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2024 AoIR Dissertation Award Nominations
by Michelle, Association of Internet Researchers 18 Apr '24

18 Apr '24

The Association of Internet Researchers is pleased to call for submissions for the 2024 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 2023 calendar year. Nominations (self and other) must be received by 17 May 2024. 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 to dissertationaward [at] aoir.org - The graduate or their supervisor must be a member of AoIR (by 17 May 2024) - Self-nominations are permitted - Filed in 2023 (meaning fully defended, all edits complete, filed/published with a 2023 copyright) The recipient of this award will be announced mid-year 2024. In addition to winning a cash prize, the individual will be presented an award during the AGM at #AoIR2024 conference in November.. The committee this year is comprised of Alan Shaw-Leeds Beckett University (Chair), Amelia Johns-University of Technology Sydney, Walter LaMendola-University of Denver, Stephen McConnell-New York University, Sarah Murray-University of Michigan For any questions please contact Alan Shaw dissertationaward [at] aoir.org or Nicholas John prez [at] aoir.org.

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CFP: Workshop on Generative AI as a method in social sciences
by Vigren Minna 18 Apr '24

18 Apr '24

Hello, We are excited to invite you to the workshop ”Generative AI as a method in social sciences”. We appreciate help in circulating the call with colleagues working on the topic. Workshop descriptions and questions In this half-day hybrid workshop, we focus on exploring different ways of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and how it could be used as a method in social scientific research, and what ethical and practical considerations are implied. We invite researchers working on the topic to submit an abstract (maximum 300 words) by May 13 to miguel.gomezhernandez(a)monash.edu<mailto:miguel.gomezhernandez@monash.edu>. The notifications on acceptance will be sent out on May 27. The methodological papers on the use of GenAI in research can present research ideas, ongoing projects, or research findings. In exploring the practical examples of methods and methodologies involving GenAI we would expect the proposal to state a clear contribution, for example by accounting for at least one of the following questions: 1. How does the use of GenAI in research methods shift the ways we can research and the qualities of the knowledge we can generate? What are the benefits of this? 2. What are the ethical considerations of engaging with GenAI as a research method? 3. How do we unpack what is and is not meaningful to understand in the datasets and classifications when using GenAI as a research method? 4. How should researchers address the political economies of the construction of AI systems when using GenAI as a research method? 5. How might the wider planetary consequences of using GenAI as a research method frame our research practices and methods? 6. How can critical researchers engage in decolonising GenAI systems when using them as a method? How can we resist the hegemonic and often naturalised narratives of the AI industry and provide alternatives that frame the use of these technologies as a research method? 7. How can GenAI be applied as a research method in research projects whose objective is to generate a radical reimagining of AI's technological development and role in society? Workshopping dynamic: We will have two sessions with presentations (10 minutes each) and 20 minutes of Q&A. The second session is dedicated to online presenters. Please prepare your presentations being mindful of the time and the readability of the content. After an afternoon tea and coffee break, in our last session, we will divide the participants in groups and ask them to agree on 3 key insights from the previous presentations and prepare a short showcase arguing for them. This group exercise will enable us to move forward planning future collaborations and discussions. Key information Date: 27/6, 1.00 pm - 6 pm AEST * Hybrid: online and in Melbourne (Australia) * Location: Building 97, RMIT University, 106-108 Victoria St, Carlton VIC 3053 * CFP Deadline: May 13 * Notification of acceptance: May 27 If you have any questions, please contact miguel.gomezhernandez(a)monash.edu<mailto:miguel.gomezhernandez@monash.edu> The workshop is organised in collaboration with Emerging Technologies Lab, Monash node of ADM+S, and research project Imagining Sustainable Digital Futures (Aalto University, Finland). On behalf of the organising team, Minna ******** Dr. Minna Vigren Imagining Sustainable Digital Futures (Research Council of Finland postdoc project) Information Networks / Department of Computer Science (room A214) Aalto University (Finland) https://www.minnavigren.net Ketonen-Oksi, S. & Vigren, M. (2024). Methods to imagine transformative futures. An integrative literature review. Futures 157, article number 103341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2024.103341 Vigren, M. (2024). Imagining alternative mediated futures: Critical speculation as a method. In SAGE Research Methods: Diversifying and Decolonising Research. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529692563 Ylipulli, J. & Vigren, M. (2023). From skilled users to critical citizens? Imagining and future-making as part of digital citizenship. In D. Radovanović (ed.) Digital Literacy and Inclusion: Stories, Platforms, Communities (pp.15–31). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30808-6_2

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Join us in this workshop about video games and work in Latin America
by ivan flores 17 Apr '24

17 Apr '24

Hello everyone, I'm sharing this invitation to participate in a workshop on video games and work in Latin America, which will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico in July of this year. We are looking for researchers who have conducted studies with video gamers or employees in the industry. We hope that this space will help us discuss our findings and challenges in the field with the aim of building and strengthening bonds to collaborate in the future. You can present in either English or Spanish, and participation can be in person or online. I'm sharing the link where you can find more information: https://relatamevj.wordpress.com/2024/04/11/workshop-para-digra-2024/ -iván PhD in Anthropological Sciences Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, México. https://bento.me/iv-an

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Call for abstracts | Mediaflows Conference '24: Citizenship in the Digital Media Sphere
by DAFNE CALVO MIGUEL 17 Apr '24

17 Apr '24

Call for abstracts Citizenship in the Digital Media Sphere University of Valencia, Spain (September, 18-20th) The contestation among various political and social entities to exert control over communication channels within the public sphere encompasses the manipulation of agenda-setting and the domains in which such discourse transpires. This contention is exacerbated within the contemporary milieu characterised by a surplus of content, predominantly disseminated through electronic mediums, and public attention often indifferent to the criterion of informational quality. Regardless of their professional status, the purveyors of these messages—be they verified, misrepresented, or intentionally false—vie for the attention of identical audiences (Bennett & Livingston, 2022). Digital platforms have significantly augmented the accessibility, visibility, and sway of social, political, and institutional actors within and beyond the confines of political communication. Meanwhile, traditional media, having also staked a claim within this hybrid environment (Chadwick, 2013), are experiencing a partial erosion of their influence over public opinion (Bennett & Iyengar, 2008). Within this paradigm, the strategic manoeuvres of incumbent and oppositional political leaders are profoundly shaped by the evolving dynamics of public expression and social discourse. These dynamics encompass a multitude of actors, effects, and communicative processes, collectively contributing to the intricate tapestry of public opinion (López García, 2017). Political communication necessitates alignment with the prevailing societal issues and sensitivities that citizens seek to address or resolve. Public opinion does not materialise spontaneously but rather necessitates leadership both from above—within the political and power echelons—and from below —manifested through social entities such as groups, movements, or associations— (Grossi, 2007). Historically, the media assumed the responsibility of curating, accentuating, and directing attention towards specific topics, perspectives, and controversies, thereby shaping public discourse. Furthermore, they played a pivotal role in promoting, bolstering, framing, interpreting, and guiding certain concepts and symbols, subsequently becoming focal points for public deliberation and negotiation. However, with the advent of communicative capitalism (Dean, 2005), the centrality of social networks has engendered a diversification in the functions of the media, leading towards the emergence of a post-media public sphere (López García, 2022). Consequently, there has been a discernible attenuation in the traditionally mediating role of broadcasters, accompanied by a reconfiguration of the roles assumed by various social and political actors within the communication realm. In this milieu, formerly confined to a predominantly passive role, citizens now assume a multifaceted position characterised by their engagement in the reception, generation, exchange, and dissemination of diverse forms of information (Calvo & Campos, 2021). The transition from passive audiences has led to scholarly inquiries reevaluating citizen involvement within the digital media sphere. This paradigm shift has given rise to various phenomena, notably, mobilisations catalysed by expressions of indignation and outrage (Killen, 2023). Through digital communication channels, such mobilisations validate experiences originating from peripheral public spheres, thereby acquiring the potential to permeate broader societal discourse, as exemplified by the phenomenon of angry voters. Conversely, a burgeoning segment of the populace increasingly shuns traditional news sources, gravitating instead toward entertainment products that espouse political fandom and epitomise pop politics (Mazzoleni, 2019). This conference endeavours to juxtapose traditional and emerging manifestations of political leadership, strategy, and agenda-setting within a contemporary milieu characterised by intense competition for public attention and ideological filtration. Notably, social media platforms have assumed a pivotal role as conduits for disseminating and discussing political information in recent years. The overarching objective is to foster discourse that critically examines the intricate interplay between these spheres in political communication. The structured program envisages the active participation of scholarly experts specialising in this domain alongside pertinent representatives from the political and social arenas. Beyond merely scrutinising the interconnections between the agendas of diverse stakeholders and the traditionally ascribed hegemony of mass media—both traditional and digital—the conference aspires to comprehend the underlying mechanisms driving the clash of interests and socio-political forces as reflected in their thematic priorities and dynamics within the public domain. Moreover, the conference seeks to delve into controversies emerging across various spheres of societal life (Palau & López-García, 2022). Thematic lines: * The role of the public in the digital media sphere. * Participatory democracy and audience democracy. * Social activism in the digital era. * New opinion leaders and their impact on public discourse. * Theoretical approaches to citizen participation. * Building the public agenda in the digital environment. * Radicalisation, extremism and anti-democratic threats. * Challenges of media intermediation. * Social and political consequences of polarisation. * Information disorder and journalism deterioration. Important Dates: * Deadline for abstract submissions: February 21st to May 15th. * Notification of accepted/rejected papers: June 1st. * Final program release: June 15th. Abstract Submission Guidelines: * Abstracts (max 500 words) in Word format, including title and keywords. * Must align with at least one thematic line. * Accepted in Valencian/Catalan, Spanish, English, and Portuguese. * Anonymous evaluation process. Registration: * Fee: 120 euros; reduced rate of 80 euros for pre-doctoral students and unemployed researchers. * The conference provides two grants for pre-doctoral researchers, covering travel, accommodation, and registration fees. * Attendance and presentation registration is mandatory. Certificates will be issued bearing the signatures of all paper authors, contingent upon their presentation of research at the congress. Publications: * Accepted papers may be submitted for evaluation to contribute to a monograph in an indexed journal or a book by a leading publisher. Contact: * Comprehensive details and contact information for the conference can be found on its official website: https://eventos.adeit.es/112074/detail/congreso-mediaflows-2024.html.

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Re: [Air-L] New Report: Northern Lights and Silicon Dreams: AI Governance in Canada (2011-2022)
by Fenwick Mckelvey 17 Apr '24

17 Apr '24

Dr. Jonathan Roberge and I are pleased to announce the publication of the Canadian team's second report for the international Shaping AI <https://www.shapingai.org/>project on AI Governance in Canada (2011-2022) based on research coordinated by Dr. Sophie Toupin and myself. *Read the report here: https://www.amo-oma.ca/en/ai-policy-report/ <https://www.amo-oma.ca/en/ai-policy-report/>* You can read more in a co-published piece with Joanna Redden in the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/the-federal-governments-proposed-ai-legislation… Our key findings: 1. Canadian AI governance focuses on economic and industrial policy. National symbolic investment in AI dampens critical discussion about the technology and its risks. 2. AI governance is uncoordinated and lacks clear mandates for consultation and effective mechanisms of feedback, which impedes good governance and public participation. 3. AI policy is marked by notable silences on key issues, including Indigenous rights and data sovereignty, the creative and cultural sectors, and the environmental impact of AI. 4. The Government of Canada is a key site of AI development and deployment that remains understudied in current legislation. The chapters cover a range of topics, including: - the Canadian government’s algorithmic impact assessment - ethics and federal AI procurement - public consultations on the use of facial recognition technologies - the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research’s involvement in AI research and policy - the use of racially biased AI technology in Canada’s immigration system Highlighting the need to improve consultation and public participation in AI governance, the report questions the assumptions behind the development of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act and its inclusion in Bill C-27. AIDA’s passage raises larger concerns about digital policy development and governance, accountability, and oversight in Canada. Shaping AI <https://shapingai.org> is part of a multinational and multidisciplinary social research project that examines the global trajectories of public discourse on AI in four countries (Germany, UK, Canada, and France) over a ten-year period, 2012-2021. Funded by the European Open Research Area, Shaping AI brings together leading research teams from each of the four countries under scrutiny. -- Be good, Fenwick

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ReDMIL 2024 doctoral summer school - call for applications
by Pierre Fastrez 17 Apr '24

17 Apr '24

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Doctoral Summer School - Research on Digital, Media and Information Literacy (ReDMIL 2024) “From mass media to generative AI: Charting the (dis)continuities in literacies” 9-12th September 2024 Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) – Université catholique de Louvain Application deadline : May 15th 2024 Contact : info-redmil(a)uclouvain.be<mailto:info-redmil@uclouvain.be> Website : https://www.redmil.info/ CONTEXT The rise of new technologies is shaking up the way people interact with digital media and information. The recent and widespread release of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and applications sparked a lot of questions about their impact on users and the societies in which they live. Such potential changes need to be put into a historical perspective: with each technological innovation came hopes and fears related to their putative effects on society, often through the lens of techno-determinism. >From mass media to the information age, to digital transmedia, to generative AI, the world contemplated the dawn of the information society and the democratization of access to knowledge, the advent of citizen participation for all, or the potential of persistent virtual worlds (the “metaverse”), transhumanism and augmented reality. At the same time, as many concerns have grown across social discourses on media, information, and technology: from screen passivity and addictions to media violence and pornography, from online sexual predators and cyberbullying to fake news and conspiracy theories, from infobesity to generalized data surveillance and the collapse of our democratic societies in the post-truth era, etc. At each of these stages, individuals and social groups have developed various forms of literacies to thrive in a world populated with these technologies and to mitigate their potential deleterious effects. With every significant technological innovation, a need to reassess the role of media / information / digital literacies arises and, with it, the temptation to reinvent them to "keep pace" with evolving technologies. With such reinvention comes the risk of changing the target, scattering the benefits of educational initiatives, and losing sight of the whole picture of what (new) literacies are and what they support. CHARTING THE (DIS)CONTINUITIES IN LITERACIES The theme for this year’s edition of the ReDMIL summer school is: “Charting the (dis)continuities in literacies”. We wish to inject a historical dimension into our examination of research in media / information / digital literacy and devote some of our attention to the changes in media, media practices, audiences and user communities, but also in imaginaries and narratives that embody the hopes and fears we place in media and information technology. We want to ask what these changes force us to reconsider in research on media / information / digital literacy, how they are accompanied by changes in the way we theorize media, information, technology and literacies, the way we conceive our research methods, our epistemologies, and our axiological positions. In reflecting on these developments, we are more attentive to continuities than to chiasms and so-called paradigm shifts. Our summer school intends to bring together young researchers who are challenged by these issues with the objective of considering these questions in a long-term perspective. * How can research account for generational changes in people’s relationship to media without getting muddled up in the use of pseudo-concepts (e.g. the myth of the “digital native”)? * How are age-old conceptual debates (protectionism vs. empowerment, cognitive vs. socio-cultural approaches to literacies, the complementarity of critical thinking and participation, …) challenged or reinvigorated by the evolution of digital media practices? * How do our methods evolve to integrate the aspiration for more inclusiveness, for an increased attention to marginalized or under-represented user communities, or for the decolonization of the media? * What epistemologies can we devise when agentivity and knowledge may no longer be the prerogative of the human being alone? * What kind of new avenues for research do technical innovations open? * What are the disciplinary convergences that these evolutions call for? How can interdisciplinarity be channeled to strengthen research on new literacies? SCOPE AND GOAL OF THE REDMIL 2024 LITERACY DOCTORAL SUMMER SCHOOL In this context, the ReDMIL 2024 doctoral summer school aims at contributing to the convergence between digital, media and information literacy research by bringing together researchers from all three communities, to foster the scientific debate and explore connections between them. The summer school is an international training program that will alternate between framing presentations by senior researchers and the in-depth discussion of emerging research by participating PhD students. Five keynotes speakers have confirmed their participation to the 2024 edition: * Gianna Cappello, University of Palermo (Italy) * Normand Landry, Université TELUQ (Canada), * Julian Sefton-Green, Deakin University (Australia), * Leo Van Audenhove, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium), * Emily Vraga, University of Minnesota (USA). The summer school is organized on September 9th-12th, 2024 by the Groupe de Recherche en Médiation des Savoirs (Knowledge Mediation Research Group) at the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium, in partnership with the Canada Research Chair in Media Education and Human Rights (Université TELUQ). The goal of this summer school is to allow PhD students engaged in the field of digital literacy, media literacy or information literacy: * to benefit from the expertise of renowned researchers in their field, though theoretical and methodological presentations; * to present their own research to an audience composed of these experts, as well as other PhD students and researchers; * to work collectively to the enhancement of their research work with other participants; * to improve their knowledge of the research undertaken by their peers. The Summer School will start with a poster session (Sept. 9th), followed by six half-day workshops (Sept. 10th-12th) on the following topics: * theoretical frameworks in the study of digital, media and information literacies; * epistemological issues in new literacies research; * methods for observing, documenting, and assessing literacies and their associated educational practices and policies; * designing research with social relevance and valorizing research results in society. Each half-day workshop will open with one plenary talk by renowned experts, followed by a session focused on the research work of the participating PhD students, exploring them from the perspectives developed in the plenary talks. In addition to presenting an outline of their work at the opening poster session, each participating PhD student will have the opportunity to present their work in up to two sessions, on two different topics. In relation to the theme of the 2024’s edition “From mass media to generative AI: Charting the (dis)continuities in literacies“, participants will be invited to question the axiological positions that underly their research. The Summer School will also allow for numerous informal interactions (including a networking dinner) between experts, researchers, and PhD students. Participation and presentation from PhD students at the ReDMIL Summer School will be rewarded by 5 ECTS (or equivalent) for their doctoral training. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS The summer school is targeted at PhD students who develop their research in the following areas: * the study of new literacies: observing, documenting and/or assessing new literacies; * the study of educational initiatives in media literacy, information literacy or digital literacy practiced by a variety of actors (teachers and educators, employers, associations, parents, media and tech companies, …); * the study of public policies in the fields of digital, media and information literacies at any geographical level; * or any other topic related to digital literacy, media literacy, or information literacy. PhD students wishing to present and discuss their doctoral research at the summer school are invited to submit an application, including the following: * A brief curriculum vitae (one to two pages); * A presentation of their doctoral research in a maximum of 1500 words (references not included), including the following four sections: * Problem or societal issue that their thesis intends to answer; * Research question, hypotheses (in the case of a hypothetico-deductive approach) and theoretical framework of their thesis; * Data collection and analysis method; * Expected results: the usefulness of their research, from an academic and/or societal point of view (e.g. for the world of education, for the political world, for the media industry). * An abstract of the presentation of their doctoral research in a maximum of 300 words. Applications must be sent in the form of a single file (word or pdf) including CV and presentation to this address info-redmil(a)uclouvain.be<mailto:info-redmil@uclouvain.be> by May 15th, 2024 at the latest. Candidates will be personally notified of the acceptance of their participation on June 5th. REGISTRATION Students whose application has been accepted and researchers (whether doctoral or not) wishing to attend the summer school without presenting their work will have to pay a participation fee of 120€ to partially cover the organizing costs of the events. The participation fee includes lunches, coffee breaks, and the mid-summer school dinner. Participants will have to cover their own travel and accommodation costs. For the participants affiliated with institutions based in the European Union, this summer school should fall withing the conditions to obtain an ERASMUS+ travel funding. Participants are invited to get in touch with the ERAMUS+ coordinator of their home institution. Doctoral students for whom these costs would be an obstacle to participation can contact the organization directly to try to find a solution. [https://cdn.uclouvain.be/groups/cms-editors-univ/UCLouvain_Logo_72px_1.jpg]<http://www.uclouvain.be/> Pierre Fastrez<http://www.uclouvain.be/pierre.fastrez> Maître de recherches F.R.S.-FNRS IL&C<http://www.uclouvain.be/ilc> > RECOM<http://www.uclouvain.be/recom> | ESPO<http://www.uclouvain.be/espo> > COMU<http://www.uclouvain.be/comu> Ruelle de la Lanterne Magique, 14 bte 2.03.02 - B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Tél. 32 (0)10 47 29 14 - Fax 32 (0)10 47 30 44 [https://cdn.uclouvain.be/groups/cms-editors-grems/9780367492649.png]New book! Media Literacy and Media Education Research Methods: A Handbook<https://www.routledge.com/Media-Literacy-and-Media-Education-Research-Metho…> Edited by Pierre Fastrez and Normand Landry. 2024. Routledge. A fifteen-chapter handbook that provides a detailed, illustrated overview of key methods used in the study of media literacy and media education, grouped in three categories of investigation: media practices, educational initiatives, and prescriptive discourses.

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36th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering: Call for Participation
by Announce 17 Apr '24

17 Apr '24

*** Call for Participation *** 36th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE'24) June 3-7, 2024, 5* St. Raphael Resort and Marina, Limassol, Cyprus https://cyprusconferences.org/caise2024/<https://cyprusconferences.org/caise2024/registration/> (*** Early Bird Registration: May 1, 2024 ***) ( *** Registration site: https://cyprusconferences.org/caise2024/registration/ ***) CAiSE is the premier conference series for information systems engineering. It offers a meeting space for presentation of recent research results, discussion about trends and futures of information systems engineering, and interaction between researchers and practitioners. Registration is now open, Early-bird registration is possible until May 1, 2024. See all CAiSE’24 speakers, the conference venue and the social events. Highlights of the conference: RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTARIONS • 36 high quality research paper presentations • CAiSE Forum: presentations and discussions of 10 innovative vision papers and 8 tool demos • Journal-first paper presentations – of selected papers on IS Engineering topics that were published in journals this year • Research projects exhibition KEYNOTES AND PANELS • Keynote by Prof. J. Mark Bishop: The colour of cognition: from abstract computation to the lived mind • Keynote by Prof. David Harel: Two Projects on Human Interaction with AI • Panel on the use of generative AI for IS engineering research and academic writing TUTORIALS • Orlenys López Pintado and David Chapela-Campa: Data-driven Business Process Simulation: From Event Logs to Tools and Techniques • Diego Calvanese and Davide Lanti: Designing Virtual Knowledge Graphs • Henrik Leopold: How to Conduct Valid Information Systems Engineering Research? • Luiz Olavo Bonino: FAIR Data Train: A FAIR-compliant distributed data and services platform • Massimo Mecella: Engineering Information Systems with LLMs and AI-based techniques WORKING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS • Working conference on Business Process Modeling, Development and Support (BPMDS) • Working conference on Exploring Modelling Methods for Systems Analysis and Design (EMMSAD) • 6 workshops: on Agile Methods for Information Systems Engineering, Blockchain for Information Systems and Blockchain for Trusted Data Sharing, Hybrid Artificial Intelligence and Enterprise Modelling for Intelligent Information Systems, Knowledge Graphs for Semantics-driven Systems Engineering, Enterprise & Organizational Modeling and Simulation, Digital Transformation with Business Process Mining SOCIAL EVENTS • Workshop and co-located events dinner with typical Cypriot food and atmosphere • Welcome reception and cocktail • A tour and a conference dinner in Aphrodite Hill’s Village • A beach party with drinks and dancing

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How to do research in a digital world: Webinar from the Center for Advanced Internet Studies
by Janet Salmons 17 Apr '24

17 Apr '24

How to do research in a digital world: Live from the Center for Advanced Internet Studies I've just started a residency at the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) in Bochum, Germany where I am refining and updating models and materials for qualitative online researchers. I'm one of 7 fellows from across the globe, all working on amazing projects. Lucky for you, two of them have agreed to discuss what they are doing and share lessons learned: Azadeh Shams, M.A., “Digital Feminist Activism and Imagining the Future: Case Study of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” Movement in Iran” Prof. Dr. Edlyne E. Anugwom, “The Gig Economy and Labour Precarity In Nigeria: Evidence from the Fintech Sector” Dr. Esther Laufer, CAIS College director, will join us to discuss the Center’s mission. You really don't want to miss this free webinar! It is part of Sage's How to Do Research and Get Published series. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/44uhtymp (Write me off-list if you want to know more about my CAIS project.) Janet Salmons, PhD (She/her/hers) Free-Range Scholar & Creative @ https://www.salmons.blog Research Fellow 2024 at the Center for Advanced Internet Studyies Boulder, Colorado

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#jobalert: 2 phd positions in research project: “Open geospatial data at the intersection of digital commoning, digital humanitarianism, and digital capitalism: Transformations and tensions in OpenStreetMap” @UniFAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
by Glasze, Georg 17 Apr '24

17 Apr '24

2 phd positions in research project: “Open geospatial data at the intersection of digital commoning, digital humanitarianism, and digital capitalism: Transformations and tensions in OpenStreetMap” The German Research Foundation funded research project “Open geospatial data at the intersection of digital commoning, digital humanitarianism, and digital capitalism: Transformations and tensions in OpenStreetMap” investigates transformations and tensions in the field of open geodata, digital commons and volunteered geographic information. It analyses the growing role of commercial platforms and humanitarian actors in OpenStreetMap (OSM). The research project starts from the premise that there is a tension between the ethos of OSM as a project that builds on local knowledge and practices of digital commoning and the concerns about distanced and data-extractivist practices of institutional actors on the other hand. These concerns are raised in particular by decolonial and feminist voices within the OSM community and raise questions about the power of cartography as well as organisational issues of participation, polyphony and data sovereignty. The research project asks about the changing production and use of geographic knowledge in OSM, the interactions, overlaps and conflicts between the different groups of actors and the changing governance of OSM at the intersection of digital commoning, digital humanism and digital capitalism. * Case study A focuses on the strategies and policies of the main institutional actors in OSM (commercial actors such as Meta and Microsoft, the newly established Overture Maps Foundation, and the humanitarian OSM team). Of particular interest are the relationships, conflicts and tensions between these institutional actors and key players in the OSM community. This case study is based at the Chair of Cultural Geography and Political Geography at the FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (with Prof. Glasze). * Case study B analyses the practical interactions between local communities and institutional actors at the local level. It focuses on the Philippines, a place where local OSM communities are in tense interaction with actors and concepts of digital platform capitalism and the humanitarian sector. This case study is based at the Chair of Digital Geography at MLU Halle-Wittenberg (with Prof. Michel). Prerequisites: * Completed Master’s degree in human/cultural/social geography or related fields * Very good previous academic achievements and degrees * Excellent verbal communication and academic writing skills (in English, German is a plus!) * Critical and independent thinking, ability and interest to work independently in academic research * Interest in the subject areas of the research project * Proven knowledge of empirical (qualitative and/or quantitative) social science or human geography research methods (e.g. successfully completed methods seminars etc.) * For position A, experience with the analysis of geodata/skills in the use of GIS and geovisualisation are also an advantage * For position B, experience in qualitative social research is particularly advantageous. Your application: We look forward to receiving your detailed application! Please send the following application documents to Prof. Dr. Georg Glasze, (georg.glasze(a)fau.de<mailto:georg.glasze@fau.de>) and Prof. Dr Boris Michel (boris.michel(a)geo.uni-halle.de<mailto:boris.michel@geo.uni-halle.de>) by 30 April 2024 at the latest. Please indicate which position you are applying for (or if you are interested in both positions) * Detailed curriculum vitae with attachments (e.g. courses, theses/supervision, scholarships if applicable, involvement in academic self-administration/memberships, lectures…) with date and signature * Cover letter explaining the motivation behind your application for the specific project position * Certificates: Copies of school leaving certificate, degree certificate plus transcript of records * Up to three work samples, e.g. Master’s thesis, seminar paper, publication (if available) * Optional: a letter of recommendation, e.g. from the supervisor(s) of a previous thesis If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Georg Glasze, e-mail: georg.glasze(a)fau.de<mailto:georg.glasze@fau.de> and/or Prof. Dr. Boris Michel, e-mail: boris.michel(a)geo.uni-halle.de<mailto:boris.michel@geo.uni-halle.de>,

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Conference: Imaginations of Autonomy - On Humans, AI-Based Weapon Systems and Responsibility at Machine Speed; Paderborn University, 22-24 May 2024
by Jens Hälterlein 17 Apr '24

17 Apr '24

Dear colleagues, We are delighted to announce that the conference *"Imaginations of Autonomy - On Humans, AI-Based Weapon Systems and Responsibility at Machine Speed"* will take place from Wednesday 22nd to Friday 24th May 2024 at Paderborn University, Germany. A brief description of the conference follows below. --- Autonomous Weapon Systems**(AWS) exhibit a high degree of automation. The movement of vehicles and the identification, selection and killing of targets are claimed as processes that machines can perform ‘autonomously’ or even ‘responsibly’ without human intervention. However, AWS depend on (human-made) material, technical and organizational infrastructures including big data and ‘self-learning’, opaque machine learning algorithms. As complex human/machine configurations, AWS exhibit agency beyond the clear-cut realms of machines and humans - though responsibility can only stay with humans. From this perspective, the claim of responsible AI as well as the autonomy of weapon systems can be seen as an epistemo-technoscientific as well as politically-driven imagination. However, this imagined autonomy has very real effects. It renews and strengthens promises of ‘fighting at machine speed’, and performing ‘precision strikes’. These technoscientific promises are articulated by politicians and the military; they drive hegemonic global politics and devalue discourses of and investments in diplomacy, conflict management and peace research. They legitimize arms contracts and trade as well as military research and development. Problematic effects of high automation such as automation bias, opaqueness of the systems and susceptibility to error are often overseen, underestimated or even made invisible. Against this background, the first conference of the competence network /Meaningful Human Control – Autonomous Weapon System between Regulation and Reflexion, led by Paderborn University and situated at five universities,/ aims to develop new approaches to understanding military human/machine configurations and their distributed, situational agency. Thereby, we aim to foster interdisciplinary dialogue, include non-Western positions more strongly in the debate and expand the scope with artistic perspectives and a robotic performance. --- Please find attached the preliminary programme. Participation in the conference is free of charge. However, we ask for a registration by 29.4.2024 at: https://meaningfulhumancontrol.de/registration/ Best wishes, Jens Hälterlein and Jutta Weber -- Dr. Jens Hälterlein (he/him/his) University Paderborn Department of Media Studies Warburger Straße 100 D- 33098 Paderborn Tel: +495251603346 Project: Meaningful Human Control. Autonomous Weapon Systems between Regulation and Reflexion (MEHUCO) Twitter: @JensHalterlein https://zenmem.academia.edu/JensHälterlein

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