May 18, 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 Short, simple but important - elections are upcoming for AoIR executive offices. A call for nominations will be distributed in the coming days, and I urge you to consider running for office as well as to consider nominating others for office. 2.2 Vice President (Baym) 2.2.1 Met with Steve Jones f2f to discuss business aspects of tranferring presidency/running aoir and future conferences. Helping get next round of elections up and going. I echo Steve in urging you to please consider running and/or nominating those who have insight and energy to help make AoIR all it could become. 2.3 Secretary (Bunz) 2.3.1 This month on the executive list: April 15 - May 15, 2003 This month on the executive list: - Following the recommendation of the Election workgroup, the new election procedures will include a discussion board (online forum) for candidates to interact with the public. The exec has been testing this system, and has been discussing general questions each candidate should have to answer in the election process. The exec has also been discussing whether members-only or everyone can post questions (at this point: everyone), and whether you should be able to post anonymously (at this point: yes [but it is not encouraged - Sj]). The exec has also been updating the vote call that will go out to air-l, and a nomination notification email. In addition, the exec has been setting the election schedule. - The exec has advised Matt Allen on the acceptance/rejection notices that have already gone out, and on the first drafts of the conference program. - The exec has tested the conference registration website. - The exec has been discussing and monitoring the SARS situation in Toronto. At this point, we don't see it threatening our conference in October. - In response to an inquiry, the exec has been discussing the archiving of conference papers. Our policy is to encourage people to provide their papers or extensive notes, though archiving them on the AoIR website does not really constitute a publication. - The exec has been discussing a bid for the 2004 conference and is very favorably inclined toward it. Final decisions will be announced after more communication with the site in question. Ulla Bunz Secretary 2.4 Treasurer (Bates) 2.4.1 Been keeping up with memberships, and sending out a batch of reminders. Created new database for the conference fees/info. 2.5 Open Seats (Silver, Wellman) 2.5.1 Silver: working a bit on elections yet other than that nothing to report. 2.5.2 Wellman: Spent a good deal of time keeping abreast of SARS situation (and media scare elsewhere), and advising the Exec Committee and the Program Chair. Contributed to the ongoing deliberations of the Executive Committee. 2.6 Appointed Seats (Allen, Shade) 2.6.1 Allen: No report. 2.6.2 Shade: Nothing to report. 2.7 Student Seat (Klastrup) 2.7.1 Nothing to report. 2.8 Publications Officers (Hunsinger, Breindahl) 2.8.1 Hunsinger: worked on election materials worked on election system worked on stopping spam helped with treasurer stuff assorted other things 2.8.2 Breindahl: I am rejecting ever-rising amounts of spam. Otherwise I have the rather modest goal of finishing my dissertation... [Go Charlie! -Sj] 2.9 2003 Conference (Liss Jeffrey, Chair; Matthew Allen, David Mitchell, Program Co-Chairs) 2.9.1 Dr Liss Jeffrey: No report. 2.9.2 Mitchell: No report. 2.10 AoIR Ethics Working Group (Charles Ess, Chair) 2.10.1 The committee has received a paper on Internet research ethics that provides a current overview of the field; happily, the work of the committee and committee members figures prominently in the report. The chair and Steve Jones have received occasional queries over the past few months from aoir members who have specific questions regarding current research projects and local IRB requirements. In at least one instance, consultation with us has helped an aoir member meet IRB questions and objections, and move forward with a proposed research project. The committee encourages aoir members to consult with us in this way - and/or to forward any issues, insights, developments, forthcoming literature, etc., that will help us keep up to date in our discussions of Internet research ethics. 2.11 AoIR Research Annual Working Group (Mia Consalvo, Chair) 2.11.1 The volume has been delivered to the publisher for copy-editing. I have completed various production forms and gathering of other information. We are waiting for the corrected version to come back from the publisher so that we can begin final revisions. 2.12 AoIR Net Resources Working Group (Charlie Breindahl, Chair) 2.12.1 There has been no activity in the 'Net WG.