[Siguse-l] FW: 2005 ASIS&T SIGUSE Symposium: Connecting Research and Practice: Special Populations, Saturday, October 29, 2005, 1-6pm

[Anita Komlodi]

[Forwarded to the list for Anita because of an attachment and styled
message.  Dick Hill]

Sorry for cross-posting.

5th Annual Research Symposium of the
Special Interest Group on Information Needs, Seeking, and Use (SIG USE)
of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)

Connecting Research and Practice: Special Populations
Saturday, October 29, 2005, 1-6pm, The Westin Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

Call for Participation

Information behavior (IB) researchers are increasingly turning their
attention to “special populations,” people who share particular situations
that yield unique ways in which they need, seek, manage, give, and use
information.  For example, recent studies of different age groups and
studies dealing with people with specific illnesses have contributed to IB
theory building and the field's overall understanding in important ways. The
goal of the 2005 SIG USE Symposium is to examine selected special
populations and ways in which related research has led to changes in the
practice of designing and delivering information services.

The symposium will begin with an introductory presentation:

The Burden of Being Special:  
Adding Methodological Clarity to Defining, Researching, and Serving Special
Populations

Brenda Dervin
Professor of Communication and Joan N. Huber Fellow in Social and Behavioral
Sciences
Ohio State University

Under the leadership of researchers and practitioners who focus on a special
population in their work, participants will discuss key studies and identify
their strengths and limitations for understanding and serving different
groups.  Through this process, participants will gain a deeper understanding
of different research and service approaches and will be able to apply them
in more valid and fruitful ways in their own work.  Ultimately, the
symposium may produce a collection of best practice research and service
guidelines for special populations. 

To apply to the symposium, experienced researchers and practitioners should
submit a 1-page synopsis (about 300 words) in which they nominate a
particular population for discussion and summarize their (and other key)
related current research or practice.  Those new to the field should
similarly nominate a population for discussion and describe their research
or professional interests.  Examples of potential populations include:


• Children/Youth                         
• Disabled
• Elderly
• Homeless
• Immigrants
• Managers
• People dealing with illness
• Stay-at-home parents


Formal papers are not expected; the symposium will follow a seminar format
focusing on participant discussion.  Synopses will be posted on the SIG USE
website (www.asis.org/SIG/SIGUSE/) prior to the meeting and will be used to
organize small-group discussions.

Synopses should be emailed to the symposium organizers by August 1, 2005;
applicants will be notified by September 1.  Participation is limited to 40
people.  Participants must register with ASIS&T for the symposium. 
Registration by September 15, 2005: SIG USE members: $50, ASIS&T members:
$65, non-members: $75. Registration after September 15, 2005: SIG USE
members: $60, ASIS&T members: $75, non-members: $85.

Symposium Organizers
Anita Komlodi, Department of Information Systems, UMBC, komlodi at umbc.edu
Kevin Rioux, Dep’t of Library and Info Studies, University of North Carolina
at Greensboro, ksrioux at lis-uncg.net
Hsin-liang (Oliver) Chen, School of Information, The University of Texas at
Austin
Crystal Fulton, Department of Library and Information Studies, University
College Dublin, Ireland
Ruth Vondracek, University Libraries, Oregon State University