Hi - this might hopefully be of interest to the readers of this list; please also feel free forward this call to any company or individual you know is working on web analytics, online user research tools, game player research, or with tools for multi-method Internet research. Thanks! - Frans *Invitation for Tenders: A Virtual Lab* The social, cultural and economic significance of different virtual spaces (e.g. online learning environments, virtual game worlds, social networking services) has grown steadily during the last decades. At the same time, the need for innovative research methods and tools has increased. In Finland, the Universities of Jyväskylä, Tampere and the Technical University of Tampere have opened an open call for bids for implementing a compact virtual laboratory to facilitate research and education in virtual spaces. At this stage, we are looking for proposals that specify an implementation that is particularly focused on qualitative research methods (e.g. online surveys, self-reporting, user diaries), but multi-method approach, and plans that somehow integrate quantitative and qualitative approaches are considered as a merit. The maximum cost of tenders cannot exceed 12 000 euros (VAT included). Solutions that propose utilization of open source software and implementation mashups of existing social media and analysis tools are very welcome. The Virtual Lab service will be implemented to a server which the customer will specify; the technical details will be negotiated and agreed upon with the maker of chosen bid. Further information is available from: Professor Frans Mäyrä (UTA; frans.mayra@uta.fi) and Professor Päivi Häkkinen (JYU; paivi.hakkinen@ktl.jyu.fi). The completed tenders, including possible references of earlier successful projects that are related to the fields of social media, virtual worlds and tools for analysis, are asked to send by 5th May, 2010 as an email attachment to address: paivi.hakkinen@ktl.jyu.fi. The Cluster for Excellence in Future Learning and Game Research is part of the University Alliance Finland, and a joint spearhead project of the research groups located in the University of Jyväskylä, University of Tampere, and the Technical University of Tampere. Our goal is to advance the understanding and knowhow related to online learning and gaming from both pedagogic, entertainment and technically oriented perspectives. More information about the work of research groups is available from the Internet: http://gamelab.uta.fi/ - University of Tampere, INFIM Game Research Lab http://ktl.jyu.fi/ktl/tutkimus/tvt - University of Jyväskylä, Human-centred ICT in learning and working environments https://www.jyu.fi/tutkimus/hankkeita/agl - University of Jyväskylä, Agora Game Lab http://www.tut.fi/amc - Tampere University of Technology, Advanced Multimedia Center http://matriisi.ee.tut.fi/hypermedia/en/research/ - Tampere University of Technology, Hypermedia Laboratory -- | Frans Mäyrä, PhD * Professor of Digital Culture & Game Studies | Department of Information Studies & Interactive Media /// | Games Research Lab * University of Tampere * Finland ///// | www.uta.fi/laitokset/infim/ * http://gamelab.uta.fi ////// | frans.mayra@uta.fi *gsm +358503367650 *fax +358335517503 /// | www.unet.fi/fransblog **** www.uta.fi/~frans.mayra /////////