***NOTE: DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WE HAVE MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO CANCEL THIS PRECONFERENCE. IF YOU HAVE REGISTERED, ICA WILL BE ISSUING REFUNDS. PLEASE BE PATIENT AS THE OFFICE IS UNDERSTANDABLY QUITE BUSY AT THIS TIME. QUESTIONS CAN BE DIRECTED TO: icadirect2020@gmail.com ***

DIREct Logo

DIgital REsearch, Translated (DIREcT)

Preconference Location: ICA ONSITE |21 May 2020
Preconference Coordinating Team: Jessica Taylor Piotrowski, Mark Johnson, Rabindra (Robby) Ratan, and Anna Potter

About DIREcT

Open science reflects more than accessible data files and open access publications. To truly practice bring OPEN, it is imperative that scholars and media practitioners break down the institutional walls that often separate them in order to share ideas, innovative thinking, good practices, and more.

The aim of this preconference, co-organized by the CAM and Game Studies divisions of ICA in collaboration with the University of the Sunshine Coast, is to practice openness by facilitating a DIREcT dialogue between digital media creators and the scholars that study digital media.

Scholars are invited to deliver brief talks (Ignite Talk style) about their newest (unpublished, ongoing) work in the digital media space – whether that be gaming, virtual reality, mobile technology, and more. These applications might focus on children and media (e.g., mobile app design for youth), game studies (e.g., creating immersive VR games), or even topics at the intersections of both. In all cases, scholars will have an opportunity to tell what they are learning as they are learning it (with applications ranging from childhood through adulthood). To ensure DIREcT translation, Ignite Talks will be complemented by invited presentations from digital media practitioners who are living and working in the Australian digital media space. These practitioners are known for innovative digital media design for users across the lifespan and have made waves in the digital media space in nuanced and important ways. Opening and closing keynote addresses will tie both sides of the scholar-practitioner story together, exemplifying why digital research translation is so needed.

DIREcT ensures that practitioners hear from scholars about the newest lessons in the digital media space and what this means for our digital future while scholars hear from practitioners about ongoing industry innovations and how industry utilizes research in daily work. In doing so, DIREcT will allow all attendees to truly practice being open.

Call for Scholar Submission

While we are open-ended about potential topics, we are most interested in ongoing scholarly work that highlights new opportunities or lessons learned in the digital space. In particular, topics that would be of interest to media practitioners (e.g., good practices for app/game design; cautionary tales of what not to do) are particularly valuable. The work should be able to be presented in an Ignite Talk format.

What is an Ignite Talk?

An Ignite Talk is a short presentation whereby speakers have five minutes to talk accompanied by 20 slides, for 15 seconds each, automatically advanced. Ignite Talks are an engaging and concise way to connect with one’s audience and ensure every minute is a worthwhile minute.

Submission Process

We invite scholars to submit extended abstracts (maximum 750 words) about their proposed Ignite Talk. The proposal should make clear:

  • the topic and its relation to the pre-conference themes,
  • what target audience this applies to (all audiences from children – adulthood possible),
  • what information will be DIREcTly translated to preconference attendees (which will include media practitioners),
  • why this information matters (i.e., potential impact), and
  • how this information will fit within an Ignite presentation format

The submission should include the names and affiliations of all authors on the first page of the submission, along with complete contact details for the corresponding email. The extended abstract should begin on page 2.  

Proposals can be submitted via email to icadirect2020@gmail.com no later than March 1, 2020. Proposals will be selected based on the criteria listed above with special attention by preconference organizers to ensuring that a range of exemplars are featured at the preconference. Submissions will be reviewed by the preconference organizing committee. All reviews will be non-blind given the format of this particular preconference. Authors will be informed of decisions by the middle of March. Names and titles of accepted abstracts will be posted on the preconference website in advance of the preconference.

Registration

All speakers and attendees must register and pay the preconference fee. The event is a day-long event (an agenda is forthcoming). The event will end prior to 17:00 so that attendees are able to attend ICA’s opening plenary at 18:00 that evening. The preconference fee includes two coffee breaks (morning; afternoon) as well as a lunch buffet. Thanks to generous sponsorships, the fees for both regular and student registration have been reduced: regular registration is $80USD, and student registration is $40USD. To register, please visit: https://www.icahdq.org/event/ICA2020_Preconf23 

Organizers

The pre-conference is co-sponsored by the Children, Adolescents, and Media and Game Studies divisions of the International Communication Association in conjunction with the University of the Sunshine Coast.