Call for Chapter Proposals – Submission Deadline Nov. 15, 2005 For the Edited Collection Linguistic and Cultural Online Communication Issues in the Global Age Edited by Kirk St.Amant, Texas Tech University, USA INTRODUCTION TO SUBJECT AREA International online access has grown rapidly in recent years with the number of global Internet users growing by almost 2.8 million in July of 2004 alone. This increased global access, however, brings with it a variety of new conditions and concerns that could markedly affect international interactions in online environments. Differences in language, cultural communication expectations, laws, and software standards are but some of the factors individuals need to consider when using online media to interact with individuals from different countries and cultures. This collection will address these issues by exploring the various aspects that could affect communication and comprehension in international online interactions. OBJECTIVE OF PROPOSED BOOK The primary objective of this text is to provide readers with in-depth information on the various linguistic, cultural, technological, legal, and other factors that affect interactions in online exchanges. Through examining such topics, this collection would help readers make more effective decisions related to the uses and design of online media when interacting with individuals from other cultures. This primary objective would also accomplish two secondary, but equally important, objectives: • The collection would provide readers with the foundational knowledge needed to communicate effectively with individuals from other countries and cultures via online media. • The collection would provide readers with the knowledge needed to create effective online materials for users (clients, students, colleagues, etc.) from other countries and cultures. AUDIENCE FOR THIS PROPOSED TEXT The primary audience for this book would include seven groups that would use this text for a variety of reasons. These audiences/groups are: • Executives, managers, and other business decision makers • Marketers, service providers, and support personnel • Researchers (both academic and corporate) studying cross-cultural discourse in online environments • Educators who teach in online learning environments • Educational administrators who manage international students participating in online programs • Administrators of international non-profit agencies RECOMMENDED TOPICS Prospective subject areas and specific topics for this publication include, but are not limited to, the following: The Growth of Global Online Access • Historical developments affecting international Internet access and developments or trends currently affecting international online access • The global digital divide and public and private projects used to expand international Internet use. Language, Culture, and Online Communication • Linguistic and other cultural communication factors affecting online exchanges • Implications linguistic or cultural communication differences could have for future developments related to online communication • English as a global language and how cultural groups use different kinds of online media Technology, Compatibility, and International Online Discourse • Technological factors that affect if, how, and when individuals from different nations use online media to locate or to exchange information • Different kinds of software and hardware/computing technology used to interact online • Effects telecommunications infrastructures of different regions have on online access in those areas Law, Policy, and International Internet Use • Legal standards or policy stances affecting how individuals in different nations use online media • Different national privacy and copyright laws affecting the nature of international online interactions • Policies of government monitoring that affect uses of online media in different nations • Policies on infrastructure developments that affect online access in different regions Markets, Economics, and International E-commerce • Economic conditions affecting how individuals in different nations use online media • Prospects of using online media to tap overseas markets • Corporate plans for expanding online access into different regions (especially developing nations) • E-marketing practices related to global audiences • International outsourcing’s affects on online access in different regions • Economic factors affecting the language and design choices used when interacting online Globalization, Education, and Online Environments • Educational factors affecting online access and use in different regions • Effects of globalization on online education and enrollments in online programs • Examinations of how different educational conditions and standards uses of online media • Discussions of how online environments can improve education in different regions Perspectives on the Future of Global Cyberspace • Future development of international online access and discourse in global cyberspace • Establishing global standards for online discourse (or online legal practices) • Examining how technology developments might change the nature of international cyberspace • Discussions of what increased global online access might mean for domestic online interactions SUBMISSION PROCEDURE Prospective authors are invited to submit chapter proposals of 200-500 words on or before November 15, 2005. In their proposal, prospective authors should clearly explain: • The purpose and the contents of their proposed chapter • How their proposed chapter relates to the overall objectives of the book Authors will be notified of the status of their proposal and sent chapter organization guidelines by December 15, 2005. Drafts of chapters will be due by March 15, 2006. Please send inquiries or submit material electronically (Rich Text files) to the editor at kirk.st-amant@ttu.edu The book is scheduled to be published by Idea Group Inc., www.idea-group.com, publisher of the Idea Group Publishing, Information Science Publishing, IRM Press, CyberTech Publishing, and Idea Group Reference imprints, in Spring 2007. o