ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

June 24-25, 2019

Oxford, London (UK)

Deadline: April 12, 2019

Connected Life is a two-day multidisciplinary conference supported by the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), London School of Economics (LSE), and The Alan Turing Institute. This year’s conference theme, ‘Data & Disorder’, will provide an engaging forum for a cross-disciplinary network of researchers from around the world to consider the broad societal implications of automated data collection, processing, and analysis in all facets of daily life.

Connected Life 2019 will take place on Monday June 24 (Oxford) and Tuesday June 25 (London). This student-led conference aims to provide a framework for critical reflection on the datafication of social life and order, and in an effort to include diverse and uncommon perspectives from across the intellectual spectrum, we welcome proposals from postgraduate students and faculty from all departments. This might include, but is by no means limited to, fields such as computer science, digital humanities, economics, education, history, international relations, law, linguistics, literature, media and communications, philosophy, politics, psychology, and sociology.

We welcome the submission of proposals in a variety of formats, be they empirical, theoretical, qualitative, or quantitative in nature. Proposals from individual authors are welcomed alongside those from multiple contributors. Abstracts must be received by 12 APRIL 2019.

Abstracts must be submitted to: connectedlife@oii.ox.ac.uk.

October 29, 2019

Brussels, Belgium

Deadline (EXTENDED): April 1, 2019

This year DMM young scholars’ workshop welcomes acclaimed scholars Prof Myria Georgiou (London School of Economics and Political Science) and Dr Donya Alinejad (Utrecht University) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel as part of the Digital Fortress Europe Conference. We all know that it is a difficult task to identify, validate and present our main findings and contribution of our research projects as young scholars in the field. Considering the interdisciplinary nature of our field and the continuously changing landscape of media and communication technologies, it is crucial for us young researchers to situate our doctoral projects within existing academic literature and research. This is the reason why this year’s young scholar workshop aims to help ten doctoral researchers who work on the intersections of diaspora, media and migration to find their own voice and make sure that it is heard.

Our one-day long workshop is divided into two parts:

1. Morning session: Each participant will be given the opportunity to present their research project and get feedback. Considering the theme of the workshop, the presentations are expected to focus on the main findings and respective theoretical and methodological claims.

2. Afternoon session: The afternoon session involves several group activities which will focus on the most effective ways to address limitations of your research, to present your findings/analysis and to think together about the ways in which the research projects are relevant and distinctive.

The application process:

It is required that the applicants submit a summary of their research project (between 1500 and 2000 words) by April 1, 2019 to the e-mail address M.Mevsimler@uu.nl. Summaries should include:

• An introduction which includes your research topic and research question(s)
• A brief literature review with your mains theories/concepts
• Methodology
• Your main findings and how these are expected to contribute theoretically, conceptually and/or methodologically
• Questions/concerns you would like to discuss
• Full name of the author, institutional and departmental affiliation and contact details

The PhD workshop is organized by the European Communication Research & Education Association’s (ECREA) Diaspora, Migration & the Media (DMM) section in collaboration with the ECREA’s International & Intercultural Communication (IIC) section. The workshop is organized as part of the Digital Fortress Europe Conference, but please note that acceptance to the young scholars’ workshop does not guarantee participation to the conference. The workshop will take place on the day before the conference specifically for PhD candidates as a separate event at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

There is no admission fee. Coffee and tea will be provided.

The abstracts should be submitted in MS word file. Please indicate the name of the workshop in your e-mail subject. You should receive the notification of acceptance by April 29, 2019.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions.

Organizers:

Melis Mevsimler, Utrecht University, ECREA DMM Young Scholars Representative (M.Mevsimler@uu.nl)

Yazan Badran, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Yazan.Badran@vub.be)

Bath Spa University, UK

Deadline: April 12, 2019

The Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries at Bath Spa University is now advertising for the below full-time, fully-funded PhD Studentship in embodiment and narrative in immersive technologies. The PhD will be linked to the new AHRC-funded Bristol + Bath Creative Research & Development Partnership.

Informal enquiries should be directed to myself at m.freeman@bathspa.ac.uk .

PhD Studentship: 

Embodiment and Narrative in Immersive Technologies Bath Spa University - Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries

This doctoral project will be supervised at Bath Spa University based primarily in the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries and working as a key member of the new Bristol + Bath Creative Research & Development Partnership (B+B Creative R&D).

B+Bath Creative R&D is designed to improve the performance of the creative industries in the Bristol and Bath region. The partners are University of the West of England, University of Bristol, University of Bath, Bath Spa University, and Watershed, working with a range of industry partners from film and television, theatre, publishing and computing. Our core proposition is partnering with industry in understanding user engagement in new platforms and new markets. We will be working at the sites where 5G connectivity, XR technologies and live arts overlap, laying the foundations for the Bristol + Bath cluster to be internationally successful by 2030.

To support this cluster, we invite applications for a full-time, fully-funded PhD Studentship. Providing academic context, research-led theorisation and creative insight that can inform the work of the larger partnership, the PhD research will focus on understanding the creative and engagement potentials of immersive media technologies in and across today’s creative industries. The PhD should explore how emerging immersive media technologies are reshaping the ways in which the creative industries engage their audiences, and will develop an understanding of the untapped narrative-based potentials of these immersive technologies, namely virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed or extended reality (MR/XR). While ‘immersion’ is often seen as a defining characteristic of these technologies, this PhD will move beyond commercial and technical perspectives and should analyse the relationship between narrative and engagement in the context of embodiment in VR/AR/MR/XR.

The main objective of this PhD is to map the current uses of immersive technologies across the South West’s creative industries, before developing a set of theoretical understandings for the narrative and cross-platform potentials of these embodied technologies across, for example, film and television, theatre, publishing, and computing. The PhD should also aim to better understand the user implications of this embodiment, exploring how audiences make use of, respond to, and perceive immersive experiences in different contexts.

The project will be co-supervised by Dr Matthew Freeman (Reader in Multiplatform Media & Deputy Director of the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries at Bath Spa University) and Prof Kate Pullinger (Professor of Creative Writing and Digital Media & Director of the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries at Bath Spa University), with additional supervisory input from academic colleagues based at the University of Bath.

The successful candidate is expected to enrol in the October 2019 intake.

The closing time and date for applications is 5pm, Friday 12 April 2019.

Interviews are expected to be held in June 2019.

Informal enquiries should be directed to Dr Matthew Freeman at m.freeman@bathspa.ac.uk or Professor Kate Pullinger at k.pullinger@bathspa.ac.uk

For further information is available here, and to apply online please visit https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/how-to-apply/research-degrees/.

Please note that CVs will not be considered and those included with application forms will be removed. Any queries regarding the application process should be emailed to PGRadmissions@bathspa.ac.uk

London, UK

Deadline: April 18, 2019

Job reference: REQ2332 

Salary £37,000 to £43,000 + Bonus Scheme

Job category/type: Support

Job description

The Strategic Projects team at London South Bank University is seeking to appoint a Project Manager to support the innovative programme exploring cutting-edge immersive technologies and aesthetics, 'Accelerating the Creative Economy through Immersive Tech' (ACE IT). You will be in charge of a project that is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The overall aim is to support London's Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) specialising in ground-breaking Immersive Technologies by enabling them to develop and commercialise innovative products, processes and services.

The project aims to accelerate investment in research and development for such SMEs operating in the creative and technology sectors. ACE IT will also support by providing specialist innovation and technical support with access to technical facilities, academic and student expertise for product development and prototyping. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to work with some of the most innovative and exciting SMEs in London on emerging technology. The main purpose of this role is to ensure the ACE IT project runs in an efficient and effective manner, ensuring the project delivers the funded outcomes and outputs. You will be supported by LSBU's Strategic Projects team, world-leading project partners from the creative industries, LSBU Schools and external organisations to identify opportunities and support the development of the project.

Why choose us?

London South Bank University has a proven track record of delivering impactful support directly to London's business community. Our legacy of successful staff and procedures would allow the right candidate to shape the ACE IT project to deliver real change in the Immersive Technologies sector.

As the post holder, you are entitled to:

• Up to 8% performance-related annual bonus
• One month free gym membership and discounted membership rates
• Access to our cycle-to-work scheme
• Commuter season ticket loan
• Discounted mobile phone line rental
• Flexible working

Your profile

You will possess great relationship building skills and be able to effectively engage both internal academics and the external business community. A proven experience in the field of project management as well as a passion and understanding of the Immersive Technologies sector. Awareness of market drivers, key policies and areas of opportunity are also critical.

Please click here to see more detail about the role, and here to understand our Values and who we are.

To apply, please upload a copy of your CV and a cover letter outlining how you meet all the selection criteria and the LSBU Values here.

The post is Fixed Term (until July 2022), Full Time.

Nantes, France

Deadline: April 15, 2019

Audencia Business School invites applications for an academic position at the rank of assistant or associate professor from scholars with research interests consistent with the areas of communication, media and culture. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Position requirements

The preferred candidates for the position will:

• hold a PhD;
• - provide evidence of excellence of high-level teaching expertise and the ability to teach courses in the programme offered by Communication and Media (Audencia SciencesCom), as well as develop and teach specific courses in line with their own and others’ research interests. Courses could include ethics, semiology, research methods, methodology of communication studies, as well as more specialised courses such as content production, media innovation & strategy, and media ecosystems.
• be expected to provide leadership in the areas of teaching, curriculum development, student engagement and extra-curricular activities in communication and culture;
• have an outstanding and ongoing program of academic research and publications in top-tier journals in communication and/or cultural studies.
• be expected to contribute to outreach activities to the broader practitioner community.
• be expected to develop research projects in the Communication and Culture Department of Audencia. The 2 axes of research that the candidate would preferably take part in would be “Design and drafting of public policies” and “Media, rhetoric and practices of engagement”. Ideally, the object of research would focus on content production, traditional media, new media, audio-visual production, or related subjects.

Salary is negotiable and commensurate with experience and qualifications. The contract includes a number of benefits, such as research and other performance based bonuses, full family public and private insurance coverage, and generous medical coverage. A good working knowledge of the French and English languages is essential.

Position overview

The position is located within the Communication and Culture Departmentat Audencia and part of Audencia SciencesCom’s training program. Since 2 017, Audencia SciencesCom is located at the Mediacampus on the Ile de Nantes, in the heart of the Creative Arts District, a creative arts breeding ground and a place for learning, sharing and manufacturing development as well as content delivery, training, research, and testing.

Audencia Business School is triple accredited (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA), and one of the leading European and French Business Schools. The school offers a wide range of programs including MSc, MBA, Executive MBA  European Master in Management, Doctorate and Executive Education Programmes, with more than 100 core faculty members from 16 countries.

The school is located in the city of Nantes, just 2 hours away from Paris by train and serviced by an international airport. With a vibrant city life full of cultural and other events, the sandy Atlantic coast to the west of the city and rolling vineyards and royal castles to the east, it is it an ideal city to live in. Perhaps these are the reasons why Time Magazine selected Nantes as 'the most liveable city in Europe'. In addition to its pleasant environment, the city also boasts a rich economic and industrial identity. Nantes is bustling with activity, housing more than 1330 companies within the city.

Application

Candidates should send a digital application by email by April 15, 2019, including an application letter, a curriculum vitae (including a full list of publications), two selected publications, information regarding teaching performance, and names of two referees to André Sobczak, Audencia’s Associate Dean for Faculty and Research - faculty-recruitment@audencia.com .

For more information, please contact:

Research: Delphine SAURIER, dsaurier@audencia.com

Pedagogy, development, innovation: Martha ABAD-GREBERT, mabadgrebert@audencia.com

July 1-2, 2019

Malaga, Spain

Deadline:  April 4, 2019

The 3rd European Data and Computational Journalism Conference aims to bring together industry, practitioners and academics in the fields of journalism and news production and information, data, social and computer sciences, facilitating a multidisciplinary discussion on these topics in order to advance research and practice in the broad area of Data and Computational Journalism.

Hosted by the University of Malaga (Spain), the European Data and Computational Journalism Conference will take place 1-2 July 2019. The conference website is http://datajconf.com/ and IAMCR is co-sponsoring this event.

We invite the submission of both academic research-focused and industry-focused talks for the conference, on the subjects of journalism, data journalism, and information, data, social and computer sciences.

Proposals deadline: 4 April 2019.

ACADEMIC TALKS should be submitted as 2-page extended abstracts, using a template. INDUSTRY TALKS are also encouraged, which can be submitted to the main submission site as brief descriptions highlighting the topics and key themes of the talk and the relevance to the conference. Proposals for workshops and tutorials are also welcome. Templates can be downloaded: http://datajconf.com/#submissions

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Application of data and computational journalism within newsrooms
• Data driven investigations
• Data storytelling
• Open data for journalism, storytelling, transparency and accountability
• Algorithms, transparency and accountability
• Automated, robot and chatbot journalism
• Newsroom software and tools
• ‘Post-fact’ journalism and the impact of data
• User experience and interactivity
• Data and Computational Journalism education
• Post-desktop news provision/interaction
• Data mining news sources
• Visualisation and presentation
• News games and gamification of News
• Bias, ethics, transparency and truth in Data Journalism
• Newsroom challenges with respect to data journalism, best practices, success and failure stories

Extended Abstracts presented at the conference will be archived in proceedings compiled by the Library of University College Dublin. Selected full papers from the conference will be invited to submit to a journal special issue .

WORKSHOP PROPOSALS

Submissions are also welcomed for ½ day workshops/tutorials to be given on the 2nd day of the conference. These could be practical/introductory sessions on topics/tools related to the themes of the conference. Workshop/Tutorial proposals should include information on the workshop/tutorial topic, the maximum number of attendees, and any space/equipment requirements, and can be submitted through the main submission site: http://datajconf.com/#submissions

May 22-24, 2019

Washington, USA

Deadline: April 15, 2019

http://www.ppdd.org/conferences/ppdd2019/

Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide (PPDD) is the only academic professional organization in the world focused solely on the digital divide and on connecting research to policymaking and practice to strategize actions and catalyze solutions to this pressing societal concern. The academic research, policymaker, and practitioner community represented by PPDD stands ready to advance the agenda on broadband and the digital divide, to address the many challenges and opportunities presented by the digital world, and to further evidence-based policymaking and practice so that all citizens can participate fully in the digital, networked age.

The interdisciplinary Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide 2019 International Conference brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners for an extended, in-depth dialogue about key issues that inform information and communication technologies and the digital divide around the world. The Conference works to identify new areas of necessary, productive focus, foster greater understanding, advance research, and enlighten policy and practice going forward. An optional 21 May afternoon Field Trip to digital inclusion program sites offers the opportunity to learn firsthand about innovative initiatives to bridge the digital divide in Washington, DC.

PPDD 2019 is particularly significant as it marks the 25th anniversary of the recognition of the digital divide through social scientific research. And, within PPDD 2019, we plan to have the largest worldwide gathering of disability digital divide experts ever.

As a major outcome of PPDD 2019, in addition to the PPDD 2019 Proceedings and E-Book, there will be an edited volume of the top papers as well as special issues of our Publishing Partners’ journals on specific themes within the digital divide area.

If you would like to present and discuss your work during PPDD 2019 and have it included in the online PPDD 2019 International Conference Proceedings and/or if you would like to provide a Position Paper for inclusion in the PPDD 2019 E-Book, please see the Call for Participation section below.

If you would like to just attend PPDD 2019 to explore the issues and grow your knowledge and network of connections, please know that you are very welcome and valued in the PPDD Conference Community.

Please join PPDD and an unprecedented broad multi-disciplinary coalition of co-sponsoring organizations from academic, policymaking, and practitioner communities to share your insights and expertise. Together, we will enrich the dialogue, connect research, policy and practice, and advance the agenda on the digital divide.

Please contact conference [at] ppdd [dot] org with any questions.

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

If you would like to 1) present and discuss your work during PPDD 2019 and have it included in the online PPDD 2019 International Conference Proceedings, and/or if you would like to 2) provide a Position Paper for inclusion in the PPDD 2019 E-Book, we look forward with enthusiasm to your contribution and ask that you please follow the instructions provided at http://www.ppdd.org/conferences/ppdd2019/cfp/ to submit your work. Submissions are welcome from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners at all stages of their careers, from any theoretical and methodological approach, and across multiple disciplines.

1) Deadline to Submit Your Presentation Title and Short Summary for Consideration for Presentation: 15 April 2019 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Time

Notification of Acceptance: On a rolling basis after submission and no later than 22 April 2019

If you have visa or other time-sensitive concerns, please submit your work as quickly as possible and email conference [at] ppdd [dot] org to request an expedited review so you can receive notification shortly after submission.

Before we can address the digital divide, we must first understand the nature of life in the digital age, the many challenges and opportunities it presents, and the interplay of influence between technological and social change. Then, in turn, we can fully understand digital inequality; its place alongside other long-standing, persistent issues of social equity, social justice, and media justice; and what it means to be disconnected from the most important technological advancement in communication in a generation and the myriad possibilities it facilitates. Thus, PPDD 2019 invites work that informs issues related to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the digital divide broadly defined, including but not limited to:

• gaps in access and connectivity
• digital inclusion
• digital exclusion
• digital (dis)engagement
• challenges and opportunities
• social and cultural aspects of the divide
• the skills and digital/information literacy needed to interpret, understand, and navigate information presented online and the requisite curriculum
• effective use by individuals and communities
• the impact of socioeconomic factors on user behavior
• the role of motivation, attitudes, and interests
• differences in patterns of usage
• characteristics and conceptualizations of non-users
• the ways in which people use the Internet to create content
• content creation and inequality
• different forms of capital and power relationships, including in terms of content creation, labor, and ownership
• the role of theory in understanding ICTs and digital inequality
• the impact of new and evolving technologies
• the mobile divide
• the interplay of influence with mobile technologies
• human-computer interaction, human factors, and usability
• social media
• digital games
• apps
• socioeconomic and cultural effects
• social equity, social and economic justice, and democracy
• media justice and ICTs
• the ethics of digital inequality
• community informatics
• social informatics
• urban and regional planning
• social planning
• international development
• indigenous populations
• children and childhood
• education
• ICTs and well-being
• health
• disability and accessibility
• politics, digital government, digital citizenship, smart cities/citizens/government, civic engagement, adoption issues, and (in)equality
• global citizenship
• policy discourse
• law and policy and its impacts, including information/telecommunications policy, net neutrality, open access, open source, copyright, Internet filtering software, and censorship
• the digital security divide
• the digital privacy divide
• big data and inequality
• organizations and ICTs
• public access initiatives
• anchor institutions
• practitioner-oriented topics considering aspects of design, management, implementation, assessment, collaboration, challenges, problem solution, and opportunities
• architectural challenges and deployment experiences
• Internet access cost analyses
• the application of research to communities, practice, and public and private sector initiatives

2) Deadline to Submit a Position Paper for the PPDD 2019 International Conference E-Book: 6 May 2019 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Time

All PPDD 2019 attendees may submit a position paper and all submissions that follow the guidelines provided at http://www.ppdd.org/conferences/ppdd2019/cfp/ will be included in the PPDD 2019 E-Book.

Conference Organizer

Susan B. Kretchmer, Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide

Editorial Organizer - Tomasz Drabowicz, University of Lodz

Partnership Organizer - Massimo Ragnedda, Northumbria University

Europe Organizer - Grant Blank, Oxford University and Oxford Internet Institute

Africa Organizer - Bill Tucker, University of the Western Cape and Bridging Application and Network Gaps

Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East Organizer - Ellie Rennie, RMIT University

Canada Organizer - Richard Smith, Simon Fraser University and Centre for Digital Media

United States Organizer - Susan B. Kretchmer, Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide

Latin America and the Caribbean Organizers:

• Laura Robinson, Santa Clara University
• Hopeton S. Dunn, University of the West Indies, Jamaica and Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication

Policymaker, Practitioner, and Stakeholder Liaisons  -  

Angela Siefer, National Digital Inclusion Alliance

CO-SPONSORS

• American Anthropological Association Committee on the Anthropology of Science, Technology, and Computing
• American Library Association Office for Information Technology Policy
• American Political Science Association Information Technology and Politics Section
• American Public Health Association Health Informatics Information Technology Section
• American Sociological Association Communication, Information Technologies, and Media Sociology Section
• Community Informatics Research Network
• Government of France Ministry for the Economy and Finance French Digital Agency
• Government of the United Kingdom Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
• International Association for Media and Communication Research Communication Policy and Technology Section
• International Association for Media and Communication Research Digital Divide Working Group
• International Association for Media and Communication Research Global Media Policy Working Group
• International Communication Association
• International Communication Association Communication and Technology Division
• International Communication Association Communication Law and Policy Division
• International Communication Association Mass Communication Division
• iSchools
• National Digital Inclusion Alliance
• NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network
• Public Library Association
• Urban Libraries Council, Edge Initiative

PUBLISHING PARTNERS

• Information Technologies and International Development
• Journal of Community Informatics
• Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society
• Journal of Information Policy
• Online Journal of Public Health Informatics

Special issue of the Journal Interações

Deadline: April 25, 2019

Different communication patterns (online and offline) influence individuals to have specific behaviours concerning civic participation and adherence to social movements of different ideological frameworks and scopes.

As publics have the chance to channel their ideas through Internet behaviours, literature often identifies Internet as a public space that promotes collective action, and acknowledges that technology is shaping the structure and identity of social movements and ideological groups.

The analysis of direct and indirect influences of media practices on civic engagement must consider that democracy is not a static concept and that such engagement is also influenced by political institutions.

The media amplifies political discourses and this mediation socially constructs events. The ‘mediated engagement’ of citizens may enhance either civic involvement or political manipulation.

In this special issue of the Journal Interações we propose a reflection on Media, Civic Participation, Social Movements, Democracy and Populism. Unpublished works that present research results and/or theoretical reflection on this theme are accepted covering, among others, the following topics:

In this special issue of the Journal Interações we propose a reflection on Civic Participation, Social Movements and Populism. Unpublished works that present research results and/or theoretical reflection on this theme are accepted (although this special issue is not limited to these topics):

• Participation culture
• Media representations, discourses, narratives and counter-narratives
• Social movements, populism and democracy
• Collective action and (new) social movements
• Civic participation and contentious action
• New forms of civic and political engagement
• Repertoires of contentious politics in different geographical contexts
• Media and populist discourses
• Populist narratives and counter-narratives
• The rise of populism through the Internet
• New technologies and social movements
• Internet-mediated participation
• Digital activism

Deadline for submission of articles: April 25

Notification of acceptance: May 30

Publication: June 30

Any questions should be addressed through the email: interacoes@ismt.pt

The articles must be submit through the website: https://www.interacoes-ismt.com

Guidelines and other instructions for authors can be found on the journal's website: https://www.interacoes-ismt.com

Interações is a scientific journal of Instituto Superior Miguel Torga with a biannual edition. The journal publishes original papers that present research results and/or theoretical reflection in the different fields of social sciences and humanities. From an interdisciplinary editorial perspective, Interações' primary objective is to foster the reflection and diffusion of knowledge in the areas of Social and Human Sciences, with a particular focus on Portuguese and Latin American spaces. The journal accepts articles of scientific investigation, reviews and critical essays.

ECREA Digital Games Research Section symposium

November 7-8, 2019

Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Deadline: April 30, 2019

The 2010s is almost over, and game studies is preparing to enter another decade. The current decade has seen discussions on ludification and e-sports as well as the true breakthrough of terms such as gamification, signifying the pervasive and ubiquitous nature of games and play in contemporary societies. This symposium hosted by the ECREA Digital Games Research Section aims to look at where we have been and where we are going as a field - what could be the next steps? Where could we go from here, and what is going to happen to game studies in the 2020s? How does the multi-disciplinary field of game studies relate to the similarly multi-disciplinary field of communication studies? What kind of innovations are waiting around the corner when it comes to novel research methods or theorizing? What kind of phenomena are only beginning to receive attention, where are the remaining gaps in research?

We are inviting presentations and panels, which may deal with any aspect of game studies or the intersection of game studies with the broader field of communication sciences. We especially encourage proposals that deal with innovations in research methods, empirical research, theory development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and other ways of renewing or re-inventing game studies. We are also open to discussing work-in-progress research projects.

Possible topics include, but are not restricted to, the ones listed here:

• Theoretical approaches and methodological advances in digital games research
• The production, content, audiences and regulation of digital games
• Digital game culture and gaming communities
• Social interaction in and around digital games
• Social and psychological aspects of digital gaming
• Digital games in the field of education
• Communication in and about digital games
• Playful interaction in its various forms
• Avatars, identification, and self-representation in virtual worlds
• Digital game experience, gamer motivations, enjoyment and presence research
• Digital games in comparison with other forms of media entertainment
• Innovations in gaming, such as the use of virtual reality, augmented reality, and location-based gaming

Submission guidelines

Abstracts should be max. 500 words + bibliography, and include the contact information of the author(s).

Panel proposals should include 1) a 300-word rationale for the panel, 2) a 150-word abstract describing each participant's contribution, and 3) contact information for each panelist. Each panelist must be willing to register for and attend the symposium if the panel is accepted.

Abstracts and panel proposals should be submitted by April 30 2019 through EasyChair: https://easychair.org/cfp/gameco2019

Decisions on the proposals will be made by the end of May 2019. There are plans to produce a publication, either a journal theme issues or an edited volume, based on selected seminar presentations.

Venue

The conference will be held at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Department of Media and Communication of the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication)

We hope to see you there!

Program committee

• Marko Siitonen (University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland)
• Felix Reer (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany)
• Teresa de la Hera (Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

October 3-5, 2019

Leeds, United Kingdom

Deadline: April 15, 2019

Leeds Beckett University is looking forward to welcoming the ECREA Crisis Communication Section to the 6th International Crisis Communication Conference in 2019.

The conference will be Thursday 3 October- Saturday 5 October, 2019 in Leeds, United Kingdom with pre-conference workshops on Wednesday 2 October and a PhD workshop from 1-2 October.

The deadline for abstract submission is 15 April, 2019 with notifications sent on or about 15 May, 2019.

We are looking for an exploration of new approaches to theory, methodology, education and training, practice, as well as the intersection of technology in the context of risk and crisis. We are looking for cross-disciplinary work with communication, journalism, business, marketing, health, law politics, policing, cross-cultural research, education and training. We are inviting you to think about where the field has been and where it is can and should go. We would especially invite our practitioners to share their own experiences and best practices so that we can all learn from each other.

Traditional research presentations, panel discussions, demonstrations, and theme discussions will all be welcome. We will provide additional details and guidelines over the next several months.

If you have any questions or feedback about the conference, please contact Dr. Audra Diers-Lawson via email at audra.lawson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk or connect with us in our Facebook group -- 'ECREA Crisis Communication Section'. We have reminders and will post all information there as well.

Moreover, our conference website is: https://leedstalkspr.com/crisis6-2019/

Pre-Conference

We are planning three pre-conference activities.

Pre-conference 1: Graduate Student Workshop -- for graduate students, we will offer a workshop ahead of the conference. More details on the workshop will follow. The cost for the graduate workshop, inclusive of the simulation or social media workshop is £80. This will include lunches, tea, and snacks throughout the day as well as any materials for the workshop.

Pre-conference 2: Simulation Workshop -- open to all conference participants. This half-day session will have you experience a crisis simulation, discuss integrating simulations into classroom and training, and recommendations for developing simulations with Dr. Audra Diers-Lawson. This will take place on Wednesday 2 October from 1pm-4pm and will include a buffet lunch. Cost £30 for full conference attendees.

Pre-conference 3: Social Media Analysis -- open to all conference participants. This half-day session will provide an introduction to Twitter analysis by Daniel Vogler, the Head of Research for the Research Institute of Public and Society at the University of Zurich. This will take place on Wednesday 2 October from 1pm-4pm and will include a buffet lunch. Cost £30 for full conference attendees.

Other Conference Information

We anticipate a full conference schedule on Thursday and Friday with a half-day on Saturday. Conference costs, inclusive of morning and afternoon snacks, teas, and coffees as well as a full hot buffet lunch on Thursday, Friday and Saturday:

Early Bird Rate from 15 May to 31 July - £175

Full Rate from 1 August to 15 September - £215

Late registration from 15 September-3 October - £350

Special practitioner two-day rate (Wednesday & Thursday for Pre-Conference and Day 1) - £100

We will be hosting a reception on Thursday evening (included in the cost of registration) as well as the Cultural Event and Dinner on Friday (extra cost).