Call for Chapters
Foundations of Informing Science:
Volume I
Nominations, including self-nominations, due April 30
Over the past decade, the informing science transdiscipline has made enormous as an intellectual endeavor. Membership in the Informing Science Institute (ISI) has continued to grow during a period when many information-related disciplines have experienced contractions. ISI's growing number of journal publications, which include Informing Science and Journal of IT Education, have increased in stature and size and its initial forays into book publishing have led to extremely promising results. The Institute’s InSITE conferences continue to flourish despite cutbacks in travel budgets at many institutions. All of these indicators provide clear evidence of the value of the research being conducted in the informing science area.
As informing science continues to mature as a transdiscipline, it is useful to reflect upon what has been achieved, how these achievements relate to the initial objectives set forth for the transdiscipline, and where it might develop. As part of this reflection, we are announcing a new book, Foundations of the Informing Sciences: Volume I, which will serve as a celebration of the first decade of the informing science transdiscipline, and—much more importantly—will act as a an archive of ideas and priorities for new and existing researchers in the field.
The Book
Foundations of Informing Science: Volume I, edited by Eli Cohen and Grandon Gill, will consist of a collection of both previously published and original works that will help its readers develop a clear sense of the scope and purpose of the informing science transdiscipline. It will be organized into 5 parts, as follows:
Part I: What is Informing Science?
Beginning with Cohen's seminal work, which launched the field, this part will contain chapters that explain, to the reader unfamiliar with the transdiscipline, the nature, objectives and scope of informing science.
· Eli Cohen, (1999) Reconceptualizing Information Systems as a Field of the Transdiscipline Informing Science: From Ugly Duckling to Swan, Journal of Computing and Information Technology. 7 (3) 213-219, http://inform.nu/WhatsIS.htm
Part II: Elements of Informing Systems
A second part consists of chapters that examine the individual elements of informing systems, such as client, sender, channel, technologies and task. In addition to their contributions to informing science research, chapters in this part also serves an important tutorial function. Being inherently multidisciplinary means that concepts widely understood by one group of researchers in the field may be entirely novel to another, for example:
· Gill, T.G. and Hicks, R.C., (2006) Task Complexity and Informing Science: A Synthesis, Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline. 9 1-30. http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol9/v9p001-030Gill46.pdf
Part III: Reference Disciplines for Informing Science
Many different fields, including information systems, computer science, business, education, library science and philosophy, provide important contributions to informing science. This part will consist of chapters that focus on showing how concepts developed in other disciplines are being applied to informing science, for example:
· Nissen, H., (2007) Using Double Helix Relationships to Understand and Change Informing Systems. Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, 10 Monograph: Use and Redesign in IS: Double Helix Relationships?1-19 http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol10/DblHelix001-019.pdf
Part IV: Applied Informing Science
A complement to Part III, this part will focus on the application of informing science concepts to other disciplines, as well as their use by practitioners. These chapters should both identify what concepts from informing science are being applied and how they can, demonstrably or potentially, add value to the reader, for example:
· Gackowski, Z.J., (2006) Informing Systems in Business Environments: A Purpose-Focused View, Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, 8 101-122. http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol8/v8p101-122Gack.pdf
Part V: Future Directions
What exciting problems should we be tackling in the coming decade? In this part, chapters will focus on identifying possible directions for the field and on proposing priorities for future research areas and activities, for example:
· Gill, G. and Bhattacherjee, A., (2007) The Informing Sciences at a Crossroads: The Role of the Client, Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline. 10 17-39. http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol10/ISJv10p017-039Gill317.pdf
Nomination Process
All chapters in Foundations of Informing Science: Volume I will be based upon peer reviewed articles appearing in refereed journals. To be considered for inclusion in the book, an article must be nominated through an email sent to the book's editor ggill@coba.usf.edu by 30 April 2008, with self-nominations being encouraged. That nomination email should include:
· What part the chapter would appear in
· The chapter's expected contribution to the book
· A statement of the nominator's willingness to review one or more completed chapters as the book nears publication, scheduled for late fall 2008 or early spring 2009. (Volunteering in this manner is not a prerequisite for inclusion, but would be greatly appreciated.)
Previously Published Works
Most contributions will be based upon previously published articles, typically in ISI journals, although other sources will be considered provided that copyright issues can be addressed. After examining the nominated article, the editors will decide if it is consistent with the objectives and structure of the book. If appropriate, the editors will invite the author(s) to submit a chapter.
Included with each invitation to submit a chapter will be a list of specific changes desired prior to publication in chapter form. We anticipate that nearly all chapters will require some rewriting since the book is intended to be a tightly integrated work, rather than being a loose collection of minimally related reprints. For example, it would be entirely unnecessary to have an explanation of the informing science framework in every chapter, even though many articles necessarily include such an introduction. The editors will work with authors to achieve some degree of consistency in form and tone throughout the book. A web site containing a table of contents for the book and current chapter drafts will be maintained to assist in this effort.
Original Works
In some cases, a researcher may be working on a concept that has not yet been published, but which closely ties in with the objectives and structure of the book. In such cases, the nominating author should also include a synopsis (of 1000 words or fewer) of the research in question, along with an expected date of journal submission—which must be no later than 30 June 2008—plus a brief biography of the intended author(s). If the potential contribution looks appropriate, the editors will notify the authors of their willingness to consider it as a chapter. Then:
· Upon completion of the manuscript, the author will inform the book's editors and submit it to the most appropriate ISI journal for review (typically Informing Science Journal, but others—such as JITE—are also possible).
· The book editors will request that the journal editors expedite review of the submission.
· Upon acceptance (or provisional acceptance) by the journal, the authors will immediately submit their chapter draft to the editors, after which time both authors and editors will attempt to follow the "existing works" schedule as closely as possible.
Key Dates (Subject to Change)
30 April 2008: Deadline for nominations
31 May 2008: All chapter invitations sent
30 June 2008: Original works submitted to appropriate ISI journal
31 August 2008: Revised chapters returned to editors
31 October 2008: Review of chapters completed
31 December 2008: Publication in electronic form
31 January 2009: Publication in print form
