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EXTENDED DEADLINE: DiGRA 2017 Workshop: “Gaming the Systems: Towards a More Inclusive DiGRA”
by Adrienne Shaw 21 Mar '17

21 Mar '17

What would it mean for Game Studies to be diverse, and what role can DiGRA play in achieving this? Does the term ‘diversity’ deserve critical scrutiny in its own right? Participation Participation in the workshop is open to all DiGRA participants, regardless of acceptance to the workshop. Space is limited. If you plan to attend the workshop as a participant (not a presenter), please register by June 15, 2017 by sending an email to Darshana Jayemanne at digradiversityworkshop(a)gmail.com. Introduction In light of corporate initiatives such as Intel’s recent and highly substantial investment in creating an inclusive workforce, ‘diversity’ can legitimately claim to be one of the most impactful terms that has ever been developed in league with humanities and social sciences thinking. On the other hand, diversity can be seen as a code word for the most comfortable way in which difference appears to contemporary power structures - and hence subject to academic critique. Intel’s recent and widely publicized investment in making their own workforce more inclusive and diverse[1], as well as increasing diversity in games and the tech industry broadly, demonstrates that conversations about representation are finally making headway in corporate sectors. At the same time, we might question if these business-minded approaches to diversity are really invested in the more critical types of change diversity is discussed in relation to in academic conversations. Moreover, as the industries we are interested in begin to take seriously questions of their own diversity, we too must take stock of who is represented in the wide field that is game studies. What can we do to make our field more inclusive and represent a wider array of perspectives? Might it even be possible that we could use such efforts in turn to offer a model for the industries we study as they launch efforts to increase diversity? As scholars, perhaps the response to this situation is quite predictable: more research is needed. This DiGRA workshop will pose the question of what a diverse game studies would look like in both theoretical and practical registers: partly by gathering theoretical papers and partly by providing a venue for voicing and testing ideas that can be represented as precedents to DiGRA and other game studies conferences. The workshop will balance the question of what other fields have done to encourage diversity with the question of what scholars of play can bring to thinking about what academic diversity means in the first place. This will be a half day workshop on July 2, 2017, organized as follows: Format and Activities 12:00-12:30 Opening and Introductions 12:30-13:00 Designing Diversity Guidelines 13:00-15:00 Paper presentation – six papers, 15 minutes each and 5 minutes of question time. 15:00-15:30 Break and Play Time 15:30-17:00 Co-facilitated Discussion Location PAR-Arts West North Wing-256 (Collaborative Learning Room) The University of Melbourne Parkville 3000. Call for Proposals We welcome proposals for papers that investigate questions such as, but not limited to: ● What have conferences, fields of study and the game industry done to encourage diverse participation? Can and should DiGRA take a proactive role in fostering game studies diversity? ● To what degree is diversity a useful concept? What political work does it do and can it do in our field? How does it link with concepts of representation, attention and competition, and to what level are such concepts already part of the logic of the academy? ● What potentials do academics interested in play bring to broadening or questioning the idea of diversity? ● How diverse is the history of game studies as both theory and pedagogy and to whom does this matter? ● What is the relation of academic game studies to videogame business and industry across various regional and national contexts, and to what degree does this affect diversity? ● Middleware is often cited as increasing access to game development, but how diverse are the resources, assets and legal structures of such tools? What role does the academy play in this area and how could it be expanded? ● Who is best positioned to speak on regional issues including funding and representation, and what power dynamics are at play in the centrality of the Anglophone academy to DiGRA? ● Is DiGRA creating a safe space for diverse voices, and what are best practices models for how DiGRA should do this internally, and pressure platforms externally? What are the practical issues and how can they be met? Submissions Please send your extended abstract (1500-3000 words) to Sian Beavers digradiversityworkshop(a)gmail.com by April 5, 2017 at 17:00 CET (9:00 PST). Please note this is an open paper format and you are not required to use the DiGRA template for extended abstracts. Notifications of acceptance will be sent to participants on April 20, 2017. Full papers (8000 words including references) are due September 15, 2017 for peer review. Camera ready papers for ToDigra publication on November 17, 2017. Publication Accepted papers will be included in a Diversity Special Issue of ToDiGRA, published in 2018, where full papers will be subject to an additional round of peer-review prior to publication. Important Dates Extended Abstract Deadline: April 5, 2017 12 Midnight PST (Pacific Standard Time) Notice of Acceptance: April 20, 2017 Camera Ready Abstracts: June 1, 2017 Full Paper Draft: September 15, 2017 Camera Ready papers for To Digra: November 17, 2017 -- Adrienne Shaw Assistant Professor Temple University Department of Media Studies and Production School of Media and Communication 2020 N. 13th St. Annenberg Hall, room 203A Philadelphia, PA 19122 telephone: 215-204-6201 fax: 215-214-5402 smc.temple.edu/msp www.adrienneshaw.com Office Hours: Tuesday 11am-2pm Email Hours: M-F 12-2pm Author of: Gaming at the Edge: Sexuality and Gender at the Margins of Gamer Culture, University of Minnesota Press, 2014 (http://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/gaming-at-the-edge) Founder of the LGBTQ Game Archive: https://lgbtqgamearchive.com/

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CfP: ComplexRec 2017 (RecSys'17 Workshop on Recommendation in Complex Scenarios)
by Toine Bogers 21 Mar '17

21 Mar '17

======================================================== RecSys'17 Workshop on Recommendation in Complex Scenarios (ComplexRec 2017) http://complexrec2017.aau.dk Como, Italy August 27-31, 2017 ======================================================== --------------- Important dates --------------- * Paper submission deadline: June 6, 2017 * Notification of acceptance: July 9, 2017 * Camera-ready deadline: July 18, 2017 * RecSys 2017: August 27 or 31, 2017 ------------------------ Description & Objectives ------------------------ Over the past decade, recommendation algorithms for ratings prediction and item ranking have steadily matured. However, these state-of-the-art algorithms are typically applied in relatively straightforward scenarios. In reality, recommendation is often a more complex problem: it is usually just a single step in the user's more complex background need. These background needs can often place a variety of constraints on which recommendations are interesting to the user and when they are appropriate. However, relatively little research has been done on these complex recommendation scenarios. The ComplexRec 2017 workshop aims to address this by providing an interactive venue for discussing approaches to recommendation in complex scenarios that have no simple one-size-fits-all solution. ------------------ Topics of interest ------------------ We invite original contributions about recommendation in complex scenarios. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: * Task-based recommendation -- Approaches that take the user's background tasks and needs into account when generating recommendations * Feature-driven recommendation -- Techniques for eliciting, capturing and integrating rich information about user preferences for specific product features * Constraint-based recommendation -- Approaches that successfully combine state-of-the-art recommendation algorithms with complex knowledge-based or constraint-based optimization * Query-driven recommendation -- Techniques for eliciting and incorporating rich information about the user's recommendation need (e.g., need for accessibility, engagement, socio-cultural values, familiarity, etc.) in addition to the standard user preference information * Interactive recommendation -- Techniques for successfully capturing, weighting, and integrating continuous user feedback into recommender systems, both in situations of sparse and rich user interaction * Context-aware recommendation -- Methods for the extraction and integration of complex contextual signals for recommendation * Complex data sources -- Approaches to dealing with complex data sources and how to infer user preferences from these sources * Evaluation & validation -- Approaches to the evaluation and validation of recommendation in complex scenarios ----------- Submissions ----------- We encourage authors to submit short papers and position papers of 2-4 pages in length dedicated to any aspect of recommendation in complex scenarios. Accepted submissions will then be invited for short 10-minute presentations with equal time for discussion. Evaluation criteria for acceptance will include novelty, diversity, significance for theory/practice, quality of presentation, and the potential for sparking interesting discussion at the workshop. All submitted papers will be reviewed by the Program Committee. At least one author of each accepted paper must attend the workshop. All submissions should be in English and should not have been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Papers should be formatted in the ACM Proceedings Style (http://www.acm.org/sigs/publications/proceedings-templates) and submitted via EasyChair (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=complexrec2017) Submissions will be published in the workshop proceedings (CEUR-WS). ---------- Organizers ---------- * Toine Bogers (toine(a)hum.aau.dk) Aalborg University Copenhagen, Denmark * Marijn Koolen (marijn.koolen(a)gmail.com) Huygens Institute, the Netherlands * Bamshad Mobasher (mobasher(a)cs.depaul.edu) DePaul University, USA * Alan Said (alansaid(a)acm.org) University of Skövde, Sweden * Alexander Tuzhilin (atuzhili(a)stern.nyu.edu) NYU Stern School of Business, USA For further questions, please contact a member of the organizing committee.

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Call for assistant curators for the GIP Digital Watch observatory
by Joly MacFie 21 Mar '17

21 Mar '17

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Call for Assistant Curators for the *GIP Digital Watch* observatory The *GIP Digital Watch *observatory for Internet governance and digital policy <http://giplatform.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fd1ca1d5793b4d797ce48e…> (dig.watch) is a comprehensive platform providing the latest developments, overviews and explanatory texts, events, resources, instruments, and stakeholders active in the field, related to 40+ digital policy issues and processes. The observatory is an initiative of the Geneva Internet Platform <http://giplatform.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fd1ca1d5793b4d797ce48e…> (GIP), operated by DiploFoundation <http://giplatform.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fd1ca1d5793b4d797ce48e…>, in partnership with the Internet Society <http://giplatform.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fd1ca1d5793b4d797ce48e…> . A team of assistant curators helps develop content for the observatory, carrying out research and data analysis, and reporting from digital policy events. Assistant curators are based around the world. The GIP is now looking to expand the team of assistant curators. *Requirements:* - Deep knowledge and interest in Internet governance and digital policy - A thorough overview of digital politics occurring at the national level - Ability and guarantee to carry out tasks independently of external influence, and from a neutral point-of-view - A very good level of English - The ability to report from events - Availability to participate in a six-week online training course on curating content for the observatory, with a special emphasis on reporting from digital policy events - Availability to undertake ad hoc, remunerated tasks for the observatory. The selected applicants will be required to undertake a six-week training course (from end-March to mid-May 2017), funded by the GIP. The final selection for assistant curators will be based on successful completion of the training. Training is carried out by DiploFoundation. Successful participants will receive certification from DiploFoundation. *How to apply? * Fill in the application form <http://giplatform.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fd1ca1d5793b4d797ce48e…> by 24 March 2017. Applicants will be asked to submit your CV, and to explain their motivation for applying. *Questions?* E-mail the Editor at stephaniep(a)diplomacy.edu Follow us on Twitter <http://giplatform.us6.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=4fd1ca1d5793b4d797ce48…> | Forward to a friend <http://us6.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=4fd1ca1d5793b4d797ce48eb0&id=d0b…> -- --------------------------------------------------------------- Joly MacFie 218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast -------------------------------------------------------------- -

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JOB: Media Manipulation lead at Data & Society
by Alice E. Marwick 20 Mar '17

20 Mar '17

Hi all, D&S is looking for a lead for the Manipulation Project: https://datasociety.net/blog/jobs/project-lead-media-manipulation/ ---- While technologies are often created with the best of intentions, they are often used in ways that dismay their creators. As data-driven and social technologies – and the companies that produce them – become more powerful, so do the individuals and groups attempting to undermine or manipulate tech to advance other agendas. From cybersecurity to spam and search engine optimization to the manipulation of mainstream media, we must confront the weaknesses and fault lines that appear in a technology and data-driven society. At Data & Society, the Manipulation Project seeks to understand the mechanisms by which adversarial attacks on institutions and information intermediaries wreak havoc on countless systems, undermine trust in society, and destroy key mechanisms of social infrastructure– and the subsequent socio-technical implications. Conversations about topics like “fake news” or AI-powered bots fail to account for how and why systems can easily be gamed. This project aims to cut through the hype around these issues, and understand vulnerabilities in socio-technical systems that go beyond security and privacy. How can systems be manipulated? And what are the implications of that kind of manipulation? ----- D&S is a great place to work and a fantastic meld of academic/practitioner thinking. This would be a fabulous fit for an unconventional academic or someone with journalism training who loves managing researchers and making public impact. Job is in NYC with real salary, benefits etc. PhD not required. -- Alice E. Marwick, PhD Fellow, Data & Society Assistant Professor, Department of Communication University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (as of 2017) amarwick(a)gmail.com http://www.tiara.org <http://www.tiara.org>

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CSCW 2018 "online first" call for papers (April 27) - Now With Journal Publication!
by Casey Lynn Fiesler 20 Mar '17

20 Mar '17

Hello all! Below is the CFP for the CSCW 2018 online first/interim deadline. I will emphasize one thing that I think is particularly relevant for AOIR-ers: starting with accepted papers for this deadline, CSCW papers will be published in a journal, Proceedings of the ACM. One motivation for this is the hope that it will help open up the community to other disciplines that have incentive structures that have made publishing in archival conference proceedings difficult. CSCW 2018 Online First - Call for Papers http://cscw.acm.org/2018 There are two exciting changes in place for COMPUTER-SUPPORTED COOPERATIVE WORK AND SOCIAL COMPUTING (CSCW). The first is that the conference will be held in Oct/November 2018 (date and US location to be announced soon). The second is that all accepted papers will be published in the new journal Proceedings of the ACM: Human Computer Interaction (PACM). Further, there will be two deadlines for CSCW 2018, the first in April 2017 and the second in Spring 2018. This CFP is for the first deadline, for papers to be published Online First in the inaugural issue of PACM. The accepted 2018 Online First will be presented in a format to be determined (regardless of format, there will be explicit recognition of the full paper status), in the 2018 conference at the 2018 ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing in the United States in November, 2018. CSCW is an international and interdisciplinary research community focused on how technology intersects with social practices. To support diverse and high-quality contributions, CSCW employs a two-phase review process and does not impose an arbitrary length limit on submissions. IMPORTANT DATES - Submissions for Online First * April 20, 2017: Abstract due (5:00pm PDT) * April 27, 2017: Submission due (5:00pm PDT) * June 12, 2017: First-round notifications (Revise & Resubmit or Reject) * July 10, 2017: Revised papers due (5:00pm PDT) * August 6, 2017: Final notifications We invite authors to submit papers that inform the design or deployment of collaborative or social systems; introduce novel systems, interaction techniques, or algorithms; or study existing collaborative or social practices. The scope of CSCW includes social computing and social media, crowdsourcing, open collaboration, technologically-enabled or enhanced communication, CSCL, MOOCs, and related educational technologies, multi-user input technologies, collaboration, awareness, information sharing, and coordination. This scope spans socio-technical domains of work, home, education, healthcare, the arts, socializing, and entertainment. Papers can report on novel research results, systems, or new ways of thinking about, studying, or supporting shared activities. CSCW would particularly like to invite papers that make a contribution to building CSCW systems including (but not limited to) technical enablers for CSCW applications; methods and techniques for new CSCW services and applications; and evaluation of fully-built CSCW systems and lab and field settings. SUBMISSIONS Paper submissions must be made via the Precision Conference System (https://precisionconference.com/~sigchi/) by 5:00pm Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on April 27th 2017 (abstracts due the week before, April 20th 2017). Note that CSCW is moving all publications to the Proceedings of the ACM (PACM). Hence, papers for this interim Online First call will be part of Proceedings of the ACM : Human-Computer Interaction: Volume 1: Issue 1: Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing 2017. This will be the inaugural issue of the PACM. A second CSCW 2018 review process will take place in Spring 2018 (date to be announced). Papers submitted to that deadline will be referred to as Spring 2018 papers. The CSCW 2018 Online First published papers will be archived in the ACM Digital Library and will be free for download for up to two years after publication. For more information on this open access model, see: http://www.sigchi.org/news/open-table-of-contents-a-new-way-to-access-acm-s…. CSCW does not accept submissions that were published previously in formally reviewed publications or that are currently submitted elsewhere. All papers accepted for CSCW 2018 from either the Online First or subsequent final deadline are expected to be presented at CSCW 2018 by at least one of the authors. The presentation format may differ for Online First papers but is guaranteed to include some form of oral presentation at the conference. FULL CALL FOR PAPERS The full call for papers is available at http://cscw.acm.org/2018 Send queries about Paper submissions to papers2018(a)cscw.acm.org<mailto:papers2018@cscw.acm.org>. — Casey Fiesler Assistant Professor, Information Science University of Colorado, Boulder www.caseyfiesler.com<http://www.caseyfiesler.com>

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Open Access Book: Big Data in Organizations and the Role of Human Resource Management. A Complex Systems Theory-Based Conceptualization
by Scholz, Tobias 20 Mar '17

20 Mar '17

Dear list, apologies for cross-posting. My book "Big Data in Organizations and the Role of Human Resource Management. A Complex Systems Theory-Based Conceptualization” was recently published and the digital version is available for free here: http://www.oapen.org/search?identifier=625772 Here is a short abstract: Big data are changing the way we work as companies face an increasing amount of data. Rather than replacing a human workforce or making decisions obsolete, big data are going to pose an immense innovating force to those employees capable of utilizing them. This book intends to first convey a theoretical understanding of big data. It then tackles the phenomenon of big data from the perspectives of varied organizational theories in order to highlight socio-technological interaction. Big data are bound to transform organizations which calls for a transformation of the human resource department. The HR department’s new role then enables organizations to utilize big data for their purpose. Employees, while remaining an organization’s major competitive advantage, have found a powerful ally in big data. I hope you find the book interesting and best regards, Tobias Scholz _________________________________ Dr. Tobias M. Scholz University of Siegen Chair for Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior www.pmg.uni-siegen.de<http://www.pmg.uni-siegen.de>

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Postdoctoral Researcher position with the Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics (FATE) group at Microsoft Research New York City (MSR NYC)
by Solon Barocas 20 Mar '17

20 Mar '17

The FATE group (Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics) at Microsoft Research New York City (MSR NYC) is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to start in July, 2017. This one-year position is an ideal opportunity for an emerging scholar whose work focuses on the social impacts of machine learning and AI. Postdoctoral researchers receive a competitive salary and benefits package, and are eligible for relocation expenses. Candidates must have completed their PhD, including submission of their dissertation, prior to joining Microsoft Research (i.e., PhD received in late 2016 or to be conferred by July 2017). We encourage candidates with tenure-track job offers from other institutions to apply, provided that they are able to defer their start date to accept our position. Application deadline: April 3, 2017. Microsoft Research provides a vibrant multidisciplinary research environment, with an open publications policy and close links to top academic institutions around the world. Postdoctoral researcher positions provide emerging scholars with an opportunity to develop their research career and to interact with some of the top minds in the research community. Postdoctoral researchers define their own research agenda. Successful candidates will have a well-established research track record, evidenced by top-tier journal or conference publications, as well as a strong service record (e.g., participation on program committees, editorial boards, and advisory panels). While each of the Microsoft Research labs has openings in a variety of different disciplines, this position with the FATE group at MSR NYC is specifically intended for researchers who are interested in challenges related to fairness, transparency, accountability, and ethics in machine learning and AI. The FATE group includes Kate Crawford (http://www.katecrawford.net/) Hanna Wallach (http://dirichlet.net/) and Solon Barocas (http://solon.barocas.org) for a sampling of recent publications see their websites. We will consider candidates with a background in a technical field (such as machine learning, AI, or NLP) as well as candidates who study socio-technical questions in the fields of anthropology, media studies, sociology, and/or science and technology studies. The ideal candidate should have a demonstrated interest in the social impacts of machine learning and AI, and be interested in working in a highly interdisciplinary environment that includes computer scientists, social scientists, critical humanists, and economists. To apply, please submit an online application on the Microsoft Research Careers website: https://careers.research.microsoft.com/ In addition to your CV and names of three or more referees (including your dissertation advisor), please upload the following materials: * Two journal/conference publications, articles, thesis chapters, or equivalent work samples (uploaded as two separate attachments). * A research statement (maximum length four pages) that 1) outlines your research agenda (~two pages); 2) provides a description and, if appropriate, a chapter outline of your dissertation (~one page); 3) offers an explanation of how your research agenda relates to fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethics (~one page). Please indicate that your location preference is "New York" and include "Kate Crawford" as the name of a Microsoft Research contact (you may include additional contacts as well). Note: if you do not do this, it is *very unlikely* that we will receive your application. After you submit your application, a request for letters will be sent to your referees on your behalf. You may wish to alert your referees in advance so that they are ready to submit your letter by April 3, 2017. Note: you can check the progress on individual letter requests by clicking the "status" tab within your application page. Microsoft is committed to building a culturally diverse workforce and strongly encourages applications from women and minorities.

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2017 Dissertation Award Nominations
by Michelle, AoIR Association Coordinator 20 Mar '17

20 Mar '17

The Association of Internet Researchers calls for submissions for the 2017 AoIR Dissertation Award. To be eligible for the AoIR Dissertation Award, a PhD dissertation in the area of internet research must have been filed in the 2016 calendar year. Nominations (self and other) must be received by 15 April 2017. All methods and disciplines are welcome. Submissions Details: - A nomination letter that explains why the dissertation is deserving of the award - How it contributes to internet research - A PDF copy of the dissertation should be emailed - The graduate or their supervisor must be a member of AoIR - Self-nominations are permitted - Filed in 2016 (meaning fully defended, all edits complete, filed/published with a 2016 copyright) The recipient of this award will be announced this summer. In addition to winning a cash prize, the individual will also be invited to present their research in a session at AoIR 2017 in Tartu, Estonia, 18-21 October 2017. The committee this year is comprised of Jeremy Hunsinger, Daren Brabham, Jill Rettberg Walker, Tim Highfield and chaired by Mathias Klang. For any questions please contact Mathias Klang dissertationaward(a)aoir.org or Jenny Stromer-Galley prez(a)aoir.org. Regards, Michelle AoIR Association Coordinator

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Social Computing in the Big Data Era
by Angeliki Gazi 19 Mar '17

19 Mar '17

Dear colleagues, warm greetings from Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus. We would like to inform you for our summer school, Social Computing in the Big Data Era, offered by our university 17-21 July 2017, in Limassol City, of Cyprus Island. Limassol is one of the most beautiful Mediterranean Cities and has been ranked by Trip Advisor as the 3rd up-and-coming destination in the world, in its Top 10 Traveler’s Choice Destinations. Cyprus University of Technology is located at the historical center of Limassol City, 10 min walking distance from the most wonderful beaches of the island: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0XWHCCOo50&t=24s Our summer school Social Computing in the Big Data Era covers topics from a broad range of domains which contribute to advancing the field of Big Data. The programme will enable participants to select and combine appropriate research methods, technologies and theories in fields such as: Big Data and Technologies@Facebook, Crowdsourcing, Online Social Networks and Targeted Advertising, Dimensions of Political and Social Changes in the Big Data Era. We encourage submissions from Postgraduate and PhD students with interest in Social Computing. ¬Detailed information about the program: http://summerschools.socialcomputing.eu/?page_id=326 ¬1 WEEK LEFT TO APPLY: http://summerschools.socialcomputing.eu/?page_id=79 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/notre.project/ Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/notre_social Website: http://notre.socialcomputing.eu/ <https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnotre.socialcomputing.eu%2F&h=A…> Thank you very much for your kind attention. Angeliki Gazi, PhD Assistant Professor Faculty of Communication and Media Cyprus University of Technology P.O. Box: 50329 CY 3036, Limassol, Cyprus T:+35725002334 E-mail:angeliki.gazi@cut.ac.cy This email communication (and any attachments) are confidential and are intended only for the individual(s) or entity named above and others who have been specifically authorized to receive it. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, copy, use or disclose the contents of this communication to others. Please notify the sender that you have received this email in error by replying to the email or by phone at +35725002334. Please then delete the email and any copies of it. This information may be subject to professional or other privilege or may otherwise be protected by work product immunity or other legal rules. Thank you. <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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CfP: Data for Policy 2017 - Government by Algorithm?, 6-7 September, London
by Zeynep Engin 19 Mar '17

19 Mar '17

*Call for papers, presentations, sessions, and workshops – Deadline: 8th May* 3rd Annual International Conference *DATA FOR POLICY 2017* Government by Algorithm? 6-7 September 2017 | London dataforpolicy.org | @dataforpolicy <https://twitter.com/dataforpolicy> Governments are being transformed under the impact of the digital revolution, although the speed of change is behind that of the commercial sector. Policy-makers in all domains are facing increasing pressures to interact with citizens more efficiently, and make better decisions in the light of data flooding in all forms, sophisticated computing technologies, and analytics methods. The hierarchical structures of governments are also being challenged as these technologies equip individuals and informal networks with the necessary tools to better participate in public decision making processes, and have a societal impact at a much faster pace than ever before. The concepts and tools from artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), and now blockchain technologies are also likely to automate many services in the public sector, greatly increasing its efficiency but at the cost of potentially millions of jobs. ‘Smartification’ of people, devices, institutions, cities, and governments also brings constant, ubiquitous surveillance which, together with inference and recognition technologies, creates the potential to regulate human behaviour and may even threaten democracy. The third of the *Data for Policy* conference series highlights *‘Government by Algorithm?’ *as its main theme, while also welcoming contributions from the broader Data Science and Policy discussions. All relevant formats including research and policy presentations, workshops, fringe events and other innovative formats will be considered by the committees. *Topics invited include but are not limited to the following:* - *Government & Policy:* Digital era governance and democracy, data-driven service delivery in central and local government, algorithmic governance/regulation, open source and open data movements, sharing economy, digital public, multinational companies (Google, Amazon, Uber, etc.) and privatization of public services, public opinion and participation in democratic processes, data literacy, policy laboratories, case studies and best practices. - *Policy for Data & Management: *Data governance; data collection, storage, curation, and access; distributed databases and data streams, psychology and behaviour of decision; data security, ownership, linkage; data provenance and expiration; private/public sector/non-profit collaboration and partnership; capacity-building and knowledge sharing within government; institutional forms and regulatory tools for data governance. - *Data Sources:* Open, commercial, personal, proprietary sources; administrative data, official statistics, user-generated web content (blogs, wikis, discussion forums, posts, chats, tweets, podcasting, pins, digital images, video, audio files, advertisements, etc.), search engine data, data gathered by connected people and devices (e.g. wearable technology, mobile devices, Internet of Things), tracking data (including GPS/geolocation data, traffic and other transport sensor data, CCTV images etc.,), satellite and aerial imagery, and other relevant data sources. - *Data Analysis:* Computational procedures for data collection, storage, and access; large-scale data processing, real-time and historical data analysis, spatial and temporal analysis, forecasting and nowcasting,dealing with biased/imperfect/missing/uncertain data, human interaction with data, statistical and computational models, networks & clustering, dealing with concept drift and dataset shift, other technical challenges, communicating results, visualisation, and other relevant analysis topics. - *Methodologies:* Qualitative/quantitative/mixed methods, secondary data analysis, web mining, predictive models, randomised controlled trials, sentiment analysis, Blockchain distributed ledger and smart contract technologies, machine learning, Bayesian approaches and graphical models, biologically inspired models, simulation and modeling, small area estimation, correlation & causality based models, gaps in theory and practice, other relevant methods. - *Policy/Application Domains:* Public administration, cities and urban analytics, policing and security, health, economy, finance, taxation, law, science and innovation, energy, environment, social policy areas (education, migration, etc.), humanitarian and development policy, crisis response, public engagement and other relevant domains. - *Citizen Empowerment: *Online platforms and communities, crowdsourcing, citizen science, community driven research, citizen expertise for local & central decision-making, mobile applications, user communities, other relevant topics. - *Ethics, privacy, security:* Data and algorithms in the law; licensing and ownership; using personal or proprietary data; transparency, accountability, participation in data processing; discrimination- and fairness-aware data mining and machine learning; privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) in the public sector; public rights, free speech, dialogue and trust. Extended abstracts for individual submissions should not exceed 1000 words and group/special session submissions are limited to 4500 words (including general session description and abstracts for each of the presentations in the session). All submissions will also be considered for post conference publications and those selected will be invited to submit full discussion papers prior to the conference. *Submissions are accepted through the official conference website – * *dataforpolicy.org* <http://dataforpolicy.org/> Special discounts with conference registration fees will be applied to students and early career researchers. Limited funding is also available to support travel expenses of exceptional candidates. For those wishing to be considered for travel support please send a CV and covering letter to the conference team after completing your submission and before the submission deadline. Partnership and exhibition opportunities are available and organisations can get in touch with the Data for Policy Team (team(a)dataforpolicy.org) to discuss opportunities for collaboration. All general enquiries about the conference should be directed to the Data for Policy Team at team(a)dataforpolicy.org *Important Dates: * Abstract submission deadline: Monday, 8 May 2017 Notification of acceptance: Wednesday, 14 June 2017 Presenters’ registration deadline: Tuesday, 1 August 2017 Discussion Paper submission deadline: Friday, 18 August 2017 Public registration deadline: Friday, 25 August 2017 Conference: Wednesday-Thursday, 6-7 September 2017 *Organising Bodies & Institutions: * *Data for Policy* is an independent initiative launched in 2015 at its inaugural conference *“Policy-making in the Big Data Era: Opportunities and Challenges” *that was hosted by the University of Cambridge. The second conference *“Frontiers of Data Science for Government: Ideas, Practices, and Projections”* was also held at the same venue in 2016. The series has proven to be a key international discussion forum around the theory and applications of Data Science as relevant to governments and policy research, and supported by a large number of key stakeholders including prestigious academic institutions, government departments, international agencies, non-profit institutions, and businesses. The *Government Data Science Partnership* brings together capability from ONS, GDS and GO-Science to support departments in applying data science and big data techniques to challenges. There are four activity streams: - Working in an open and ethical way - Unlocking practical barriers - Creating and developing data science projects - Building data science capability across government The Government Data Science Partnership vision is to improve government capacity to use data science to underpin decision-making, policy development, tailor services, and work efficiently. In doing so the UK government will be recognised as world leading in its use of open and ethical data science. The *All-Party Parliamentary Group on Data Analytics* is a new cross-party group of MPs and peers established by Daniel Zeichner MP to connect Parliament with business, academia and civil society to promote better policy making on big data and data analytics. *Policy Connect* is a not-for-profit social enterprise with two decades in policy work, overseeing the research and delivery of more than 50 key publications. We have a long history of success in running engaging forums, commissions and All-Party Parliamentary Groups. Data for Policy is grateful to the following institutions for their continuing support: - University College London - University of Cambridge - UK Government Data Science Partnership: Office for National Statistics (ONS), Government Digital Service (GDS), Government Office for Science (GO-Science) - All Party Parliamentary Group on Data Analytics - Imperial College London - London School of Economics and Political Science - University of Oxford - The Alan Turing Institute - Royal Statistical Society - European Commission - New York University - Leiden University

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