May 2009 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

NEJM-Beta: The Eclectic/Semantic Journal Is All GrownUp !
by McKiernan, Gerard [LIB] 08 May '09

08 May '09

Colleagues/ The Eclectic/Semantic Journal Is Not Only Alive And Well ; It's All GrownUp [:-)] /Gerry On the [New England Journal Of Medicine] beta site, we pursue new ideas in publishing and showcase innovative ways to present information for use in medical education, research, and clinical practice. New Projects List / Current Beta Projects For You To Test Facebook Applications / Stay in touch with NEJM on Facebook PowerPoint / Drag and Drop Images to Create a PowerPoint Slideshow Search NEJM Online for medical images, then drag and drop to create a PowerPoint slide set you can save to your desktop. Amazon.com-enabled Book Reviews / Try NEJM Book Reviews that let you click right over to Amazon.com New Article Interface / A way of viewing journal articles in tabs. Gadgets Stay informed about recent and popular articles at NEJM Online by adding NEJM Gadgets to your iGoogle homepage. <><><> Beta Graduates List Tested And Approved Projects Now Live On NEJM.org NEJM Audio Summary with Slides Test this option for listening to NEJM's Weekly Audio Summary accompanied by slides A Closer Look At Online Images Test an option for viewing figures in context Listen to Clinical Practice articles Listen to the complete text of selected Clinical Practice articles, FREE for a limited time on the beta Web site NEJM Full-Screen Video Player Try viewing our popular NEJM Videos in Clinical Medicine in a new full-screen player Audio Interview Feed with Article PDF The NEJM Audio Interview podcast feed now features downloadable PDFs of each article New Search Interface And Engine Experience a search that reflects community opinion Most Popular at NEJM.org Lists of what users are downloading and e-mailing, what the press is covering, what blogs are talking about, and what researchers are citing New PowerPoint-compatible Slide Sets Review Articles, Clinical Practice, and Case Records of the MGH Image Of The Week RSS Feed Get the latest e-only Images in Clinical Medicine via RSS handheld.nejm.org View NEJM on your handheld FAQs Appropriate Links TO All Components And Graphics Available At [ http://tinyurl.com/r5oxeq ] Happy Friday ! /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 gerrymck(a)iastate.edu There is Nothing More Powerful Than An Idea Whose Time Has Come / Victor Hugo [ http://www.blogger.com/profile/09093368136660604490 ] Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind Blows [ http://alternativeenergyblogs.blogspot.com/ ]

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Re: [Air-L] Advice on online surveys
by Liezel Longboan 08 May '09

08 May '09

Hi everyone, Thank you very much for all the helpful suggestions! I have started checking/using some of the sites/tools you have mentioned and they're all very interesting. I'm now all fired up on my research:-) Many thanks, Liezel Liezel Longboan PhD Research Student School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies Bute Building, Cardiff University King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff CF10 3NB

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Religion in Virtual Worlds Study Group
by k. zenovka 08 May '09

08 May '09

Time: May 22, 2009 from 8am to 9:30am Location: Second Life Organized By: Beth Davies-Stofka Event Description: Religion in Virtual Worlds Study Group The Religion in Virtual Worlds Study Group meets on the 3rd Friday of the month at 8:00 AM Second Life time. The May meeting will take place on May 22nd (in order to avoid overlap with end-of-semester duties). The agenda is as follows: Buddhist Death in Second Life Dr. Beth Davies-Stofka presents the educational goals and strategies behind the Second Life Bardo Game. Designed by members of the Center for EduPunx, the Second Life Bardo Game creates the "in between" state of the dead person as described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, challenging the player to find her way to enlightenment. There are a few design issues that we need help resolving, and we'll present those to the group. Discussion: would you like to use this game in your classroom? What questions or considerations concern you? How can we help? Religion in Virtual Worlds Study Group meetings normally last an hour and a half, but feel free to come late and leave early! All are welcome. All meetings are held on the Front Range Island. Front Range Island is private, so please RSVP in advance with your avatar name to beth.davies(a)frontrange.edu. Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you on May 22nd! Beth Davies-Stofka, Ph.D. SL: Michigan Paule Arts and Letters Online Front Range Community College Next meeting: June 19. Agenda will be set at the May meeting. Posting for a friend. Long time lurker - first time poster Kae Novak Front Range Community College

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using wikipedia articles in academic paper (Kate Milberry)
by Kate Milberry 08 May '09

08 May '09

I frequently use Wikipedia as a starting point and foundation for scantily researched (at least in the social sciences) technical subjects. When nobody was writing on wikis, social software, copyleft, crowd sourcing or free software, Wikipedia had the most comprehensive definitions. Unlike an online dictionary reference, Wikipedia also contains history, controversies, (often academic) citations and links out to key people and websites. Researching the development and use of internet technology for social justice activism, I typically find that Wikipedia has the most useful, if not the only, information I'm looking for. While my research area has gained more attention from academe recently, this was not always the case. Further, with “official” academic work, there is often a lag between time of writing and publication. When writing about “now” technology, this material is typically out of date, and perhaps useless to the discussion or question at hand. There is a conflation in this discussion between researchers well versed in a subject using Wikipedia out of necessity (rather than laziness or poor research skills) and undergraduate students doing a Google search and clicking the top link – usually Wikipedia. In my classes, I discourage the use of Wikipedia, in order to foster “proper” research techniques. Students need to learn academic protocol in research, established and long used for excellent reasons, before they consciously veer from this. I wonder how the “grown up” readers of our work can find more information on a topic when we, the folks who presumably dedicate our working lives to it, cannot do so easily. There is also a question of accessibility to knowledge that I think is important and has been glossed. Perhaps highly technical information could be found by scouring the computer science journals, although I have not found this process highly fruitful. In any case, the default to jargony, near-impenetrable information written by “authorized knowers” over collaboratively produced knowledge by Wikipedian experts written for a lay audience is not surprising, but it is a bit worn. While there are certainly well-documented problems with Wikipedia, and I do think it should be used sparingly and critically, I think the quickness to offense by reviewers is unwarranted. Collaboratively produced, “un-peer reviewed” knowledge is as old as humanity and should not be so easily dismissed. The subject area should be considered, and if the reviewer is so sure this information is readily to be found, perhaps s/he should do a quick Google Scholar search herself. Kate ________ M. Kathleen Milberry PhD candidate ACT Lab/School of Communication Simon Fraser University Vancouver, BC, Canada (604) 787-5903 blog: http://geeksandglobaljustice.com lab: http://www.actlab.org

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Advice on online surveys
by Liezel Longboan 07 May '09

07 May '09

Hi all, I'm a PhD student about to start my participant-observation of an email group of which I am a member. Could anyone please recommend the best way for me to conduct an online survey which would be simple and accessible for my respondents? Which survey tools/sites would be appropriate for respondents with the basic knowledge of the Internet? I have looked at a few online survey sites but I thought it would be best to ask for 'expert' advice from list members who have previously have done an online survey. Many thanks, Liezel Longboan Cardiff University

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Web Studies instruction
by Gordon E Murray 07 May '09

07 May '09

Hello air-l! This is my first post, so please bear with me if it's not perfect. I checked the archives and couldn't find my question answered previously, so here it goes: I am a part-time grad student in the communications field at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. I've started to have a strong interest in incorporating the study of the culture and uses of the web and web media in my degree, however, there doesn't seem to be much coursework here nor available for online study programs, by which I mean distance learning programs for credit. My degree adviser has given me free rein to locate accredited classes, but so far I've found very little. I am aware of Dr Baym's courses at the University of Kansas, as well as a few others a bit farther away, but want to be sure there is nothing closer or online before my wife and I begin considering a relocation for me to continue my studies. I realize that this field is just getting off the ground in many ways, and so schools are scrambling to catch up, but I'm really hoping to hear of some more options to consider. Thanks! Gordon Murray gemurray(a)wichita.edu

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Current and Future SciTechMed Mobile Apps?
by McKiernan, Gerard [LIB] 07 May '09

07 May '09

Colleagues/ I am greatly interested in learning about Any / All compilations/reviews of currently-available SciTechMed Mobile Apps for Any / All Platforms. I am also interested in learning about SciTechMed Mobile Apps that you'd like to be created and made available and/or which exist but need improvement(s). I am also interested in >Your< Favorite SciTechMed Mobile App(s). I am interested the use of Mobile Apps in either a small science/technology/medicine Or Big Science/Technology/Medical environment(s). Please post your Recommendation(s) As Comment(s) on The Blog Entry At [ http://tinyurl.com/ch3ow7 ] Thanks A Million!!! BTW: I've Chosen A Most Appropriate Image For The Blog Entry / It's Worth A Visit For The Memories Alone ... [:-)] Regards, /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 gerrymck(a)iastate.edu There is Nothing More Powerful Than An Idea Whose Time Has Come / Victor Hugo [ http://www.blogger.com/profile/09093368136660604490 ] Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind Blows [ http://alternativeenergyblogs.blogspot.com/ ]

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Digital Culture 2009
by Ben Light 07 May '09

07 May '09

2nd Digital Cultures Workshop: Social Media Publics 4-5 June, 2009 University of Salford, U.K. Call for Papers Organizers Ben Light and Marie Griffiths, University of Salford. Sian Lincoln, Liverpool John Moores University Steve Sawyer, Syracuse University. Confirmed Speakers Dr. Carsten Sørensen Information Systems and Innovation Group, Department of Management, London School of Economics Dr. Theresa Senft School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies, University of East London It is clear that the boundaries between the public¹ and the private¹ are becoming increasingly blurred within and amongst sites of home and work. Indeed, in the wake of reality television shows, national identity card schemes, increased social media usage and the like, publicity appears to be the order of the day. For this workshop we seek papers that discuss the issues raised for those living in environments where there is seemingly little room for privacy. As was the case last year, we intend for the workshop to be multi-disciplinary in nature, broad in the approaches participants take and issues they cover. If your work is about any aspect of digital culture, this is the workshop for you! The following are thus only indicative of potential topics that could be raised: ·How do people domesticate social media in their attempts to maintain a balance in publicity and privacy? Do they? Why do they, or don¹t they? ·What matters are raised by increased access to data about individuals and organizations? ·What does the blurring of boundaries between public and private mean for our knowledge and experiences of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity and disability? ·How are ICT mediated spaces created and maintained at home, work and those spaces in between? For example, how are geek gamers¹ finding spaces to play now the only console in the house can be in the living room? ·How are ICT policies shaping public and private spaces throughout societies around the world? ·What privacy issues are presented by media convergence? ·What role are mobile and ubiquitous computing technologies playing in public and private spaces? ·How is the increased commodification of social media affecting our privacy? Following from the first workshop we continue to see this workshop having three purposes. First, we seek to give voice and structure to existing new media, ICT and technology related research which may not readily sit within conventionally accepted areas. Second, we wish to draw in research on new forms of digital technology, ICT, computing, organizing and social interactions. Third, we want to continue discussions regarding potential futures for ICT related research which combine research as related to the evolving forms and functions of work organizations and the changing boundaries and relations between these organizations and their social milieus. We seek abstracts (of up to 600 words) that focus upon some aspect of digital culture. We hope to have a special issue of a journal associated with the workshop as was the case last year (a special issue of the Journal of Information, Communication, Ethics and Society is to be published early in 2009). Abstracts should be submitted to Ben Light at: b.light(a)salford.ac.uk <mailto:b.light@salford.ac.uk> Important Dates Abstract Submission Date: 28 February 2009 Notification of Acceptance: 31 March 2009 Workshop Dates: 4 and 5 June 2009 Workshop Arrangements The fee for presentation/attendance at the workshop is £75. This will cover refreshments and meals throughout the workshop and a workshop dinner to be held on the evening of the 4th of June. There is no fee for PhD students, however they still need to register for the workshop. PhD student registration includes refreshments during the workshop but excludes attendance at the workshop dinner (This is subject to a £25 fee, payable upon registration). >From February 2009, you will be able to register for the workshop at: https://shop.salford.ac.uk Further details regarding the location of the workshop will be posted nearer the time at: http://www.iris.salford.ac.uk If you experience any difficulties regarding the workshop arrangements, please do get in touch with Nathalie Audren-Howarth at: n.audren(a)salford.ac.uk. Accommodation Delegates should arrange their own accommodation with their preferred hotel. Below are a few hotels in the area. Best wishes, Ben. Ben Light Professor of Technology and Society Director: IS, Organisation and Society Research Centre School of Media, Music and Performance University of Salford Adelphi House SALFORD M3 6EN Tel. +44 (0)161 295 5443 www.benlight.org www.smmp.salford.ac.uk www.isos.salford.ac.uk

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Re: [Air-L] using wikipedia articles in academic paper
by Thomas Coles 07 May '09

07 May '09

Hi everyone, thought I'd jump in, Wikipedia is a great resource, I like to think of it as representing the 'state of the art' in the original sense, an ideal Wikipedia article would be a explanation of a subject as it is understood and verified at any one time. Its very close to a CVS in this way; we are downloading the curent accepted form of the article. However this is where problems in referencing arise, its more of a philosophical/process problem. If Wikipedia is attempting an aggregation of human knowledge (as all encyclopedias are) then it is at best a mild abstraction from primary sources and original research and at worse one-sided or incorrect. Wikipedia's standards state a fact or statement it is in a wiki article then it should be supported by a reference (that this is often not the case is one of the great problems). When there is a reference it is that which should be cited (and read!), when there are no references you can't rely on the information. Wikipedia is not a voice or an opinion, it is an aggregation. So back to Stefano's problem, I suspect that your reviewer has a well-developed suspicion of Wikipedia, possibly irrational, but probably for good reason. The line is that academia is built on verifiability, and many people take the view that what is being created is a grand project along the lines of the Principa Mathematica, or a Unified Theory of Everything, and don't wish to allow any opinion or fuzzy thinking into criticism. All rather delightful Englightment thinking isn't it? Wikipedia becomes a major fault line in these sorts of projects if we begin to rely on it. On purely pragmatic lines, it is only 8 years old after all and I suspect the worry that many have is this: despite the fact you can reference static versions of pages, what happens if the site disappear? Will the structures of criticism built upon it goes down with it? The traditional methods still seem to function, i.e. there are hundreds of big buildings full of dead books spread over the globe, and the chances are in a few hundred years a few copies of texts you have referenced might still be around. I'm not advocating putting hard copies of Wikipedia in libraries (as a German version has done), the exciting features of Wikipedia are the same as its troubling features; it changes constantly. Proof and verification is conservative, I'm not sure how this will change. Even if you think this aggregation function is useful, surely it risks becoming a method of hiding all manner of sins. A sort of intellectual 'collatorized debt obligation'. As others have said, Wikipedia is a tool, not a foundation. So in response to giving definitions to terms or impenetrable acronyms, well as Christophe said, leave it to the grown up reader to inform themselves. They may well go straight to Wikipedia anyway, as it is currently arguably the best way to get informed quickly; but that may not be true in 5, 10, 20 years. Hopefully any article has a longer period of relevance than that. This isn't to say that all digital content is worthless. There are more digital depositories, distributed around safe data-centres around the world (a library is surely just a data bank) so that there is a reliable source for non-dead tree work. I think retention is one of the biggest problems that will face the archivers of the 21st Century, and a lot more work needs to be done here. In the meantime the groupthink where I am seems to be that wikipedia is yet to prove itself and shouldn't be referenced. I said that Wikipedia is a encyclopedia, but maybe it isn't, maybe it is trying to be something completely new? Anyway, thats my take on it, Tom Coles University of Glasgow

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Kindle For iPhone App Released
by McKiernan, Gerard [LIB] 07 May '09

07 May '09

Kindle For iPhone App Released Colleagues/ Is This The Future Of Reading? /Gerry Amazon Kindle is a software and hardware platform for reading electronic books (e-books), developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126, first launched in the United States on November 19, 2007. Two hardware devices, known as "Kindle" and "Kindle 2," support this platform, as does an iPhone application called "Kindle for iPhone." >>What is Kindle for iPhone? Kindle for iPhone is a free application that lets you read more than 240,000 Kindle books on your iPhone or iPod touch-no Kindle required. Amazon's new Whispersync functionality automatically synchronizes your last page read so you can easily switch between devices and pick up reading from where you last left off. >>Which iPhones and iPod touches are compatible with Kindle for iPhone? Kindle for iPhone can be used on any iPhone, iPhone 3G, or iPod touch with Firmware 2.0 or higher installed. [snip] >>What can I read on Kindle for iPhone? The entire selection of books available for reading on Amazon Kindle can also be read on Kindle for iPhone. The Kindle Store contains many of the best sellers from leading publishers around the world. You can also download free book samples from the Kindle store and read the first chapter of a book before you decide to buy. If you already have a Kindle and Kindle book library, you can access the Kindle books you already own, even if you don't have your Kindle with you. Periodicals such as newspapers, magazines, and blogs, and personal documents cannot be viewed on Kindle for iPhone. >>Can I view my Kindle bookmarks and annotations on Kindle for iPhone? Whispersync automatically synchronizes your bookmarks and your reading location among devices registered to the same Amazon.com account. [snip] >>>How do I download and install Kindle for iPhone? Kindle for iPhone can be downloaded for free in Apple's App store. [snip] >>>Additional Information Using Kindle for iPhone / You Tube Video / Non-Exhaustive Selection of Sources For Kindle Content / News Coverage Related/UnRelated WSJ : Amazon to Launch Kindle for Textbooks NYTimes: Looking to Big-Screen E-Readers to Help Save the Daily Press Links And Additional Information Available At [ http://tinyurl.com/dzcck4 ] As Always, Any And All Comments/Observations Are Most Welcome As Comments On The Blog Entry. Enjoy! /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 gerrymck(a)iastate.edu There is Nothing More Powerful Than An Idea Whose Time Has Come / Victor Hugo [ http://www.blogger.com/profile/09093368136660604490 ] Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind Blows [ http://alternativeenergyblogs.blogspot.com/ ]

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