Calls for papers

 

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations

 

Special Edition on: “Actor-Network Theory”

Guest Editors: Arthur Tatnall, Victoria University, Australia, Rajeev K. Bali, University of Coventry, UK, and Nilmini Wickramasinghe, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA

Actor-Network Theory (ANT) is an interdisciplinary approach to social science and technology studies (STS) initially developed by Bruno Latour, Michel Callon and John Law. It provides a material-semiotic framework for describing the ordering of scientific, technological, social, and organisational processes or events. ANT developed around problems associated with attempts to handle socio-technical 'imbroglios' like electric cars, supersonic aircraft, Portuguese navigation, the domestication of scallops, the mass market for amateur photography and a new railway system in Paris. ANT has also more recently been applied to Information Systems research.

Although named “theory”, ANT is neither a theory in a social theory sense nor is it trying to explain the behavior of social actors. ANT is rather a framework based upon an array of concepts. It is based upon the principle of generalised symmetry, which rules that human and non-human objects/subjects are treated with the same vocabulary. Moreover, both the human and non-human counterparts are integrated into the same conceptual framework.

This special issue is looking for papers that apply ANT to various aspects of Information Systems research as a lens to better understand the dynamics and interplay between people and technology in complex networks.

Subject Coverage
Suitable topics include but are not limited to:

• Using ANT as an approach to Information Systems research
• Methods and mechanisms involved in the use of ANT
• Use of ANT to identify significant actors (players)
• Use of ANT to identify important dynamics in establishing networks
• Criticisms of ANT
• Explanatory case studies of the use of ANT
• Innovation translation (informed by ANT) as an approach to explaining technological innovation
• Beyond ANT

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere

All papers are refereed through a peer review process. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the Author Guidelines page

Important Dates

Three-page extended abstract by: 15 February, 2007

Notification of full paper submission by: 15 March, 2007

Full paper submission no later than: 15 June, 2007