the media within the social setting of a community. This Special Issue will explore the potential for locative media applications to support community cohesion and the integration of such media within existing community structures and practices. The workshop will address the dual challenge of capturing the temporary and spatially changeful nature of behaviours with locative media, as well as responding to the intricate web of strong and weak social ties that make up local social networks, in order to find ways to support community practices. In terms of methodology it will focus on the potential of ethnographic approaches for investigating and evaluating the integration of media in these social settings.

This special issue aims to present a set of high-quality and original research outcomes. We hope to receive submissions that offer insights into appropriate methodologies for identifying requirements, evaluating behaviour and integrating locative media in real-world communities. We invite contributions that respond to some of the following questions:

• How can mobile media be located within existing communities and social settings?

• How can we find better ways of enabling and supporting locative media in

community practices?

• How can mobile media foster communities and facilitate daily living, such as for

communities in rural areas or the elderly?

• How can ethnographic methods inform and evaluate the place and integration of

media in community settings?

SUBMISSIONS

This special issue follows from a workshop held a MobileHCI09: Community Practices and Locative

Media (http://www.uni-siegen.de/locatingmedia/workshop.html?lang=de).

We now invite members of the research community to submit original articles relevant to the topic.

Although articles must be based on original research, extended versions of conference papers may be

acceptable if they contain at least 50% new material. Papers will be subject to the full IJHCS review

process.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Manuscripts should generally not exceed 7000 words. Papers should be prepared according to the IJHCS

Guide for authors, and should be submitted online. The IJHCS Guide for authors and online submission

are available at http://ees.elsevier.com/ijhcs/.

For information on the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies see:

http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ijhcs.

TIMELINE

28th February 2010: Paper submission deadline

Early May 2010: Notify authors of paper acceptance

Target Publication date: Autumn 2010

CONTACT

Katharine S. Willis

Locating Media Graduate Research School

University of Siegen, Germany

Email: willis[at]locatingmedia.uni-siegen.de

Keith Cheverst

Computing Department,

Lancaster University, UK

Email: kc[at]comp.lancs.ac.uk

Applying to Graduate School at the University of Texas
(current as of November 2009)

Students interested in digital media studies might want to consider applying to doctoral programs at the University of Texas in one of three different departments: Radio-TV-Film, Journalism, and Advertising. Each department has slightly different requirements and different courses, although once accepted into any department, it is relatively easy for a student to take courses in any department on campus. If you are interested in “online journalism,” you should probably apply to Journalism; if you are interested in theories of interactivity, the RTF Department would be more logical. If “interactive advertising” is your core interest, the Advertising Department should be your goal. Consider your own interests and then decide which department might be the best for your goals. Since you will discuss your aims in your statement of purpose (see below), it is important that the department be a good “fit” with them.

Students can attend UT in one of the degree programs (if accepted), or as a Visiting Researcher or as a Non Degree-seeking Student. The latter two categories involve less bureaucracy.

1. If you want to apply to the Ph.D. program, take a look at the website of the Department in which you are most interested. We are available to help you with some elements of your applications, particularly the Statement of Purpose. Some details are provided below. The funding you receive in your doctoral program in Portugal would be used for your tuition and living expenses at the University of Texas. We envision that you would spend two years in residence at Austin, and complete your course requirements during that time. The remainder of the program requirements can be completed elsewhere if you wish.

2. If you want to come for a semester and audit classes and perhaps undertake an internship, please write to Dr. Sharon Strover at sstrover@mail.utexas.edu or Dr. Derek Lackaff at Lackaff@mail.utexas.edu, and provide some background about your interests, your resume, and the dates you wish to visit the University. We strongly encourage that you come for a complete semester and arrive at the very beginning of the semester. We will work with you on visa and health insurance provisions. You pay no tuition to audit classes, but you also do not receive formal credit for the courses. Once you are here, you will receive a University ID that allows you to access the library, computer and recreational facilities, and to use the bus system for free. You can attend classes after discussing your interests with the relevant professor and ascertaining that there is room in the class.

3. If you want to come for a semester as a non-degree student, you would pay tuition for the classes and also receive credit for them. You do not have to apply to the formal degree program under this option, and it would be expected that you stay for the full semester. You would receive formal credit for your classes as a non-degree student and those credits could transfer back to your program in Portugal.

More on Doctoral Program Applications
GRE

Although graduate applications can vary, most applications will require GRE and TOEFL test scores and a statement of purpose in addition to letters of recommendation, completed application forms, and letters of recommendation.

The GRE costs approximately $170 U.S., and includes three sections: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. The GRE takes approximately 4 hours. If English is not your first language, programs will also require TOEFL scores. The TOEFL is administered by Educational Testing Services and costs approximately $155 U.S.

Both the GRE and the TOEFL are offered at the same testing center in Lisbon, and both the GRE and the TOEFL are administered by Educational Testing Service (http://www.ets.org). The ETS testing code for the University of Texas is 6882. The testing center in Lisbon is Center 8074 at Instituto Formacão Prisma MD Avenida Das Forcas Armadas 125 Edificio Open, Postal Code 1600-079. For more information or to register to take the test, call 31 320 239 540, or e-mail euregs@thomson.com.

Statements of Purpose

Programs will also require a statement of purpose. The statement of purpose weighs heavily in graduate applications for many programs. Generally, the statement of purpose is a brief essay that explains what you want to study in graduate school and why, summarizes your experience in your field, and details what you want to do with your degree once you complete your studies. The Princeton Review has a helpful website addressing the writing of a statement of purpose: http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/apply/articles/application/purpose.asp. This is a very important component of your application and you should pay a great deal of attention to it. It is more important than GRE scores in some departments.

General Information about Graduate Study at UT

General information about graduate studies at the University of Texas is available at http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/. There is also information pertaining to international students available at http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/orientation/inter_office.html. Information about graduate applications for international students is located here: http://www.utexas.edu/student/admissions/gradintl/intlgradhowto.html

In applying to graduate school at the University of Texas, bear in mind that the application deadlines are inflexible, and refer to U.S. central time. Be sure to keep the deadlines both for the Graduate School and for the specific program to which you are applying – you must complete your entire application by the applicable deadlines. Additionally, know that most programs accept student only for the fall semester, which means that there is only one application cycle per year.

Below is information specific to graduate studies in the Departments of Advertising, Journalism, and Radio-Television-Film. These programs have the most direct application for students interested in digital media.

RTF

The Department of Radio-Television-Film offers a PhD in Media Studies. All applicants to graduate programs in the Department of Radio-Television-Film must submit original transcripts for all colleges and universities attended, a statement of purpose, and an academic writing sample. Specific descriptions of these materials are available here: http://rtf.utexas.edu/graduate/admissions/materials.html. Answers to frequently asked questions about applying to graduate school in the Department of Radio-Television-Film are available at http://rtf.utexas.edu/graduate/admissions/grad_admission_faqs.html. The deadline for the PhD in media studies programs is December 11, 2009 for the class that begins in the fall of 2010. The Ph.D. program is the degree program that should be of most interest to students involved in the Digital Media areas within the UT-Portugal Partnership. The December 11 date is a postmark deadline, meaning all materials must be postmarked (sent and stamped) by that date. This deadline is for this year only. To find the deadline for subsequent years, go to http://rtf.utexas.edu/graduate/admissions/.

Journalism

The Department of Journalism offers a PhD in Journalism Research and Theory for those interested in pursuing academic interests related to journalism. The department’s PhD program requires an MA in journalism or a closely related field. Specific application instructions and materials for programs in the Department of Journalism are available at http://journalism.utexas.edu/graduate/applying/PROD75_008650.html. The deadline for graduate applications for the Department of Journalism for fall 2010 is December 15, 2009. To find the deadline for subsequent years, go to http://www.utexas.edu/student/admissions/gradus/usgradprogs.html.

Advertising

The Department of Advertising at the University of Texas offers a PhD in advertising. The Ph.D. in Advertising offered by UT is the only program of its kind in the world. Guidelines for applying to the graduate programs offered by the Department of Advertising are available a http://advertising.utexas.edu/programs/gradadmissions.
The deadline for application for starting in the Fall 2010 semester is December 15, 2009.

What: Roundtable discussion titled “Hacking the Ivory Tower: The Intersections of New Media, Academic Scholarship, and Pedagogy”

Why: In the past 5 years, FlowTV.org, Radio-TV-Film’s online journal of new media and television, has published 800 columns from more than 300 scholars around the world. To celebrate we are hosting an interdepartmental roundtable discussion with scholars from across UT, immediately followed by DRINKS at the Dog & Duck Pub.

When: Friday, October 30 @ 4:00

Where: Chicano Culture Room of the Texas Union
Immediately followed by BEER at Dog & Duck Pub (406 W. 17th Street)

Who: Roundtable Participants include
Michael French, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Pterodáctilo; Spanish/Portuguese Dept.
Randy Lewis, American Studies
Sean McCarthy, Rhetoric & Writing
Neil Nehring, English
Tanya Rabourn, School of Information
Sharon Strover, Radio-Television-Film

The audience is strongly encouraged to participate in this discussion

This event is made possible by generous donations from the Department of Radio-Television-Film.

The festival offered four workshops for advanced students and professionals in the digital media field. Topics included computer vision using the Processing scripting environment, mobile interface design, mobile documentary narratives, and audio documentation of Porto. Each of these workshops engaged participants by having the contribute to a larger group project or apply skills taught in the short courses.

The exhibition brought sixteen pieces from around the world including places as far as Australia and as nearby as Porto. Pieces ranged in a variety of formats from musical performance to interactive software art, but the show was dominated by installations of various types. The jury chose four pieces for particular merit and prizes. They were:

• Honorable Mention: Master and Margarita by Video Jack (André Carrilho and Nuno Correia)
• Honorable Mention: Wonderland by Hye Yeon Nam
• Second Prize: Oporto-Brooklyn Bridge by Naomi Kaly and Alyssa Casey
• First Prize: Outhouse by Brian Cohen and TRAX

The FuturePlaces site has more extensive detail and images of each of the prize winners. The festival was by all accounts a rousing success and thanks to Heitor Avelos, Karen Gustafson, U.Porto, and everyone else who made FuturePlaces such as success!

"Stallion" is a computer cluster sporting a 706 megapixel display in the Visualization Lab.

On Friday, October 2, a second CFP meeting for potential UT collaborators was hosted by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) Visualization Lab. Several Portuguese proposals were presented, and TACC personnel were on hand to demonstrate visualization resources and answer questions about the available computing resources. Sharon Strover, Director of the Digital Media program at CoLab answered questions about funding and logistics of the call.

As I receive further proposals, I will be working to connect Portuguese researchers with potential collaborators here at UTexas.

For more information, please visit the full paper call at:
http://online.journalism.utexas.edu/callforpapers.php

The UT Austin|Portugal Program has opened a call for the funding of
research projects in the general area of Advanced Digital Media. The
call is directed to integrated teams of researchers, which must
include a member from the University of Texas at Austin. Research
grants of up to 50,000€ (for exploratory projects) and 250,000€ (for
strategic projects) will be competitively awarded for Portugal-based
projects. Funding for UT faculty members will be provided through
CoLab, and is primarily designed to fund faculty participation and
graduate student assistance alongside some ancillary (e.g., travel)
costs.

Strategic research areas include The Future of Television, The Future
of News, and Interactive Environments / Serious Games. Exploratory
research areas include Digital imaging techniques and applications;
Data visualization; Strategic uses of digital media in social and/or
cultural contexts; Contextual and content-driven use of digital
interfaces; Behavioral analysis based on sensor networks and
location-based data; Human-computer partnerships and their outcomes
for creating new knowledge; Molecular electronics and digital media;
Multi-sensorial displays; Interfaces using new display technologies;
Real time video simulations; Regeneration/repurposing of old media for
new purposes; Balance between trust and privacy.

If your work touches on any of these areas, please stop by to learn
more about this grant opportunity and meet fellow digital media
researchers. Refreshments will be provided.

The full Call for Proposals is available here:
http://utaustinportugal.org/Events.aspx?event=252

For more information, please contact Derek Lackaff at lackaff@mail.utexas.edu.

Please contact him for assistance in developing your research programs and in identifying potential collaborators, and for consulting on projects addressing social media, network analysis, and quantitative methods. He will be instrumental in working with various Portuguese research teams on responses to the next call for proposals.

You can get in touch with him to discuss you interests at Lackaff (at) mail.utexas.edu.