September 19, 2003 Report of the a(o).i.r. executive committee Prepared by Steve Jones AoIR Executive Committee President: Steve Jones Vice-President: Nancy Baym Secretary: Ulla Bunz Treasurer: Benjamin Bates Open Seats: David Silver and Barry Wellman Appointed Seats: Matthew Allen and Leslie Shade Student Seat: Lisbeth Klastrup Publications Officers: Jeremy Hunsinger and Charlie Breindahl 2003 Conference Chair: Liss Jeffrey 2003 Conference Program Co-Chairs: Matthew Allen and David Mitchell Ethics Working Group Chair: Charles Ess Elections Working Group Chair: Mia Consalvo Net Resources Working Group Chair: Charlie Breindahl 1. Introduction & General (Jones) Below is the monthly report from AoIR executive committee members. If you aren't reading this...well, you ought to be. I know it can get lengthy, and it can get detailed, but it's the single best way to know what AoIR is up to, and to find ways to get involved with it (in any number of ways from contacting the people who report to volunteering to work on something you see mentioned to making suggestions to...). 2. Executive Officers' Reports 2.1 President (Jones) 2.1.1 This month's report is a little late, and the fault for that is entirely mine. I knew for some time, of course, that the point at which I would step down from the AoIR presidency was drawing near, but it has only been recently that I felt it. This will be my last monthly report. There are far too many people to thank...Andrew Herman and Thom Swiss for their 1998 conference at which the AoIR idea was hatched (could it have really been five years now?)...Greg Elmer and Stefan Wray for encouraging the idea...the numerous executive committee members, conference chairs, program chairs, all of the volunteers who have one way or another contributed time, energy and ideas to this association, indeed all of you who are on air-l whether lurking or contributing. I am quite happy to let go the reins. I hope that I have not held them too tightly anyway. I know AoIR will be in good hands, and I am very much looking forward to being a member. (Just think, I'll be able to attend panels at our conferences!) In my experience there are few things as rewarding as the simple act of bringing people together, and I think AoIR has brought very many of us together, both online and at our conferences. For me that is what AoIR is at its core - a means by which those of us interested in internet research can associate with one another. May it be a long and fruitful association, virtual and real. 2.1.2 The Toronto conference is nigh upon us, and I will look forward to seeing as many of you as can make it there. If you have not yet registered for the conference or made a hotel reservation I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. Due to the growth of interest and attendance at our conferences we are this year meeting at a hotel in an urban area, and we have to meet the minimum occupancy with which we are able to use its meeting rooms - if we do not meet that occupancy rate then we'll have to increase the registration fees, to cover additional cost of the meeting rooms. I appreciate everyone's support of the conference and of AoIR. 2.1.3 For the AoIR logo competition, we had a total of 11 designs, four from the executive committee, and seven from member submissions. We selected Caroline Haythornthwaite's design and Caroline will receive a free t-shirt as the winning prize. Some of the other designs were wonderfully creative, and the decision was a tough one, but in the end, to keep "brand recognition" we chose a design that does not really change our logo. Merchandise such as t-shirts, mugs, mousepads, bags, etc. are now available to both members and non-members from http://www.cafepress.com/aoir . Women's sizes and large men's sizes are available for the shirts. The merchandise comes with one of two logos: The regular AoIR logo, or the AoIR conference logo designed by Caroline. We will attempt to have t-shirts available to the conference itself but to ensure your size and style, we recommend http://www.cafepress.com/aoir . 2.2 Vice President (Baym) 2.2.1 I have been working on getting the next executive committee set up. I have also been looking toward the 2004 conference (stay tuned for an announcement in Toronto) and even 2005. 2.3 Secretary (Bunz) 2.3.1 I've been busy, working on meeting agendas and schedules, stepping on various toes to get the t-shirts organized before the conference, and dealing with conference awards issues while desperately trying to finish my AoIR paper before the October 1 deadline! August 11 to September 13, 2003: This month on the executive list: . The exec is finalizing the AoIR t-shirts. There will be general AoIR t-shirts (available online) and conference t-shirts (available at conference). More info forthcoming. . Providing feedback to program chair Matt Allen on various program issues. . Advising vice president/new president Nancy Baym on transition issues, such as organizing a Listserve for the newly elected executive committee (exec-elect) so they can appoint the outstanding open seats before the conference. . The exec discussed procedures for electing a program chair and a conference chair for next year's conference. The location for AoIR 2004 will be announced at the general meeting in Toronto. We hope to identify the program and conference chairs before the conference so they can be announced there. . The exec members have also been organizing themselves and their schedules to plan for the annual face-to-face meetings required at the conference. 2.4 Treasurer (Bates) 2.4.1 Report - been handling memberships and conference registrations, working with Toronto committee and Kagi website, 2002 financial report for Steve and tax filings. 2.5 Open Seats (Silver, Wellman) 2.5.1 Silver: No report. 2.5.2 Wellman: Kibbitzing on the Exec Committee. Talking up AoIR conference at various other conference venues (Finland, Atlanta, Haifa, Oxford, Amsterdam). Arranging current Exec. committee Last Supper. Arranging for multiple volunteers for Toronto conference. 2.6 Appointed Seats (Allen, Shade) 2.6.1 Allen: Working on the conference program - need i say more? :) 2.6.2 Shade: Will also be at Oxford Internet Institute in September for symposium and will talk up AOIR in general. Waiting with bated breath for the Annual so I can start the index. 2.7 Student Seat (Klastrup) 2.7.1 No report. 2.8 Publications Officers (Hunsinger, Breindahl) 2.8.1 Hunsinger: I did the usual stuff, here and there, whatever was needed, some server maintenance, some email stuff, some member support, etc. 2.8.2 Breindahl: I did the usual stuff. 2.9 2003 Conference (Liss Jeffrey, Chair; Matthew Allen, David Mitchell, Program Co-Chairs) 2.9.1 Dr Liss Jeffrey: The Aoir Toronto 2003 is looking great, and needs your support. Stay at the Hilton, come early and join the pre conference workshops, register and take full part in this event. Thanks to the hard working local committee, notably our new coordinator, Lisa Morgan (lmorgan@ecommons.net) and our really hard working hotel coordinator who is also picking up the technical side, Rhiannon Bury. The great new volunteers have really made a difference, and thanks Olivia Robertson for your hard work on this front. Christie Hurrell, that web site looks fabulous. We are doing this conference on next to no funds, so I do hope that you will be patient when you come to town, and pitch in where you can. We will broaden the band indeed, and we are looking forward to welcoming all of you to Toronto October 15 - 19. Go check www.ecommons.net/aoir for up to date information. See you all very soon at the Hilton downtown. Looking forward to hearing your papers and seeing everyone unwind at the gala event. Liss Jeffrey, PhD, director, McLuhan global research network, and senior researcher, KMDI, University of Toronto. 2.9.2 Mitchell: No report. 2.10 AoIR Ethics Working Group (Charles Ess, Chair) 2.10.1 There has been some discussion on the ethics list regarding a recent case study involving differing conceptions of harm and who is responsible for remedying it, based on a case brought to the chair and Steve Jones for discussion earlier this year. Ethics chair Charles Ess participated in the "New Research for New Media" conference at the University of Minnesota, Sept. 4-5. My presentation focused on the AoIR guidelines for online research and their use in resolving common ethical dilemmas encountered by researchers. A particular highlight for me was to learn from a number of conference participants that they found the AoIR guidelines indeed useful in their own work - in fact, one researcher was given the guidelines by her IRB as a starting point for her reflection and development of her proposal for submission to them! Our pre-conference workshop on Internet research ethics - scheduled for October 15, 2003 - is now fully organized and in place. The conference features presentations from prominent researchers and ethicists who've been at the forefront of developing online research guidelines, including AoIR and AoIR ethics committee memb,ers Elizabeth Buchanon, Jeremy Hunsinger, Michele White, Leslie Tkach Kawasaki, and Klaus Bruhn Jensen. The workshop focuses on real-world ethical issues encountered in Internet research - and ways of addressing and resolving these. Workshop participants are encouraged to contribute their particular issues and experience to the multiple opportunities for shared discussion. Please see <www.itu.dk/~chess/AoIREthicsConference.html> for more information. See you in Toronto! 2.11 AoIR Research Annual Working Group (Mia Consalvo, Chair) 2.11.1 The first volume of the Annual is being typeset at the publisher's-- we expect page proofs soon. A general call has gone out to all presenters for the upcoming conference, announcing the second annual, and setting a deadline of October 31 for submission of papers for possible inclusion in the second volume. Submissions should go to Matt Allen, and general questions should go to Mia Consalvo. We are still working out details such as page limits, style, etc, and that information will be distributed shortly. 2.12 AoIR Net Resources Working Group (Charlie Breindahl, Chair) 2.12.1 There has been no activity in the 'Net WG.