Advancing Social and Business Research Methods with New Media Technologies

Editors:
Natalie Sappleton
Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom


Call for Chapters:
Proposals Submission Deadline: January 30, 2012
Full Chapters Due: April 30, 2012

Introduction
The 21st century has presented the professional researcher with a myriad of challenges and opportunities. In particular, there are a number of new and exciting digital technologies, which offer researchers considerable advantages in terms of speed, access connectivity and economy. Skype and other Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) applications allow practitioners to carry out face-to-face interviews with research subjects thousands of miles away and in different time zones. Short attitudinal surveys can be sent via text message. Online surveys are now no longer confined to public opinion research, but can be adapted for a myriad of research objectives. Researchers all over the world are using these new, innovative methods to design and develop research programmes, but until now, no tomenot one (?) has brought together their work in a single publication. This edited volume will form a comprehensive introduction to new media technologies and their applicability to the world of business and social research. The book will comprise both discussions of new technologies, as well as real-life examples of their use in various disciplines, from psychology to political science. Together, this approach aims to reduce scholar's anxiety about adapting these new technologies for use in their own work.


Objective of the Book
There are already in existence a number of manuals and textbooks that critique and provide guidance on traditional research methodologies such as pen-and-paper surveys and telephone interviews. There is also a growing body of journal articles and unpublished papers outlining the use of new technologies in research activities. But, there is no single, edited volume that examines the applicability and usefulness of new technologies to academic research, including experiments, surveys, field studies, secondary research, content analysis, ethnography and focus groups. These technologies offer a wealth of opportunities to the research practitioner, but without prior knowledge of how these technologies can, should, and should not be used, researchers may experience a degree of anxiety when considering their use. The overall mission of this valuable publication is therefore to aid researchers in recognizing the advantages of speed, economy, interactivity, and connectivity that these technologies offer, to alert them to the pitfalls of these methods, and to provide a foundation on which they can build reliable, sound and scientific research projects.


Target Audience
This volume is aimed at research practitioners at all academic levels, from Masters students to Professors. These readers will be able to use the case studies as a practical guide to designing and conducting their own research projects. This volume is not limited to scholars in any particular discipline. Social scientists of all backgrounds will find use from this book. Additionally, most pre-doctoral courses include electives or compulsory subjects in research methodology, so the market for this volume is potentially very large. A mix of contributors from the UK, US, Europe and other countries will be deliberately selected to increase the appeal of the book to a world market.

Submissions
Excellent case studies detailing the use of new technologies in empirical research are sought for this volume. Additionally, chapters dealing with theoretical issues in planning, designing and developing research studies using new technologies are also welcome. The book aims to provide relevant theoretical frameworks, empirical research findings, and practitioners' best practices in the use of new technologies.


Recommended topics include, but are not limited to the following:

• History of technology in research
• Impact of new technologies on research epistemologies and ontologies
• Electronic forms of data acquisition
• Email and Web Surveys
• Mobile Text Messaging
• Online diaries
• Blogging
• Instant Messaging
• Virtual Focus Groups
• Skype and VOIP platforms
• Video sharing websites and research methods
• Collaborative authoring

Submission Procedure
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before January 30th 2012, a 2-3 page chapter proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by February 25th, 2012 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by April 30th, 2012. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

Publisher
This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the “Information Science Reference” (formerly Idea Group Reference), “Medical Information Science Reference,” “Business Science Reference,” and “Engineering Science Reference” imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. It is anticipated that this book will be released in 2013.

Important Dates
January 30th 2012: Proposal Submission Deadline
April 30th 2012: Full Chapter Submission
June 15th, 2012: Review Results Returned
July 30th 2012: Final Chapter Submission



Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document):
Natalie Sappleton
email: n.sappleton@mmu.ac.uk
Tel: +44 161 247 6249