November 2001 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Opinion leaders/elites and Telecom/Internet policy
by rglentz＠mail.utexas.edu 03 Nov '01

03 Nov '01

Can anyone recommend research(ers) focusing on the impacts/outcomes of think tanks/public policy advocacy groups' media advocacy efforts, i.e., evaluating the impact/outcome (via content analyses, etc.) of op ed pieces/essays placed on specific issues (spectrum auctions, media concentration, etc.)? Many thanks, B. Lentz (UT-Austin)

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Internet/Computer generation
by LLPSN＠aol.com 02 Nov '01

02 Nov '01

I have a student doing a term paper on Growing Up Digital, was are the social/technical foundations of growing up in this age, what are the social, political etc consequences. Please direct replies to Mary..... mciupin13(a)netscape.net Thanks for help, Lauren Langman

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Intersections: Internet research, policy practice, and issue advocacy
by rglentz＠mail.utexas.edu 02 Nov '01

02 Nov '01

Dear colleagues: I'm eager to find a group of AOIRers who might be interested in pursuing scholarly work that explores the possible intersections between/among Internet research, policy practice, and issue advocacy. Please feel free to email me privately, off list. Thanks, RG Lentz, UT-Austin (rglentz(a)mail.utexas.edu)

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Re: [Air-l] Re: Survey Methodology on the WWW
by Scott_Crawford＠marketstrategies.com 02 Nov '01

02 Nov '01

That would be an interesting collection of stories... it is something that I hear all the time. Especially given that the perception is out there that creating your own web survey is easy to do. I take calls weekly from folks who are in a crisis situation, with servers crashing (or data missing), wondering what single software package they could buy to sweep in and save the day. And in such situations, I usually find out that there are such large data quality issues with their survey, that what they perceive as their worse problem is actually fairly minor. I have equated good quality web survey research with good quality e-commerce site management.... with an added complexity of having a higher level of interactivity and a more complex data structure in the back end. So, when someone asks me if they could do web surveys... I ask back if the would feel comfortable setting up and managing an e-commerce store with multiple products and shipping possibilities. If the answer is no, then I recommend against trying to do a web survey. As for actually doing a collection of stories... I'd be happy to contribute one if such a compilation was pulled together. ********************************** Scott Crawford Research Director - Social Science Research http://www.ms-interactive.com 734/542-7796 734/661-0323 (fax) "John White" <John.White@w To: air-l(a)aoir.org ku.edu> cc: Sent by: Subject: Re: [Air-l] Re: Survey Methodology on the WWW air-l-admin@a oir.org 11/01/01 02:26 PM Please respond to air-l Scott, Many Thanks for the reference!! I hope I speak for many others in asking for a copy of manuscript or slides or whatever you are willing to share! :)) In terms of anecdotes, I'm curious about how/why many of us begain using the internet as a methodology or even to study. In my own case, I was technically savy in the sense I knew what the internet was, something about the technical structure, and particulary the usefulness of coding using web based technology. What I wasn't prepared for was the frustration, in terms of learning new technologies, outages, using resources that belonged (and hence controled) by someone else, deletion of files (once by a student running the server, once by myself), the disappearnace of a server, updating software on a server and the webmaster leaving on vacation the same day, dealing with Human Subjects, etc...etc....etc...in short, the dirty nasty little details that never get written up in our formal reports. Are there any collections of these stories? And if not, is there any interest in begining one? Just a few thoughts... --JW Scott_Crawford(a)marketstrategies.com wrote: > Overall... to answer these questions, one great place to start is: > Couper, Mick P. (2000) "Web Surveys: A Review of Issues and Approaches" > Public Opinion Quarterly. V. 64:464-494. > It includes over 60 references to other papers/presentations that cover the > topic. > > But more specifically... > > >1) What are the differences between paper & pencil methods > >versus web (including but not limited to cost, design, response, etc) > I was just involved in a large scale mode experiment between web and mail. > Results are to be presented at next weeks "Higher Education Center and the > U.S. Department's 15th Annual National Meeting on Alcohol, Other Drug, and > Violence Prevention" Conference in DC (http://www.edc.org/hec/natl/2001/ ). > For anyone interested, I would be happy to share our slides after the > presentation is given. We will also be presenting results from this same > study as an invited paper at the 2002 International Conference on Improving > Surveys (http://www.sfi.dk/) > > >2) What, if any, research exists regarding best practices? > Not a lot yet... considering. There are a lot of "statements of best > practices" and other non scientifically based standards. However, the > arena of web survey methodology has just begun to be explored seriously. > Next year at this time, I would expect to see a considerably more stable > standard practice guide out there. But good quality research in methods > takes time. Anyone asserting that they have "figured out" web research at > this point of the game doesn't understand all of the implications. > > >3) Surprises, anecdotes, and special skills required to become a > >seasoned 'net researcher. > I'd be happy to talk and share my thoughts. From my perspective... it > takes a good amount of research skills... coupled with technology saavy... > coupled with a general understanding of sociology, psychology, > communications. > > ********************************** > Scott Crawford > Research Director - Social Science Research > http://www.ms-interactive.com > 734/542-7796 > 734/661-0323 (fax) > > _______________________________________________ > Air-l mailing list > Air-l(a)aoir.org > http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l _______________________________________________ Air-l mailing list Air-l(a)aoir.org http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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Research on IMCs?
by RG Lentz 02 Nov '01

02 Nov '01

I'm trying to connect with researchers looking at IMCs (Independent Media Centers). Thanks, RG Lentz (UT-Austin)

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Re: Air-l digest, Vol 1 #200 - 12 msgs
by Soraj Hongladarom 02 Nov '01

02 Nov '01

CALL FOR PAPERS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY IN ASIA The Faculty Senate of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, is organizing an international conference on "Information Technology and the University in Asia" from April 3 to 5, 2002, at the campus of the university. The conference will be a place where teachers, researchers, administrators and others who are interested in how best to use ICTs in realizing the missions of the university get together to share ideas, opinions and research findings. Of special interest are papers and presentations that explore the *cultural* aspects of using ICTs in universities, especially Asian cultures. However, though the focus of the conference is on the use of ICTs in Asian universities, participants from all corners of the world are very welcome to share their ideas and expertise. Confirmed Keynote Speakers: 1. Prof. Charas Suwanwela, Former president of Chulalongkorn University. Prof. Charas was instrumental in investing the CUNet, the campus-wide fiber network that led to Chulalongkorn's full fledged entry to the Internet. 2. Prof. Susantha Goonatilake, Fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences and Senior Consultant to the UN. Author of *Toward a Global Science: Mining Civilization Knowledge* and *Merged Evolution: The Long Term Implications of Information Technology and Biotechnology*. Paper proposals are called in three broad areas: 1. Distance Learning 2. ICTs in Classroom Teaching and/or Research 3. ICTs in University Administration Please mail your proposals or abstracts (max. 500 words) to: Soraj Hongladarom Chair of the Academic Committee Faculty Senate Chulalongkorn University Bangkok 10330, THAILAND Tel: +66-2-218-7024; Fax: +66-2-218-7036 Email: hsoraj(a)chula.ac.th Those who are interested in obtaining further information of the conference through e-mail (whether intending to present or not) are requested to send their e-mail addresses to the address above also. For those who intend to present, please send your abstracts in the body of the email. Please do not send it as an attached file. Deadline of submission: January 15, 2002. Notification of acceptance: February 15, 2002. Plans are being made with notable publishing presses to publish selected papers in a bound volume. Participants whose papers are selected will have the opportunity to revise their papers for the volume after the conference. There is a registration fee of 100 US dollars (120 dollars after Jan. 1, 2002), covering the conference material, cocktail dinner reception, lunches and tea/coffee breaks and the conference dinner. Rooms have already been booked at the Vidhayanives House on campus, and the rate is around 14 US dollars a night, which needs to be paid directly to the Housing. There are also numerous hotels and guest houses around campus that participants can avail themselves with. For off campus housing, please contact the hotels directly. Details can be found on the conference website. Further information about the conference, including how to pay for the registration, can be found at: http://pioneer.chula.ac.th/~hsoraj/IT

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Hotmail to charge?
by Derek McMillan 02 Nov '01

02 Nov '01

The free aspects of the internet are being eroded. The free homepages provided by homepage.com have gone altogether. Yahoo Geocities have introduced two tier services, for those who pay and those who don't. This morning I discovered that Hotmail are also introducing a "new improved service" for a small fee and restricting just slightly the fee for the second-class members who do not pay for a service which has always been free before Bill Gates got his hands on it. Is it just a matter of time before those who do not pay will receive no service? Has anyone else noticed similar trends?

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CFP - Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association
by t.kennedy＠utoronto.ca 01 Nov '01

01 Nov '01

CALL FOR PAPERS - 2002 Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association (CSAA) ANNUAL MEETING University of Toronto May 29 - June 1, 2002 http://alcor.concordia.ca/~csaa1/eng/confe.htm EMERGING ISSUES IN METHODOLOGY: CONDUCTING INTERNET RESEARCH Organizer: Tracy L.M. Kennedy This session seeks to explore some of the issues and trends that are emerging from on-line research. Papers in this session may discuss issues of ethics and validity using on-line research or discuss areas such as the implications of conducting on-line research for the methodological field. Also considered will be theoretical approaches to conducting Internet research. VIRTUAL GENDER Organizer: Tracy L. M. Kennedy This session seeks to unravel how gender is inscribed and reproduced in cyberspace. Papers in this session may discuss the intersections between masculinity, femininity and technology in the virtual world, identity construction, the fluidity of gender in cyberspace (gender swapping) or transgendering technology. Also considered for discussion will be analysis of the representation of gender in cyberspace and how these representations are either empowering or problematic. Please send a 250 word abstract with your name, address, phone number, email, university affiliation by December 15th, 2001 to: Tracy L. M. Kennedy tkennedy(a)netwomen.ca or snail mail: Graduate Dept of Sociology University of Toronto 725 Spadina Ave. Toronto, ON M5S 2J4 Tel: 905-327-9926 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Re: Survey Methodology on the WWW
by Scott_Crawford＠marketstrategies.com 01 Nov '01

01 Nov '01

Overall... to answer these questions, one great place to start is: Couper, Mick P. (2000) "Web Surveys: A Review of Issues and Approaches" Public Opinion Quarterly. V. 64:464-494. It includes over 60 references to other papers/presentations that cover the topic. But more specifically... >1) What are the differences between paper & pencil methods >versus web (including but not limited to cost, design, response, etc) I was just involved in a large scale mode experiment between web and mail. Results are to be presented at next weeks "Higher Education Center and the U.S. Department's 15th Annual National Meeting on Alcohol, Other Drug, and Violence Prevention" Conference in DC (http://www.edc.org/hec/natl/2001/) For anyone interested, I would be happy to share our slides after the presentation is given. We will also be presenting results from this same study as an invited paper at the 2002 International Conference on Improving Surveys (http://www.sfi.dk/) >2) What, if any, research exists regarding best practices? Not a lot yet... considering. There are a lot of "statements of best practices" and other non scientifically based standards. However, the arena of web survey methodology has just begun to be explored seriously. Next year at this time, I would expect to see a considerably more stable standard practice guide out there. But good quality research in methods takes time. Anyone asserting that they have "figured out" web research at this point of the game doesn't understand all of the implications. >3) Surprises, anecdotes, and special skills required to become a >seasoned 'net researcher. I'd be happy to talk and share my thoughts. From my perspective... it takes a good amount of research skills... coupled with technology saavy... coupled with a general understanding of sociology, psychology, communications. ********************************** Scott Crawford Research Director - Social Science Research http://www.ms-interactive.com 734/542-7796 734/661-0323 (fax)

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RE: Survey Methodology on the WWW
by Leo Simonetta 01 Nov '01

01 Nov '01

I'd recommend a pair of recent articles in Public Opinion Quarterly Web Survey Design and Administration MICK P. COUPER, MICHAEL W. TRAUGOTT, AND MARK J. LAMIAS Volume 65 / Summer 2001 / Number 2 Review: Web Surveys: A Review of Issues and Approaches MICK P. COUPER Volume 64 / Winter 2000 / Number 4 Also I believe that Don Dillman's latest book addresses some of the best practices kind of things. -- Leo G. Simonetta Art & Science Group, LLC simonetta(a)artsci.com

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