CFP: Technology-Focused Collaborative Research in English Studies

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 a collection 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 text 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.