Call for Papers: SLACTIONS 2009 - Life, imagination, and work using metaverse platforms

SLACTIONS 2009

Research conference in the Second Life® world - Life, imagination, and work using metaverse platforms

 

September 24-26, 2009

 

http://www.slactions.org/

 

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CALL FOR PAPERS

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The metaverse is emerging, through the increasing use of virtual world technologies that act as platforms for end-users to create, develop, and interact, expanding the realm of human cooperation, interaction, and creativity. The conference focus is scientific research on applications and developments of these metaverse platforms: Second Life, OpenSim, Open Croquet, Activeworlds, Open Source Metaverse, Project Wonderland, and others, providing a forum for the research community to present and discuss innovative approaches, techniques, processes, and research results.

 

SLACTIONS 09 is the first international conference held simultaneously in several countries on the topic of metaverses. SLACTIONS 09 aims at covering most areas currently enabled by metaverse platforms, from educational research to content production, from gender studies to media distribution, and from metaverse-based branding, advertising, and fundraising to emerging mash-ups and technology applications. SLACTIONS 09 is unique in its format too, as a one-of-a kind event conducted both in a metaverse platform (Second Life) and on-site in multiple countries in Europe and in North and South America. SLACTIONS will thus contribute to the current redefinition of the way we think about hybrid online and on-site scholarly collaborations.

 

Whereas metaverses are no longer a novel topic, they still pose challenges for the adaption of conventional instructional and business practices, research methodologies, and communication practices. We are looking forward to presenting a program of research results, case studies, panel discussions, and demonstrations that scholars, educators, and businesses can port to their own environments and apply in their research, teaching, and business strategy. We will accept papers from the full spectrum of intellectual disciplines and technological endeavours in which metaverse platforms are currently being used: from Education to Business, Sociology to Social Sciences, Media Production to Technology Development, Architecture and Urban Planning to the Arts.

 

Topics covered may include but are not limited to:

 

    * Accessibility in metaverse platforms

    * Advanced scientific visualization in metaverse platforms

    * Automatic content generation

    * Behavioral studies in the metaverse

    * Combination of metaverse platforms with external systems (e-learning, e-business, etc.)

    * Communicational paradigms in the metaverse

    * Content management

    * Creativity, design, and arts on the metaverse

    * E-business and e-commerce applications

    * Educational research, applications, and case studies

    * Embodiment in metaverses and Gender Studies

    * GIS/metaverse mash-ups

    * Integration between metaverse platforms

    * Nonprofit activities and fundraising

    * Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies

    * Social Sciences studies in or through metaverse platforms

    * Space representation, use, and management in metaverses

    * Using metaverse platforms for cooperation

 

Format

 

SLACTIONS 09 has the format of a hybrid online and on-site conference. All paper presentations and plenary sessions by guest speakers will be held on-line, and projected locally for participants attending physically. Workshops are conducted locally – or in mixed format accross several participating chapters – and chapters may held local topical round tables.

 

Submissions

 

Authors are invited to submit:

    * A full paper of eight to ten pages for oral presentation

    * A Flickr image or YouTube video, indexed with the tag “slactions 09” for poster presentations ‘in-world’ or presentation in SL using a creative format

 

All submissions are subject to a double blind review process and should be professionally proofread before submission. All manuscripts should be formatted according to the ASIS&T proceedings template. (Disclaimer: SLACTIONS 2009 is not associated with ASIS&T.) No manuscripts will be accepted that do not meet the required format. 

 

All accepted papers will be published on-line and in an ISBN-registered CD-ROM/DVD-ROM of proceedings.

The Scientific Committee will invite authors of selected full papers to provide revised and expanded versions for publication in an ISBN-registered book.

The authors of the best papers will be invited to provide revised and expanded versions for publications in special editions of journals or as single contributions to theme-specific journals.

Check out www.slactions.org regularly for more information and developments on the book publisher, book series, and journal venues for best papers.

 

Official language of the conference:

 

The official language for the on-line space and all submissions is English only. However, at the physical site of local chapters you can also use the native language of that location.

 

Important dates

 

    * February 28th, 2009 - Deadline for paper submissions

    * March 31st, 2009 - Submission results provided to authors

    * June 30th, 2009 - Deadline for early registration

    * July 31st, 2009 - Deadline for print-ready versions of accepted papers

    * September 24-26th, 2009 - Conference

 

Local chapters

 

Belgium - Ghent University

Brazil/Rio Grande do Sul - Unisinos (Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos)

Brazil/São Paulo - Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo

Portugal/North - Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Universidade do Minho, Universidade de Aveiro, Universidade do Porto

USA/Texas - University of Texas-Austin

USA/West Coast - University of California-Berkeley

 

Note: If you believe your institution can hold a physical chapter in an as-yet unsupported region, please contact the organization at [hidden email].

 

 

Programme Committee

 

Adriana Bruno, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Ana Boa-Ventura, University of Texas-Austin, USA

António Ramires Fernandes, Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Augusto Abade, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

Carlos Santos, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Dor Abrahamson, University of California-Berkeley, USA

Ederson Locatelli, Unisinos (Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos), Brazil

Eliane Schlemmer, Unisinos (Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos), Brazil

João Barroso, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal

Leonel Morgado, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal

Lucia Pesce, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Brazil

Luís Pedro, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Lynn Alves, Universidade do Estado da Bahia, Brazil

Martin Leidl, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany

Martin Valcke, Ghent University, Belgium

Miltiadis Lytras, Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece

Nelson Zagalo, Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Niall Winters, London Knowledge Lab, UK

Paulo Frias, Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Pedro Almeida, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Pedro Sequeira, Escola Superior de Desporto de Rio Maior, Portugal

Pilar Lacasa, Universidad de Alcalá, Spain

Sneha Veeragoudar Harrell, University of California-Berkeley, USA

Stefan Göbel, ZGDV, Germany

Teresa Bettencourt, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Tim Savage, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

 

Organization

Ana Boa-Ventura, University of Texas-Austin, USA

Leonel Morgado - Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal

Nelson Zagalo - Universidade do Minho, Portugal

 

Contacts

Organization: [hidden email]