CFP: 6th Annual Doctoral Consortium of the Communication and Technology Division of the International Communication Association (ICA)

Call for Proposals

The consortium brings together PhD candidates working on Communication and Technology to give them the opportunity to present and discuss their research in a constructive and international atmosphere. The goals of the event are to provide feedback and advice to participating PhD candidates on their in-progress research thesis. Moreover, the doctoral consortium will provide the opportunity to meet experts as well as fellow PhD candidates from different backgrounds working on related topics.

During the consortium, students will be invited to present their work, following which they will receive feedback from their fellow students and faculty participants, all of whom will have read the proposals in advance of the Doctoral Consortium. In addition, at least one faculty participant will be assigned to respond in detail to each proposal. Besides the presentations of proposals, there will also be discussion of other topics such as ethics, research methods, publishing the thesis, and positioning one's work for the job market.

Submission Process

Applicants must be advanced to candidacy, and have their dissertation proposal topic previously approved by their committee. Ideally, students will be in the early stages of their dissertation, where feedback would be helpful in refining and advancing their work. To apply, students must submit a proposal describing their research.

Submissions must be related to the working area of the Communication and Technology Division of ICA. A description of the division's primary interests can be found in the last section of this call.

Proposals must identify a significant problem (or problems) in the field of research, briefly outline current knowledge of the problem domain, and clearly formulate a research question, or specify hypotheses to be tested.

Proposals should outline the research approach, methods, and any results obtained so far. Submissions should be between 3000 and 4000 words (excluding references and appendices), and must include name and affiliation of the PhD candidate.

Applications should be accompanied by a short letter of recommendation from the advisor or member of the dissertation committee stating how the PhD candidate can benefit from participation in the Doctoral Consortium.

The proposal and letter of recommendation must be submitted as one PDF document and sent as an attachment in an email to Benjamin Detenber at tdetenber@ntu.edu.sg. The deadline for submission is 1 February 2014. Submitted proposals will be reviewed by the members of the program committee based on significance of research, specificity of research topic and/or questions, clarity of writing, and degree to which student can benefit from expert guidance and feedback.

To help ensure the consortium best meets the needs of its members, limited financial assistance is made possible by the CAT Division. Please note in your application if you would like to be considered for financial support to cover your costs for participation in the CAT Doctoral Consortium (this support would cover only the $75 participation fee and not travel to the conference).

About the Communication and Technology Division within ICA

The Communication and Technology (CAT) Division is concerned with the role played by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the process of communication. It is committed to enhancing theory and methodology pertaining to adoption, usage, effects, and policy of ICTs. Areas of research include human-computer interaction, computer-mediated communication, mobile communication, and other technologically mediated social interaction and networking in all contexts (interpersonal, group, organizational, societal/cultural) and at all levels of analyses. CAT invites papers that make an innovative and original contribution to our understanding of ICTs, with the primary focus on communication aspects of particular technological characteristics. Papers in which technology is not a specific object of investigation but is instead the context or backdrop for a communication study should be directed to other ICA Divisions.

As part of CAT, the Doctoral Consortium welcomes papers that follow any and all disciplinary approaches (psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, and policy studies, among others) and all methodological orientations (quantitative, qualitative, critical, cultural, historical, legal, and institutional, among others).

Organization

Once a proposal is accepted students can register through the ICA website. Costs for participation are 75 US$ per person. After acceptance, students are encouraged to submit updated proposals (maximum 5000 words, excluding references and appendices) for review and comment.

Program Committee (faculty mentors)

Benjamin H. Detenber, Nanyang Technological U, Singapore (Program Director)
Marjolijn Antheunis, U of Tilburg, Netherlands
Jesse Fox, Ohio State U, USA
Lee Humphreys, Cornell U, USA
Klaus Bruhn Jensen, U of Copenhagen, Denmark
Veronika Karnowski, Ludwig-Maximilians U, Germany
Nicole Krämer, U of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
Louis Leung, Chinese U, Hong Kong
S. Shyam Sundar, Pennsylvania State U, USA
Sabine Trepte, U of Hohenheim, Germany
Joseph B. Walther, Nanyang Technological U, Singapore
Mike Yao, City U, Hong Kong

Jodi Whitaker accepts position at U Arizona

Congratulations to Jodi Whitaker, who has just accepted a position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the U of Arizona.  Jodi will be continuing her fascinating work on video games there starting in August 2014.

CATS members to present at AEJMC in Washington, D.C.

It's been a busy summer for CATS members. After a productive trip to London for the International Communication Association (ICA) conference, a couple of members are off to Washington, D.C., for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference. CATS members are in boldface:

Vang, M. H., & Fox, J. Race in virtual environments: Competitive versus cooperative games with black or white avatars.

Waddell, F., Fox, J., Ivory, J ., & Ivory, A. Sex-role stereotyping is hard to kill: A field experiment measuring responses to user characteristics and behavior in an online multiplayer first-person shooter game.

CATS members to present at ICA in London

Several CATS members will be skipping over the pond this June to represent the OSU School of Communication and present research at the International Communication Association annual conference in London. CATS members names are indicated in boldface:

Ahn, S. J., Fox, J., Dale, K., & Avant, A. Framing embodied experiences in virtual environments: Effects on environmental self-efficacy and behavior over time.

Anderegg, C. M., Dale, K., & Fox, J. Maintaining you and me: A content analysis of relational maintenance behaviors on primetime television.
Bushman, B. J. "Remain calm. Be kind": Effects of stressful and relaxing video games on aggressive and helping behavior. 

Dickinson, T., Hanus, M., & Fox, J. You got coffee in my racing game: Brand congruity and reality in video game advertising.
Dillon, K. P., & Bushman, B. J. How do you rate real life? The public's rating of the documentary   Bully: The Movie.
Ewoldsen, D. R., & Velez, J. The benefits of cooperative game play in violent video games.

Fox, J., Jones, E., & Lookadoo, K. Romantic relationship dissolution on social networking sites: Social support, coping, and rituals on Facebook.

Fox, J., & Ralston, R. Sexualized avatars and women’s experiences of self-objectification and identification in a virtual environment.
Garrett, R. K., Johnson, B. K., Neo, R. L., & Dal, A. Implications of pro- and counterattitudinal information exposure for affective polarization.
Johnson, B. K., & Knobloch-Westerwick, S. Glancing up or down: Mood management and social comparisons on social networking sites. 
Johnson, B. K., Vang, M. H., & Van Der Heide, B. Show me the goods: The warranting effect of user-generated photographs in online auctions.
Joo, Y. K., & Lee, J. E. R. When happy drivers go green: Effects of egoistic/altruistic framing and affective states on eco-driving. 
Lee, J. E. R. Does virtual diversity matter? Effects of avatar-based diversity representation on willingness to express offline racial identity.
Van Der Heide, B., Dickinson, T., Schumaker, E. M., & DeAndrea, D. C. Explaining online self-influence: Exploring the effects of computer-mediation on attitude change. 
Yang, G. S., Huesmann, R., & Bushman, B. J. The effects of violent game playing on implicit stereotyping and behavior.

CATS grad students commended for teaching

Several of our CATS members were recognized by the School of Communication for exceptional teaching during the 2012-2013 school year. Congratulations!

• Courtney Anderegg
• Kate Christy
• Katie Dale
• Kelly Dillon
• Ji Young Lee
• Rachel Neo
• Bridget Potocki
• Rachel Ralston
• Margaret Rooney
• Mao Vang

Google Policy Fellowship

Hosted by the Department of Media and Communication and the Centre for Communication Research at City University of Hong Kong, the Google Policy Fellowship (Hong Kong) offers successful applicants the opportunity to advance research and debate on Internet policy and freedom of expression issues for a minimum of 10 weeks from June - August 2012 in Hong Kong.

We are accepting applications for the position before April 15, 2012. Sponsored by Google, the research fellow will be rewarded a stipend of HK$58,500 (US$7,500) for ten weeks. The selection will be made by April 20, 2012.

To apply, please send to google.fellowship@cityu.edu.hk the following material:

• Statement of Purpose: Provide us with an essay outlining your qualifications for and interest in the program, including relevant academic, professional and extracurricular experiences. As part of this essay, explain what you hope to gain from participation in the program and what research work concerning free expression online you would like to further via the program. (1200 words max)
• Resume
• Three References

Grad student conference: Infosocial

Infosocial: Where information and the social sciences collide.

OCT 12-13, 2012

A graduate student conference hosted by the Media, Technology and Society (MTS) program at Northwestern University.

As the information infrastructure of contemporary social life becomes increasingly complex and visible, disparate modes of inquiry converge. We are surrounded by a proliferation of data that provides a unique window into a wide array of individual and collective behavior. The changes in the visibility and availability of such data have challenged the technical and conceptual boundaries of the social sciences. This, in turn, has triggered a growth in interdisciplinary collaboration and in methodological and theoretical innovation. Our conference aims to contribute to these collaborative and innovative developments by bringing together graduate student scholarship from across the academic spectrum.

Read more here: http://www.communication.northwestern.edu/programs/phd_media_technology_society/infosocial/

Submit here: http://bit.ly/NUMTSconference

ICA Communication and Technology Division Doctoral Consortium deadline delayed

The Communication and Technology (CAT) Division proudly announces the third Doctoral Consortium to be held in conjunction with the 2012 Conference of the International Communication Association. The consortium will be held on May 24th in Phoenix Arizona, USA.

The deadline for submission is now March 1, 2012. For more information:

https://sites.google.com/site/callsforpaperssubmissions/ica-cat-doctoral-consortium

Workshop Series: Planning Ahead for an Academic Job Search

I'd like to encourage doctoral students to consider attending this workshop series. Whether you're just starting, or are collecting data for your dissertation, it's a good time to think about what it means to be on the job market.

http://t.co/kYEEWHIp

This series of events addresses many aspects of the academic job search process. You are welcome to attend all sessions or just the ones that fit your needs and schedule. All workshops are held at 150 Younkin Success Center.

The Academic Job Search
Thursday, October 6, 3:30–5 p.m.
Facilitated by Stephanie Rohdieck, UCAT

This workshop will provide useful information about the job search process in academia. Information will be provided about helpful tips when starting your job search, where and how to look for openings, as well as what materials need to be prepared.

Vitae and Cover Letters
Thursday, October 13, 3:30–5 p.m.
Facilitated by Career Connection

This workshop will address how to write vitae and cover letters when searching for jobs in academia. Importance will be placed on both their format and content while highlighting career tips useful when applying for positions with a teaching and/or research emphasis.

Teaching and Research Statements
Thursday, October 20, 3:30–5 p.m.
Facilitated by Stephanie Rohdieck, UCAT

This workshop will provide an overview of each type of statement, describe how they are used in the academic job search process, and provide guidance on how to write them. There will be opportunities in the session to start the process of writing these statements.

The Interview
Thursday, October 27, 3:30–5 p.m.
Facilitated by Career Connection

This workshop will highlight what to do before, during, and after an interview for positions in academia. Emphasis will be on career strategies and interviewing techniques as well as familiarity with the academic interview expectations. Samples of questions and practice opportunities will be provided, as well as useful suggestions to enhance confidence skills.

OSU student & faculty @ Persuasive Tech conference

Several SoC students and faculty will be presenting at "Persuasive Technology and Design: Enhancing Sustainability and Health", a conference held this weekend (June 3-4) at the Ohio Union. Other presenters are coming from all over the world. This is a great opportunity to see some interesting talks without leaving your own neighborhood. For more information see the full schedule, available online at https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/persuasive2011/program/

CATS at ICA

CATS will be well represented at this year’s ICA conference in Boston. It’s especially nice to see so many of our graduate students participating! Here's a brief list of the works being presented. (If I’ve missed yours, please send me a note so I can post an update.)

Brookes, S., & Ewoldsen, D. (2011). The World’s Not So Scary Now: Applying the Event Indexing Model to Cultivation. Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Boston, MA.

Brookes, S., Moyer-Gusé, E., & Mahood, C. (2011). Playing the Story: Transportation as a Mediator of Involvement in Narratively-Based Video Games. Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Boston, MA.

D'Angelo, J. D., Schumaker, E. M., & Van Der Heide, B. (2011). Cues in Context: Social Information and Impression Formation Through a Contextual Lens. Paper to be presented to the annual meeting of the International Communication Association in Boston, MA.

Garrett, R. K. (2011). Beyond attributes: Expanding the framework for studying technologies’ influence on political communication. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Boston, MA.

Ortiz, M., Harwood, J., & Schumaker, E. M. (2011). Imagined Extended Contact Through Facebook Profiles. Paper to be presented to the annual meeting of the International Communication Association in Boston, MA.

Van Der Heide, B., Schumaker, E. M., Johnson, B. K., Vang, M., & Peterson, A. (2011). The Effects of Product Photographs and Reputation Systems on eBay Consumer Behavior. Paper to be presented to the annual meeting of the International Communication Association in Boston, MA.

Velez, J. A., Mahood, C., Ewoldsen, D. R., & Moyer-Guse, E. (2011). Ingroup versus outgroup conflict in the context of violent video game play: The effect of cooperation on increased helping and decreased aggression. Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Boston, MA.

Wang, Z., & Tchernev, J. (2011). The Myth of Media Multitasking: A Dynamic Panel Analysis of Media Multitasking, Personal Needs, and Gratifications. Paper presented to the International Communication Association, June 2011, Boston, MA.

Westerwick, A. (2011). Effects of Sponsorship, Web Site Design, and Google Ranking on the Credibility of Online Information. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the International Communication Association, Boston, MA.

Westerwick, A. (2011). Wikipedia and Friends: Influences on Users’ Credibility Perceptions of Online Information on Wikipedia. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the International Communication Association, Boston, MA.

ICA's Communication and Technology Division Doctoral Consortium

The Communication and Technology Division of the ICA is sponsoring it's second annual doctoral student consortium. This is a great opportunity for students who have defended their dissertation proposal to get feedback from other students, and from leading scholars in the field.

This year's deadline is February 15, and the full call is available here:

http://www.icahdq.org/conferences/2011/preconferences/CAT.pdf

New doctoral students: Keep this opportunity in mind as you plan your time here.

Reflections on life as an OSU grad student

Kristen Landerville, an assistant professor at U of Wyoming and a recent OSU graduate, has posted a brief essay reflecting on her experiences here. It's short and light-hearted, but still manages to present a compelling picture of the graduate school experience. Enjoy.

http://klandreville.wordpress.com/2010/10/13/whoot-whoot/