CALL FOR PAPERS: Edited Collection on Technology-Focused Collaborative Research in English Studies

WORKING TITLE: “Investigating Digital Tools, Texts, and Use Practices: Collaborative Approaches to Research in English Studies”

Submissions are sought for an anthology of scholarly essays on the subject of technology-focused collaborative research conducted by groups of investigators working in English studies, defined broadly. Submissions from scholars trained in English studies or rhetoric and composition but working in newer areas such as software studies or new media studies are welcome. In particular, submissions from individuals affiliated with research centers and other larger-scale collaborative research initiatives are encouraged.

This collection is premised on the idea that evolving technologies, texts, and use practices are impacting not only our research questions but also our approaches to conducting and disseminating research. Of particular interest are the ways in which collaborative project-based research teams or work groups are investigating technology-related questions and the lessons that can be learned from these cases. This collaborative research might bring together faculty, graduate students, and perhaps undergraduates. At times, it is interdisciplinary. In some cases, it may involve researchers from multiple campuses or even from beyond the academy.

The anthology will feature two sections:

Part I: Research Models for the Twenty-First Century--Part I will focus on the lessons that can be learned from various collaborative approaches to investigating digital technologies, texts, use practices, and culture. Special attention will be paid to technology-focused research centers, project-based research, initiatives that involve students as researchers, and multicampus and/or interdisciplinary research groups. The purpose of Part I is not only to present models but also to reflect on what these specific cases demonstrate about the challenges involved in planning, establishing, managing, and sustaining collaborative research initiatives.

Part II: New Purposes, Audiences, and Contexts--Part II will address the goals, outcomes, audiences, and publication contexts associated with collaborative research into digital technologies, texts, use practices, and culture. The goal of Part II will be to provide a variety of perspectives on why this research is necessary, what it can and should accomplish (outcomes), who it might benefit both within and beyond the academy, and how it can and should be disseminated. Attention to topics such as ethics, the state of scholarly publication, and issues of authorship, authority, and copyright will be woven throughout the chapters.

Although this list is by no means exhaustive, essays might respond to one or more of the following questions:

* What are the advantages and challenges of collaborative inquiry for the study of digital tools, texts, use practices, and culture?
* How does research happen within teams or work groups?
* Which models of collaborative work are relevant for English studies (e.g., “Big Science,” software development) and how have they been adapted in practice?
* How is collaborative research funded, managed, and sustained over time?
* In what physical or virtual spaces does this work take place?
* What resources are essential?
* How does this research provide opportunities for student learning and professionalization?
* What are the outcomes or deliverables of collaborative research?
* Who are the audiences, clients, or beneficiaries of this research?
* Beyond traditional scholarly venues, how are research outcomes being disseminated (e.g., blogs, Web sites, wikis, multimedia)?
* What issues must be considered (ethics, promotion/tenure, authorship, authority, copyright)?

Send original essays or 500-word proposals, with a brief CV, to Laura McGrath, Assistant Professor of English, Kennesaw State University by August 31, 2008: lmcgrat2@kennesaw.edu.