Call for papers: Privacy in a Virtual Environment: Theory & Practice

Call for papers: Privacy in a Virtual Environment: Theory & Practice

A special issue of International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations

Researchers in the fields of management, information systems, organisational psychology, marketing, and social science are showing an increasing awareness of the degree to which information and communication technologies influence consumer privacy. Consumers’ concerns regarding how their personal data are used by businesses and by government is not a new phenomenon. However, the widespread adoption of the Internet and the increasing awareness amongst consumers regarding the ability of vendors to collect, store and disseminate information on consumers has magnified concerns of both consumers and public policy advocates regarding the ways in which private data can be used.

A successful virtual network requires a real-time exploitation of information and knowledge among the entire network entities. The key enabler/driver for successful virtual networks is the ability for the network entities to trust that the privacy of their personal information will not be exploited by those with whom they interact. However, the question remains as to how do we detect, determine or measure the best way of protecting information in a virtual environment? How can we classify privacy in a virtual environment and how can each classification be measured? What types of policies, techniques and methods should be used to promote privacy in a virtual environment? How do the interactions between virtual network entities change with the changing requirements of the virtual environment? And where do traditional linkages fall short?

This special issue aims to provide a forum for answering these questions and in doing so will address key privacy issues that businesses, marketing executives, customer relationship management executives, academics, and government bodies should consider as they implement their e-commerce initiatives.

Three types of papers are solicited:

• Theoretical papers that provide original work on the theory of privacy in virtual environment
• Applications and case studies that deal with privacy from the perspective of online consumers, virtual organisations or virtual teams
• Review papers exploring the historical development and research in the field.

Recommended general topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Conceptual analysis of privacy in the virtual environment
• The effect of ICT on privacy models, strategy and policy
• Ubiquitous technology
• Identity theft
• Email monitoring
• RFID technology
• Real-time person location technologies
• Biometrics identification
• Computer security and privacy issues
• Software and logging capabilities
• Privacy of electronic medical records
• Civil liberties and online privacy
• Commercial Implications of virtual world privacy issues
• Privacy and database mining
• E-customer relationship management privacy issues
• The relationship between privacy and trust in e-commerce
• Ambient intelligence
• Online privacy concerns and consumer behaviour
• Online privacy concerns and cultural issues
• Case studies
• Best practice examples
• Future trends

Important Dates
Proposals due by: 1 August, 2007
Final submission due: 1 November 2007