CfP: Studying User Perceptions and Experiences with Algorithms Workshop ICWSM 2017 – Montreal, Canada May 15th, 2017 The 11th International Conference on Web and Social Media (ICWSM-17) *Overview:*
From Facebook’s News Feed algorithm that shapes the posts and updates we see, to Spotify’s recommendation service that introduces us to new music that we might love, to dating site algorithms that attempt to match us with potential romantic partners, algorithms play an increasingly important role in shaping many aspects of our daily lives. We seek to bring together a community of researchers interested in taking a human-centered perspective on studying the experience of algorithms.
To this end, we will be holding a half-day workshop on Monday, May 15th, 2017 in Montreal, Canada. The objective of this workshop is to articulate the grand challenges of studying the user-algorithm relationship and to bring together participants interested in developing projects to address these grand challenges. This workshop is action oriented, and we welcome participants from a variety of disciplinary perspectives who are interested in starting new projects on studying user perceptions and experiences with algorithms or who are in the early stages of an ongoing project. This workshop is part of the International Conference on Weblogs and Social Media (ICWSM). *Participation:* Participants must submit a 1 – 2 page position paper to studyingusers@gmail.com by March 4, 2017 (see important dates). The submissions will be evaluated by the Organizing Committee on the basis of quality and fit to the workshop theme. The position papers may address any of the following: + What are the grand challenges of studying user perceptions and experiences with algorithms? + What are the methodological or theoretical entry points for studying this relationship? + A potential empirical study or an early stage project dealing with user perceptions and experiences with algorithms. + Design implication or policy position papers that address how we can design systems such that users can better identify algorithmically mediated experiences or can better understand how specific algorithms work. Topic areas might include things such as: trust in algorithms, user belief about how algorithms work, algorithmically mediated experience, transparency and algorithm black-boxing, how different groups of users engage with algorithms, filter bubbles, user interventions with algorithms, or the discursive construction of algorithms. There will be no formal Proceedings for the work submitted. *Important Dates:* + Proposal Submission: March 4, 2017 + Proposal Notification: March 16, 2017 *Contact Info:* More information about the workshop can be found at: www.studyingusers.org You can reach the organizers with any questions at studyingusers@gmail.com -- ----- Nicholas Proferes Postdoctoral Scholar @ Ethics and Values in Design Lab College of Information Studies University of Maryland, College Park