vol29-1.indd 26 IASSIST Quarterly Spring 2005 The International Association for Social Science Information Service and Technology (IASSIST) invites your participation in its 32nd annual conference entitled Data in a World of Networked Knowledge on May 22-26, 2006 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The conference will be preceded by workshops and followed by optional weekend activities in the Ann Arbor area. Details about the conference and the association may be found on the IASSIST website at: Proposals for papers, sessions and poster/demonstrations should be submitted by 16th January 2006. The 2006 conference theme, Data in a World of Networked Knowledge, highlights the role of empirical data in a society that wishes not only to know itself, but also to build an enduring, interconnected storehouse of knowledge for learning and research. Once again IASSIST offers a time and place to explore, enlighten, and energize the participation of data professionals in the networked information world. We seek submissions of papers, poster/ demonstration sessions, and panel sessions on topics that address the full range of digital data life cycle issues, including those that focus on access, documentation, dissemination, preservation, data use and current empirical research activity. Additional topics might also include information and statistical literacy, data confi dentiality and statistical disclosure, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial data, as well as publication, annotation, curation and authentication of networked knowledge assets. For other key topics see previous IASSIST Conferences at . About IASSIST IASSIST is an international organization of professionals working in and with information technology and data services to support research and teaching in the social sciences. The organization also explores issues of access, stewardship and the interconnections among social science, behavioral, biological, and health data. Typical workplaces include quantitative and qualitative data archives/libraries, statistical agencies, research centers, libraries, academic departments, government departments, and non-profi t organizations. See the IASSIST website at for further information. IASSIST conferences bring together data professionals, data producers, and data analysts from around the world for presentations and workshops covering new and persistent issues relating to access to data, its documentation, and digital preservation, with special emphasis on the social sciences. The social sciences have a long history of data sharing activity which will make the conference of interest to colleagues in disciplines where improving data access practices is on the policy agenda, and where there are clear overlaps with digital curation, data publishing, e-science/ cyberinfrastructure initiatives, and new interdisciplinary collaborations. The IASSIST Quarterly (IQ), available online from the IASSIST website and in print, is another important means of communication for the data community. Each year, IQ features the papers associated with conference presentations. Of special note is the IASSIST Publication Award, involving a cash prize for the winning paper. For further details see: . The IASSIST Outreach Committee accepts applications from data professionals in countries with emerging economies for funding to attend IASSIST 2006. More information about the Outreach Committee’s work, including funding criteria and online application form, can be found at Procedure IASSIST 2006 - CALL FOR PAPERS IASSIST Quarterly Spring 2005 27 IASSIST 2006 The deadline for paper, session, and poster/demonstration proposals is 16th January 2006. The Conference Program Committee will send notifi cation of the acceptance of proposals on or before 10th February 2006. Individual presentation proposals and session proposals are welcome. Proposals for complete sessions, typically a panel of three to four presentations within a 90-minute session, should provide information on the focus of the session, the organizer or moderator, and possible participants. The session organizer or moderator will be responsible for securing session participants, some of whom may submit paper proposals independently. All proposals, including proposed title and an abstract (recommended length 150 words), should be submitted using the link on the following website: Alternatively, proposals may be sent via email to . In this case, please use a subject heading of “Paper proposal - Your Name” or “Session proposal - Your Name” replace “Your Name” with the name of the session organizer. Further information on travel and accommodations will be available at links from the IASSIST ‘06 Conference website: . Online registration is scheduled to open on 1st February 2006. Make plans to come to Ann Arbor for the IASSIST 2006 Conference May 22-26, 2006 28 IASSIST Quarterly Spring 2005 Submissions due January 10, 2006 Announcement of winner March 1, 2006 Award: $250 US and one year membership in IASSIST http://www.iassistdata.org Content focus: Education. As an organization, IASSIST has a history of working to educate its members about matters of common professional interest to the social science data community. Traditionally, this education has taken the form of professional development opportunities available in member-initiated and member-taught workshops at the annual IASSIST conference. Yet as the world of social science data grows increasingly complex, staying abreast of new developments in the profession is likely to present an ever increasing challenge for IASSIST members. As a result, the Education Committee of IASSIST is receptive to recommendations for employing new instructional methods and technologies as we strive to meet IASSIST’s educational mission. At its annual conference in May, 2004, the IASSIST membership approved a 5-year Strategic Plan that focuses upon three strategic directions: Education, Outreach, and Advocacy. This paper competition has been established as a means of exploring, articulating, and documenting topical issues related to Education. For further information about the Strategic Plan, see: http://www.iassistdata.org/membership/plan_june2004.pdf IASSIST seeks papers that address one or more of the issues, principles, and strategies for engagement in the following subject areas: 1. IASSIST-related Educational Initiatives 2. Professional Development and Educational Opportunities of interest to IASSIST members 3. Educational outreach to research communities, including and beyond the social sciences, to promote data preservation and access. Papers should include recommendations for action or suggestions of specifi c projects that can be undertaken (or are underway) to further the education goals of IASSIST. Prospective submitters may wish to review the discussion on the IASSIST blog about the educational issues arising under the topic of the Accidental Data Librarian (available at http://iassistblog.org/?cat=5). Criteria for evaluation: Call for Papers: 2006 IASSIST STRATEGIC PLAN PUBLICATION AWARD (Competition is not limited to current IASSIST members) IASSIST Quarterly Spring 2005 29 2006 IASSIST STRATEGIC PLAN PUBLICATION AWARD --relevance of the paper to one or all of the themes in the IASSIST Strategic Plan (specifi cally Strategic Direction I: Improve and Expand the Educational Component of IASSIST both Internally and Externally. --inclusion of specifi c suggestions for action or specifi c projects that will further the education of IASSIST members or otherwise encourage progress in support of the IASSIST Strategic Plan --potential in building a base for future IASSIST activity --quality of writing - -bibliographic content including references to related materials --clarity in presenting issues and viewpoints as outlined above Competition details: All papers are to be submitted in English. The winning paper will be announced on the IASSIST list-serve on or around March 1, 2006. In addition to being designated as the winning paper in the IASSIST Quarterly, the author of the winning paper will receive the monetary award and a one-year membership in IASSIST and be recognized at the IASSIST conference in Ann Arbor. All other submissions meeting the criteria for evaluation will be published in the IASSIST Quarterly (IQ) (online and print). Papers that are submitted to this Strategic Plan Publication Award competition may also be submitted for inclusion in the IASSIST conference in Ann Arbor in May 2006. Papers must be a minimum of 5 pages in length, including bibliography and graphics as appropriate. We strongly prefer that for publication purposes all documents be submitted in Word format and each graphic be submitted as a separate fi le in one of the following formats: .gif .jpg .tif .bmp .png Papers must not have copyright limitations; IASSIST Quarterly (IQ) rights will apply upon publication. All papers must be submitted by January 10, 2006 to the competition web host: David Sheaves Questions (not papers, please) may be sent to: Competition is not limited to current IASSIST members. The review committee for the IASSIST Strategic Plan Publication Award will be announced on the IASSIST website www.iassistdata.org and on the IASSIST list serve.