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Engaging Data Forum | Extended submissions deadline: July 20, 2009
by Marcus Foth 09 Jul '09

09 Jul '09

The deadline for submissions to the Engaging Data: First International Forum on the Application and Management of Personal Electronic Information has been extended to July 20, 2009, 5:00 p.m. EDT (New York). Please visit http://senseable.mit.edu/engagingdata for further details on author guidelines for submissions. As a reference, our Call for Papers is below, in the attachment, and on our website. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ENGAGING DATA First International Forum on the Application and Management of Personal Electronic Information Hosted by SENSEable City Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Oct. 12-13, 2009 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA USA http://senseable.mit.edu/engagingdata CALL FOR PAPERS Over the past decade, the development and use of digital networks has produced an increasing wealth of new data. Handheld electronics, locative media, telecommunications networks, and a wide assortment of tags and sensors are constantly collecting a rich stream of real-time information on various components of our lives and the environment we inhabit, including our movements, purchases, social interactions, Internet activities, and many more. These data afford a wide range of research opportunities in the social and natural sciences that will create a multitude of beneficial information and services. Affected areas range widely and include, among others, workplace efficiency, traffic management, tourism, marketing, logistics, e-commerce, entertainment, urban and architectural planning, disaster response, security, environmental sustainability, and social interaction. Advances in this field are progressing cautiously, however, as the public, commercial and social entities, and the government are only just beginning to understand this new condition of pervasive sensing and data mining as well as the associated framework required to manage it. Conflicting standards on privacy and fear of entering upon uncharted territories hinder companies, researchers, and others from engaging in activities that make responsible use of potentially sensitive data. Moreover, regulation has not kept pace with the changing digital infrastructure, and as a result different stakeholders currently face different restrictions on data usage. In short, we still lack a complete understanding of the societal value in this data and the influence on society by its use, and much still remains unexplored. It is becoming imperative to develop a new framework of standards and best practices for collecting, storing, analyzing, reporting, sharing, and protecting valuable electronic data created by new technologies and services. The Engaging Data: First International Forum on the Application and Management of Personal Electronic Information is the launching event of the Engaging Data Initiative, which will include a series of discussion panels and conferences at MIT. This initiative seeks to address the above issues by bringing together the main stakeholders from multiple disciplines, including social scientists, engineers, manufacturers, telecommunications service providers, Internet companies, credit companies and banks, privacy officers, lawyers, and watchdogs, and government officials. The goal of this forum is to explore the novel applications for electronic data and address the risks, concerns, and consumer opinions associated with the use of this data. In addition, it will include discussions on techniques and standards for both protecting and extracting value from this information from several points of view: what techniques and standards currently exist, and what are their strengths and limitations? What holistic approaches to protecting and extracting value from data would we take if we were given a blank slate? These issues and questions will be addressed through invited talks, paper presentations, and panel discussions. The forum will serve as a platform to exchange ideas, discuss the latest developments in this field, address significant issues, and create visions for the future. The forum is seeking original contributions in the form of both position papers and technical papers. Of particular interest are papers that open new paths for research, express a creative vision for the future, and contribute to a lively debate. TOPICS Papers are solicited that propose principles and approaches to building a viable social ecosystem for using information mined from human interactions with digital networks. Each paper must touch on the technical, security, social, legal/political, and financial aspects of the issue, although it is expected that papers will concentrate more on some aspects than on others. Topics of interest within these aspects include, but are not limited to, the following: --Technical-- Uses and concerns associated with data collection and mining: 1. Information mined by an endpoint party to a communication, including: -Types of information mined from consumer devices by endpoint parties (e.g. VoIP routers and radio handsets) -Accuracy and use of location analyses based on IP addresses, Internet traceroutes, etc. -Sharing of mined data with third parties -Methodologies to analyze and visualize this data 2. Collection, storage, and use of information gathered from wireless networks, including: -Location-based tracking and other forms of mobile sensing -Mobile phones, cordless phones, walkie-talkies, wireless microphones -Femtocells -RFID systems -Wi-Fi Networks -Implications for "white spaces" signal-sensing devices -Increased personalization of communications (i.e. device is commonly unique to a particular individual) -Sharing of data with third parties 3. Collection of information on traffic flow patterns in fixed networks, including: -How uses and concerns vary based on whether flows are segregated by endpoint, time-of-day, bandwidth usage level, application type, etc. -Optical and non-optical networks -Broadband networks -Personal area networks (PAN), Local-area networks (LAN), Wide-area networks (WAN), etc. 4. Information collection inside the network -Packet inspection, e.g. collection of IP addresses, HTTP cookies, etc. -Significance of IPv6 in providing static IP addresses that may be specific to particular devices and/or their locations 5. Soundness of data -Veracity, completeness, etc. of data collected from multiple perspectives, e.g. multiple sensors and/or points inside the network -Algorithms and other tools to deal with incomplete, contradictory, and incorrect data 6. Data protection -Effectiveness and adequacy of encryption, anonymization, aggregation, hashing algorithms, and level of accuracy of information at ensuring customer privacy -Metadata standards and preservation formats --Financial-- 1. Business and incentive models/structures --Security-- Social issues associated with data collection and mining: 1. Consumers and Privacy -Privacy concerns and countervailing interests concerning the authentication of electronic identities and transactions -Consumer awareness, e.g. how common it is for people to read privacy policies -Consumer access to, control of, and awareness of information collected about them -Ethical considerations and implications of data mining for both individuals and society -Social norms and expectations of privacy Legal and political issues associated with data collection and mining: 1. Standards for protecting and extracting value from data -Strengths and limitations of existing standards -"Blank slate," holistic approaches to protecting and extracting value from data -Applicability of set standards, e.g. EC Data Protection Directive, to the US, developed vs. developing countries, globally 2. E-government services -Appropriateness of permitting private entities preferential rights of access or redistribution of such data -Conformity with citizen expectations and assurances of the privacy of such data 3. Legal and regulatory concerns -Requirements, if any, for prior review and approval of proposed collection and use of data (IRB, etc.) -Acceptable methods of obtaining consent for the use of various types of information -Requirements of consent from parties related to the information, e.g. from only one party related to the information or from all parties related to the information -Responsibilities to disclose mining of information (who must disclose such activities and to whom must disclosure be made, e.g. direct customer of service, correspondents of direct customer, etc.) -Role of regulation in the exposure of information collected on network activities 4. Risk and Mitigation -Evaluation and mitigation of risks of research, government, and commercial activities involving data collection and mining -Methods of risk avoidance AUTHOR GUIDELINES Position papers must be 4-6 pages in length, technical papers 6-8 pages in length. Papers must be written in English and follow the standard IEEE format (two-column, single-spaced, 10-point font, on US Letter size paper). Please submit papers in PDF format. Templates can be found under: http://www.ieee.org/web/publications/pubservices/confpub/AuthorTools/confer… Each submitted paper will be peer-reviewed in a double-blind fashion. Please remove any mention of author names and affiliations in the entire submission, and if referencing previous work of the authors, use the third person. Papers will be evaluated according to originality, relevance, technical soundness, significance, and clarity. At least one author must register for the conference to have the paper published in the proceedings. The most exceptional papers in each category will be presented at the conference and published in the conference proceedings. All papers will be handled electronically and should be submitted online via EDAS. Please visit senseable.mit.edu/engagingdata for further details. IMPORTANT DATES Deadline for submission of full papers: July 20, 2009 Notification of acceptance: August 14, 2009 Camera-ready papers due: September 4, 2009 Early registration: September 4, 2009 Conference dates: October 12-13, 2009 GENERAL CHAIRS AND PROGRAM COMMITTEE General Chairs Carlo Ratti, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Assaf Biderman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technical Contributions Co-Chairs Alex (Sandy) Pentland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology David Lazer, Harvard University Program Committee Ben Adida, Harvard University Albert-László Barabási, Northeastern University Dirk Brockmann, Northwestern University John Clippinger, Harvard University Alissa Cooper, Center for Democracy and Technology Simon Davies, Privacy International Laura DeNardis, Yale University William Dutton, University of Oxford Deborah Estrin, UCLA Marcus Foth, Queensland University of Technology Dean Gallant, Harvard University Myron Gutmann, University of Michigan Gary King, Harvard University John Krumm, Microsoft Research William Lehr, MIT Marc Rotenberg, EPIC Karen Sollins, MIT Rebecca Wright, Rutgers University Jonathan Zittrain, Harvard University For questions regarding paper submissions, please contact Caitlin Zacharias: czachar(a)mit.edu. SENSEable City Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology Suite 10-400 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 USA T ++1-617-2537926 F ++1-617-2588081 W senseable.mit.edu/engagingdata E senseable-data(a)mit.edu -- Dr Marcus Foth Senior Research Fellow Institute for Creative Industries and Innovation Queensland University of Technology (CRICOS No. 00213J) Victoria Park Rd, Brisbane QLD 4059, Australia Phone +61 7 313 x88772 - Fax x88238 - Office K506, KG m.foth(a)qut.edu.au - http://www.urbaninformatics.net/

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CRC, Feminist Media Studies, Concordia Univ., Montreal
by lshade＠alcor.concordia.ca 09 Jul '09

09 Jul '09

FYi and feel free to pass along! Thanks, leslie --Leslie Regan Shade, Associate Professor Concordia Univ., Dept. of Communication Studies Concordia University Canada Research Chair in Feminist Media Studies Department of Communication Studies Concordia Universitys Faculty of Arts and Science is the third largest academic faculty in Canada. Home to 27 academic units, the Faculty is leading Montreals Concordia University to the forefront of research and graduate education in Quebec and Canada. Recognized for innovative research in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences, the Facultys Department of Communication Studies invites applications for a Tier II Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Feminist Media Studies. This position is directly linked to priority areas in Concordia Universitys Strategic Research Plan (2008-12): http://oor.concordia.ca/formsandreferencedocuments/strategicresearchplan/ Communication Studies seeks a dynamic and visionary researcher who will engage in cutting-edge scholarship and/or research-creation. The CRC in Feminist Media Studies will play a vital leadership role in stimulating interdisciplinary research and/or creation within the contemporary climate of globalization, transnational migration, pervasive economic inequities, the widespread production, circulation and cross-national consumption of cultural commodities, and amidst rapid shifts in technological mediation. Candidates of interest will have a promising record of scholarly/creative achievement within the broad area of feminist media studies, an ability to articulate and realize an exceptional, long-term research agenda, and have a demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary and collaborative research. The ideal candidate will develop an exemplary scholarly and creative presence, complement and enrich research and scholarship among faculty and graduate students, and participate in local and international research networks. Potential research areas include: diasporic identities and migratory experiences; media democracy and community practices; transnational media; social justice issues; indigenous media; media and health; new media technologies; photography and visual culture. The goal of the CRC program is to ensure that Canadian universities achieve the highest levels of research excellence to become world-class research centres in the global, knowledge-based economy. Concordia Universitys academic culture celebrates research, creativity, and the transfer of knowledge in many ways that are ideal for todays innovation driven society. The strategic deployment of CRCs is an integral part of Concordias overall plan to promote and develop its research enterprise. (Please refer to the CRC website for detailed information about the program: http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/) In order to successfully compete for a CRC award candidates are expected to have an outstanding and innovative research program, and the ability to attract excellent graduate students. Tier II CRCs will be exceptional emerging researchers who at an early phase of their careers (i.e., within 10 years of completing their PhD), have demonstrated the promise of a strong research profile and the potential to be leaders in their field. Tier II CRCs are awarded for five years and are renewable once. These positions offer an attractive salary, an annual research stipend, reduced teaching loads, and the opportunity to apply for start-up infrastructure through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Leaders Opportunity Fund (LOF). The successful candidate for the CRC position in Feminist Media Studies will, in the first instance, be offered an unconditional tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, as appropriate. The candidate will be required to work with the Department and the Faculty to prepare the formal CRC nomination according to the CRC program guidelines. The University will submit the nomination to the CRC Secretariat at the earliest opportunity. Founded in 1965, the Department of Communication Studies at Concordia University is Canadas oldest degree-granting department in the discipline. The Department offers programs leading to the BA, Graduate Diploma, MA, and PhD degrees. The undergraduate degree in Communication Studies is highly regarded for its integration of media production and critical theoretical perspectives. We are the only institution in Canada to offer an undergraduate program in Communication and Cultural Studies, and a graduate diploma in Communication. Our MA in Media Studies is unique in its structure and focus, and our bilingual, inter-university PhD program offers access to a wide range of resources and expertise. In keeping with Concordia's mission, the Department fosters inclusivity in its research, curriculum, and teaching practices, and is committed to serving the needs of a diverse student population. Montreal, where both Concordia campuses are located, is a world-class city of over 3 million people, offering a rich and diverse cultural life, and the intellectual stimulation of four major universities. In addition, the city is a major site of innovation and excellence in emerging digital media technologies, with significant government and private industry support. Candidates are encouraged to visit our departmental website for additional information concerning our programs and priorities: http://comm.concordia.ca/. Applications must consist of a cover letter, a current curriculum vitae, copies of recent publications, a statement of research achievements as well as a detailed research proposal appropriate to the goals and objectives of the CRC program, a statement of teaching philosophy/interests, and evidence of teaching effectiveness. Candidates must also arrange to have three letters of reference sent directly to: Prof. Rae Staseson, Chair, Department of Communication Studies, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd., Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1M8 This tenure-track position, linked to the CRC appointment, will begin July 1, 2010. The University will nominate the successful candidate to the CRC Secretariat at the earliest opportunity according to the guidelines of the CRC program. Candidates for the position must have a completed PhD. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. All applications should reach the department no later than November 2, 2009. No electronic applications will be accepted. All inquiries about the position should be directed to Professor Staseson (Rae.Staseson(a)concordia.ca) All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. Concordia University is committed to employment equity.

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Major New Additions To _The Mobile Libraries_ Blog | June/July
by McKiernan, Gerard [LIB] 08 Jul '09

08 Jul '09

Major New Additions To _The Mobile Libraries_ Blog | June/July Colleagues/ I am pleased to announce the addition of a number of major postings to the _Mobile Libraries_ blog /Gerry >>> The Mobile Library: Public Domain English and German Language eBooks http://tinyurl.com/lyfo4w >>> Orange County Library System > OCLS Mobile http://tinyurl.com/l4se5p >>> OSU Library Labs: WorldCat Mobile http://tinyurl.com/mrn7yh >>> Apple iPhone3GS For Physicians http://tinyurl.com/lf6ere >>> EQ >The Revolution No One Noticed: Mobile Phones and Multimobile Services in Higher Education http://tinyurl.com/l4ktup >>> EDUCAUSE Handheld and Mobile Computing Constituent Group http://tinyurl.com/lrfbqt >>> SMS Library Reference Service Options / Beth Stahr http://tinyurl.com/n669vm >>> SMS Reference: Keeping Up With Your Clients / Sonia Herman http://tinyurl.com/n5dady >>> Text Messaging Reference: Enhancing Reference Services with SMS Webinar / July 2 2009 http://tinyurl.com/ofr4ea >>> Joe Murphy / Yale University Library > Librarian Extraordinaire http://tinyurl.com/npnghp >>> Text a Librarian: Text Message Reference Solutions for Libraries http://tinyurl.com/l28ce8 >>> Pubget > Like Pubmed, Except You Get PDFs Right Away http://tinyurl.com/mpwkn4 >>> TXTING LIBRARIANS @ CURTIN http://tinyurl.com/lwypg2 >>> "Reference by SMS" / AltaRama http://tinyurl.com/mzw6c7 >>> Mobile Technologies In Libraries: A Perpetual Bibliography http://tinyurl.com/kulzeq >>> M-Libraries / Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki http://tinyurl.com/nbnqex >>> Amazon's Kindle(tm) Wireless Reading Device: Is It The Future Of Interlibrary Loan? http://tinyurl.com/nj3xum >>> Handheld Online Conference / June 3 2009 http://tinyurl.com/ljpnx9 >>> Infoquest: Alliance Library System Text Message Reference Service http://tinyurl.com/ny4z8b >>> Libraries Using Twitter: Academic / Research / Special Libraries http://tinyurl.com/llq8j2 >>> Who You Gonna Call?: Mediated Phone Reference Services For The CellPhone User http://tinyurl.com/lkmpp5 >>> The Handheld Librarian Blog http://tinyurl.com/kny8jq >>> Twittering Libraries Wiki http://tinyurl.com/p7cnf4 >>> Report: M-Libraries: Information Use On The Move http://tinyurl.com/kj46mv >>> DukeUniversityMobile http://tinyurl.com/lwem7y >>> The Evolution of Mobile Teaching and Learning http://tinyurl.com/m79s9m Enjoy ! BTW: If You Are Aware Of Any / All Significant and Substantive Mobile Libraries Activities, Please Do Share With Me And I Will Profile In The _Mobile Libraries_ Blog Regards, /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 gerrymck(a)iastate.edu There Are No Answers, Only Solutions / Olde Irish Saying The Future Is Already Here, It's Just Not Evenly Distributed / Attributed To William Gibson, SciFi Author / Coined 'Cyberspace'

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Introducing myself
by Mariana Matos 08 Jul '09

08 Jul '09

Hello there! I've been on the list for almost 2 months, but, until now, I've just read what people were writing. And I must say there are many interesting topics being discussed! However, I'd like to introduce myself and share with you all information about my research subject. I'm a psychologist from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a PhD student at PUC-Rio (the Catholic University). I'm part of a group of researchers who have been studying the psychological and social impacts of the use of technology such as the Internet, cell phones, games, and some others. The group is leaded by Professor Ana Maria Nicolaci-da-Costa, who's been researching on this subject since the very beggining of the use of Internet in Brazil. My research in on the habit of writing scraps, on Orkut (the most popular social network site in Brazil), to people who died and left their profiles active. As you should know, if someone dies, the profile may still be active, what happens if no one deletes it or asks the site to delete it. I've been observing that a substantial number of dead people's profile receive a great amount of messages, writen often by close friends and family. In these messages, they "talk" about their feelings, tell the dead about their quotidian (i.e. what they did in the weekend), talk about their memories etc. I have the impression that this is a brazilian phenomenon, and I'd like to ask you if you see something similar in your countries, even if people use other SNS, like Facebook or any other. Do you know people who died and let their profiles? Do you know if they still receive messages, even if more than one year have passed since the death? Best regards, Mariana Matos-Silva PhD Student PUC-Rio Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

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Internet Festival at Liverpool John Moores University (Registration)
by Akthar, Iqbal 08 Jul '09

08 Jul '09

Internet on the Move: Mobility, Technology and Everyday Life <mailto:I.Akthar@ljmu.ac.uk> Friday, 17 July 2009 10am - 3pm Liverpool John Moores University, UK Confirmed Speakers Frauke Behrendt (Visiting Assistant Professor at Rhode Island School of Design) Fiona Torrance (Liverpool John Moores University) Deirdre Hynes (Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University) Jean-Christophe Plantin (University of Paris) Karenza Moore - Keynote Speaker (Lecturer at Lancaster University) Nickianne Moody (Principal Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University) Registration To register please email your details (name, post, institution, email and phone number) to Iqbal Akthar at I.Akthar(a)ljmu.ac.uk ( Last day of registration is 15 July 2009)

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Systems Officer
by Alex Halavais 07 Jul '09

07 Jul '09

Hello, all, I will also renew a call for a Systems Officer. This is an appointed member of the Executive, free from the meddling influence of lobbyists and special interests that are a part of "politics as usual." Or something. Oh, and it's been me for the last few years, and Jeremy Hunsinger for the many years before that. So, here's a little bit about what I do. Mostly, I try to make sure the website is working, things get backed up, new systems are implemented, and generally respond to the needs of the executive and the membership. Oh, and if you've ever emailed "help(a)aoir.org" that's me--so I guess I am the point of contact that makes sure that emails get to the right place. If you would like to take this on, you should have *some* technical abilities. That is, FTP should not scare you, and you maybe have built or maintained a website before. If you are able to do that, and you are willing to learn while on the job, I think you'll be fine. (If you have a bit of experience administering Wordpress and Drupal, and maybe are OK with dealing with MySQL, even better!) Of course, you also should be ready and willing to help with the overall governance of the Association and participate in the activities of the Executive Committee. If you are interested, please drop an email to Sabryna (sabrynac(a)niu.edu) or to me (help(a)aoir.org) If you aren't sure if you are interested, talk to me, and I'll try to convince you that you are. Best, Alex -- // // This email is // [x] assumed public and may be blogged / forwarded. // [ ] assumed to be private, please ask before redistributing. // // Alexander C. Halavais, ciberflâneur // http://alex.halavais.net //

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Swansea PhD Scholarships in the School of Arts and Humanities (UK)
by David M. Berry 07 Jul '09

07 Jul '09

*Swansea PhD Scholarships in the School of Arts and Humanities (UK) *Ten fully funded PhD scholarships covering UK/EU fees and a maintenance award at AHRC rates for three years. Closing Date: 31 July 2009 Applications are welcome from well-qualified candidates from the UK and EU, whose research topic could be supervised at Swansea. Applicants should have a background in the Arts and Humanities. The scholarships are available to new PhD students only, for full or part-time study. We welcome proposals which match the research priorities of our centres: for further details visit the research pages for Arts <_http://www.swansea.ac.uk/arts/research/_> and Humanities <_http://www.swansea.ac.uk/humanities/_> . *Further information:* Over 140 academics work in a wide range of the Arts and Humanities at Swansea. Two of these scholarships will be in the form of Graduate Teaching Assistantships with a requirement to offer six hours teaching each week in any field of history. *How to Apply: * Applicants should submit their CV and research proposal by 31 July 2009. Projects will commence from 21 September 2009. *Contact:* Professor Helen Fulton School of Arts and Humanities Keir Hardie Building Swansea University Swansea SA2 8PP Phone: 01792 602417 Fax: 01792 295761 Email: h.e.fulton(a)swansea.ac.uk <mailto:h.e.fulton@swansea.ac.uk> *PLEASE NOTE*: in addition to the scholarship application, applicants _must_ apply separately to the University Admissions Office for a place in order to be eligible for a scholarship. This application must also be received by _July 31_. The proposal must be included with this form as well, along with references and full details of academic qualifications. Details of the procedure and the on-line application form are available at: www.swansea.ac.uk/research/PostgraduateResearch/ApplyingforaResearchDegree <http://www.swansea.ac.uk/research/PostgraduateResearch/ApplyingforaResearch…>

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ASIS&T AM Program now online
by Richard Hill 07 Jul '09

07 Jul '09

The preliminary program for the ASIST Annual Meeting, Thriving on Diversity - Information Opportunities in a Pluralistic World, November 6-11, 2009, Hyatt Regency Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is now available and registration is open at http://www.asis.org/Conferences/AM09/ - 45 contributed papers - 44 reviewed panel sessions -105 posters. New feature: An Industry Session on Monday morning comprises two parts: the first, �Eyes on the Future: Trends in Information Technology�, presents a panel of leaders from industry; the second, �A Glimpse of the Cutting Edge in Information Applications,� will focus on product demonstrations. - Opening Plenary Session on Sunday afternoon is Tim Bray, currently Director of Web Technologies at Sun Microsystems. - Wednesday plenary will be a Pecha Kucha session, �Diversity in Digital Information Environments: Opportunity or Chaos?� with Grant Campbell, Andrew Dillon, Allison Druin, Gary Marchionini, Cathy Marshall, Candy Schwartz and Elaine Toms. Pre-conference seminars are Fri, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7. http://www.asis.org/Conferences/AM09/seminars.html See you in Vancouver! Dick Hill Richard Hill Executive Director American Society for Information Science and Technology 1320 Fenwick Lane, Suite 510 Silver Spring, MD 20910 FAX: (301) 495-0810 (301) 495-0900

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gentle reminder - AoIR elections
by Charles Ess 07 Jul '09

07 Jul '09

Hi all, very happily, we've received a very good number of most excellent nominations for all of the positions in our upcoming elections. But just in case there's someone "out there" who should be added to the list (and please remember, self-nominations are perfectly appropriate), a gentle reminder of our election schedule and process - please note that nominations for officers close on 15. July, and nominations for the 1 grad student and 3 open seats close on 30. July. cheers and all best, - c. == AoIR has now commenced the process of electing a new Executive Committee to take office in October of this year to serve until October 2011. We are seeking members' interest in nominating for the new executive and providing notice for everyone of the voting timeline and procedures. Here is an overview of the election timeline, procedures and positions for nomination, as determined strictly by the Association's by-laws. Voting instructions will be provided later and separately. **Please note the different timing for officers and other positions** TIME FRAME OF THE ELECTION: 1. Call for Nominations: opens June 8, 2009 2. Nominations close for the 4 officer positions: July 15, 2009 Nominations close for the 1 grad student and 3 open seats on the executive: July 30, 2009 3. Ballot sent to members August 7, 2009 4. Voting begins: August 10, 2009 (Ballot-counter to be announced by 1. August, 2009) 5. Voting ends for 4 officer positions: August 24, 2009 Voting ends for 1 grad student and 3 open seats: September 7, 2009 The new committee is formally announced and assumes its duties at the end of the Annual General Meeting during the AoIR conference, 7-11 October 2009. (Specific time of the AGM to be announced soon.) During the period of voting, a forum will be available for discussion with candidates. Candidates' statements will also be made available with the ballot sent to members. A QUICK ORGANIZATIONAL PRIMER: The organizational structure of AoIR is simple. There are 4 officers, 3 open seat representatives, 1 graduate student representative and 2 appointed positions who together with the Immediate Past President make up the 11-member executive committee that runs the show. Elected officials hold their positions for two years. In this election, you are invited to nominate yourself or anyone else whom you think would do a good job, for any position other than the President - the current Vice President assumes the Presidency. Here are brief descriptions of positions 1. President: the "CEO", supervises the organization, performs certain legally required duties. [The Current VP becomes the President] 2. Vice President: "back up" for President, various duties as they arise; *becomes President after 2 years* 3. Secretary: Handles records and membership matters. 4. Treasurer: liaises with Secretary to maintain membership records; takes care of financial and related administrative duties (e.g., annual report to membership and U.S. tax authorities), including close attention to the annual Internet Research (IR) conference budget. 5. Graduate Student Representative: responsible for running graduate student activities (must be a grad student, but all can vote) 6-8. Open Committee Seats: Three open Seats on the Executive Committee Represent membership of AoIR, contribute to decision making. Take responsibility for specific projects or activities to promote the association within their term. 9-10. Appointed positions to manage systems and email lists 11. Immediate Past President Candidates should also familiarise themselves formal statement of duties and responsibilities in the Association's by-laws: <http://aoir.org/?page_id=10> NOMINATIONS AND ELECTION PROCESSES Only a member of AoIR can run for a position, nominated by anyone. If nominated for more than one position a nominee must choose to run for one (and only one) position in this election. You may nominate yourself or another person (or people). Self Nominations: Email AoIR Secretary Sabryna Cornish <sabrynac(a)niu.edu> and indicate the position for which you are nominating and you will be added to the list of nominees. Please provide, in your nomination email a short candidate statement addressing the questions below. Nominating Others: Email AoIR Secretary Sabryna Cornish <sabrynac(a)niu.edu> with the name of the person you want to nominate, the position for which you are nominating this person, contact information for that person, and an indication of whether you know if this person would accept this nomination (if you don't know, we'll contact them and ask). All candidates for election will be required to provide answers to the questions listed at the end of this email, have the answers posted to the AoIR election forum website, and participate in an online candidate forum. In addition the Graduate Student candidates must confirm in their response that they comply with the by-laws: the Graduate Student Representative must be actively enrolled in a degree program at the time of nomination and election and intends to be enrolled for the coming northern academic year (defined to be September 2009-June 2010) The voting system used by AoIR is one vote per member for each of the seven positions for election listed above. Votes are counted by a ballot counter who is a member of the Association but not a member of the executive. In the case of the four officers, the candidate with the highest number of votes shall be declared the winner; in the case of the open seats, the three candidates with the highest, second-highest and third highest votes shall be declared the winners of the open seats. In the case of the Graduate Student representative, the candidate with the highest number of votes shall be declared the winner In the case of tied results for the officer positions, the winner shall be determined by the ballot counter, by drawing of lots, using a method that ensures each of the tying candidates has an equal chance of success and witnessed by at least 1 person independent of the association. In the case of tied results for the open seat positions, the drawing of lots shall be used only when there are more tied candidates than seats available. QUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATES 1) What is your interest in this position? 2) What are your qualifications for this position (including prior experience and participation in AoIR)? 3) What are two or three short-term goals you would like to achieve through membership of the executive (include a rationale for each and how you would contribute to their achievement)? 4) What is your long-term vision for AoIR? 5) What else should voters consider when deciding whether or not to vote for you? In answering the questions, please be concise and give information specific to the position for which you are nominating and which will permit voters to assess your case for election to that position. In closing - please consider carefully contributing your time and energy to making AoIR even better in the upcoming years! I would also encourage persons interested in running for a specific position to contact the current office-holder(s) with any specific questions, etc.

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online health information
by Dr. Dina Ralt 07 Jul '09

07 Jul '09

Based on its search engine ranking and page view statistics, the English Wikipedia is a prominent source of online health information compared to the other online health information providers studied. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 2009, 16(4),471-479 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7CPS-4WNB0TY-8&_u… This is despite the data of Wikipedia that are less complete, and that has more errors of omission than the comparator database. Ann Pharmacother. 2008;42(12):1814-1821 Dr. Dina Ralt http://nettingno.blogspot.com/ Tl: 972-3-5224750 Cellular: 972-52-8000210 Skype - dinaralt1 Life is too short to be in a hurry...

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