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Guest Editors
Social network analysis and understanding of social networks is a rapidly growing field within computer science, information systems and management studies. Though social network studies have been conducted in sociology for several decades, recent developments in Web 2.0 and paradigms of real time experimentation have provided an opportunity to re-examine some assumptions of social network studies and investigate the dynamics and structure of “on-line social networks” in new ways. The new surge has also promoted the use of networks and networks based information for understanding decision making, organizing, and innovation. A prominent concept related to Web development, known as Web2.0, has received great attention among industry and has recognized social networks as a key feature for the next generation use and exploitation of the Web.
Social networks provide a powerful abstraction that can represent almost any type of human or human to technology interaction and its structure and dynamics. Over 40 years of empirical results and advanced theories of networks can be leveraged to better describe, understand and manage organizations, teams, and other social formations like communities. Information technology has aided and amplified this effort by providing the ability to trace, visualize, analyze and simulate the structure and behaviour of social networks. In addition, collaborative software has produced new forms and modalities of network based interactions within communities. The special issue “Social Networks in Socio-technical Environments” invites contributions to the analysis of social networks as they relate to design, use and impacts of information technology in social contexts. This covers among others network analyses of business processes, design and use of collaborative software, simulations of social networks in which Information Technology (IT) plays a role, new forms of network awareness, representation and analysis of social contexts in the computing environments, networks and spinning of the Web, use of semantic networks in the design and knowledge discovery, use and design of network based algorithms, network visualizations in organizing, managing and research, and knowledge and innovation networks supported by IT. The topics for the special issue include but are not be limited to:
Recently, several journals including Information Systems Research and International Journal for Networking and Virtual Organizations (see also a range of articles in Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, and Organization Science) have dedicated special issues or sessions to SNA. Also conferences, such as HICSS and ECIS have introduced tracks and/or minitracks on the subject in 2008. The special issue of JAIS will differ from other treatments of the topic in that it will place special emphasis in bringing forward research that applies the results of social network studies to information systems as socio–technical systems. In particular, we seek innovative and original studies that integrate both social and technical elements into social network analysis where information systems and their users are seen to constitute as parts of such networks. HICSS 2008 workshop on Social Network analysis will involve discussions how to approach and integrate such studies into research initiatives and will offer one arena for preparing successfully manuscripts for the special issue. Timetable: Special Issue Review Board (Invitations pending)
Agarval Ritu University of Maryland (pending) Bateman Patrick University of Pittsburgh (pending) Bouwman, Harry TU Delft Buckner, Kathy Napier University Butler Brian University of Pittsburgh Carley Kathleen Carnegie-Mellon University (pending) Davenport, Elizabeth Napier University Faraj Samer McGill University Helms, Remko Utrecht University Jarvenpaa Sirkka University of Texas, Austin Kane Gerald, K. Boston College Light, Ben Salford University John Mingers Kent Business School (pending) Nickerson Jeff Stevens Institute of Technology Schultz Christopher University of Maryland University College Schultze Ulrike Southern Methodist University Todeva Emanuela University of Surrey Wasko Molly Florida State University Weitzel Tim University of Bamberg (pending) Yunjie Xu National University of Singapore For more information contact any of the
SPECIAL ISSUE EDITORS
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