Call for papers: Operational Business Intelligence

Call for papers: Operational Business Intelligence

A special issue of International Journal of Technology Management

Business Intelligence (BI) can take many different forms. In general, we can say that BI is a computerised system for helping make decisions in an analytic-based and prospective approach. BI systems help firms’ coherent and data-based decisions-making. Most companies using BI for strategic and tactical decision support. In a competitive and hostile environment such as the current one, it is no longer enough for the managers to make the right choices, they must also make and implement them as quickly as possible. In this context, BI support is needed for optimising business operations. Such systems are called operational BI.

The focus of this special issue is on bringing together researchers and practitioners from the areas of BI, data mining and operational knowledge management. The technical objective is to exchange ideas and techniques from those areas as well as to establish a framework for the development of methodologies that integrate decision support and operational knowledge management. Consequently, papers that address these topics or those that extend technical and domain knowledge to operational BI are especially sought.

Suitable topics include but are not limited to:

• Operational Business Intelligence methods and applications
• Performance evaluation in BI
• Architectures for operational BI systems
• Operational knowledge discovery
• Intelligence extraction from data management
• Integration of data mining and BI
• Business data mining concept, methods and applications
• BI repositories
• Assessment of operational BI applications
• Assessment of operational knowledge applications
• Case studies of operational BI

Important Dates

Deadline for submission of manuscripts: 1 October 2007
Notification of acceptance/rejection to authors: 1 January 2008
Submission of final manuscript: 15 February 2008

Special issue: Ontology matching, integration and modelling

International Journal of Metadata, Semantics and Ontologies 1(4) 2006 is a special issue: Ontology matching, integration and modelling

Article titles:
* Evolving open and independent ontologies
* Multi-ontology matchmaker
* Large scale ontology tailoring and simulation in the Semantic Grid Environment
* Development of a web-based student enquiry system: integration of ontology and case-based reasoning
* Metadata for research and development collaboration between universities
* Sharing semantics among enterprise information systems with contextual ontologies: theory and practice
*Technologies for data semantic modelling

Special issue: Heat treatment and surface engineering of tools and die

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties 2(1) 2007 is a special issue: Heat treatment and surface engineering of tools and dies, comprising papers presented at a three-days International Conference organised jointly by the Croatian Society for Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering (CSHTE), the Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials (ASMET), and the Slovenian Society for Heat Treatment (SSHT) and sponsored by the International Federation for Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering (IFHTSE) and held from 8 to 12 June 2005 in Pulj.

Article titles:
* Structural changes and properties modifications in heat treating of tool steels: the dominant role of Physical Metallurgy
* Structure and properties of high-speed steels after austempering
* An analysis of application of modified Jominy-test in simulation of cold work tool steels quenching
* Anticarburising coatings applied on parts of carburising furnaces
* Nitriding without the compound layer and with continuous in-process variation of the nitriding potential
* Gas nitriding of En40B steel with highest growth rate of the case and reduced white layer formation
* Experimental research concerning the thermal shock behaviour of some ion nitriding stainless steels
* Dimensional analysis in the growth kinetics of FeB and Fe2B layers during the boriding process
* New technology MO PVD-arc multi-layer producing plasma atmosphere of Al(CH3)3 precursor
* Hardide™: advanced nano-structured CVD coating
* Study of the resistance to washout of PVD coated hot working tool steels

Call for papers: Hysteresis Modelling and Control of Smart Materials

Call for papers: Hysteresis Modelling and Control of Smart Materials

A special issue of International Journal of Intelligent Systems Technologies and Applications

Smart materials are responsive materials that possess adaptive capabilities to changes in external stimuli. Electrostrictive polymers, piezoelectric materials, electro-rheological and magneto-rheological fluids, shape memory alloys and magneto-strictive materials fall within this category. The field of smart materials has advanced rapidly due to an increasing awareness of their capabilities and numerous potential applications in various ectors, namely aerospace, aeronautic, industrial, automotive, biomedical, and micro and nano-systems.

Smart materials are known to exhibit various degrees of hysteresis and nonlinear dynamics, which poses considerable challenges for controller design. The accurate and efficient quantification of these effects form the primary requirements for controller design in order to exploit full capabilities of various materials.

The primary purpose of this special issue is to document the current state-of-the-art works on characterisation of hysteresis effects, modelling techniques and corresponding control methods for smart materials through a collection of original and high-quality papers.

This special issue will focus on all aspects of modelling and control issues concerning smart materials with hysteresis.

Important Date

Contributed papers should be submitted online by: 30 March, 2008

Call for papers: Sculptured surface machining

Call for papers: Sculptured surface machining

A special issue of International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials

At the present time, the milling of sculptured and complex surfaces is an important topic from both industrial and technological points of view. Several problems coincide in the same workpiece, for instance, a difficult-to-cut steel or superalloy, a complex geometry and narrow tolerances to be achieved. Usually success comes from a holistic view of the design and manufacturing process, where milling in three or five-axis is critical.

The mould and die manufacturers are placed in all the industrialised or emerging countries, with strong competition among firms and even among countries. This fact has brought new machining approaches for roughing, semi finishing and finishing, new polishing and surface treatment technologies and new process planning. This special issue aims to include works about several of these topics, especially in machining. Another important industrial sector involves aircraft engine components, some of them with complex ruled or sculptured surfaces. In this case, the rotational parts must be studied for the influence of the machining on the in-service component behaviour. Finally, various new applications of ceramics or sintered materials for tool manufacturing have increased the use of non-conventional techniques such as electrodischarge machining or ultrasonic machining.

This special issue invites the submission of high quality research articles related to milling and surface finishing of sculptured surfaces, including moulds, dies, blades, and other complex surfaces.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Milling of moulds, dies or blades
• Three-axis and five-axis milling of complex surfaces
• Surface finish and surface polishing
• Machinability of tool materials or related materials
• Nontraditional machining processes of complex surfaces
• Behaviour of machines and CNC when milling complex surfaces
• CAM programming of sculptured surfaces
• Effect of machining on the surface integrity and residual stresses
• Errors in sculptured surface machining
• Micromilling for micromould or microdies
• Models for ball-end milling, bull-nose milling or flank milling
• Optimisation of design and manufacturing of moulds or dies

Important Dates

Submission: 30 June 2008
Decision: 30 September 2008
Revised manuscripts: 30 November 2008

Call for papers: Innovative University Programs in Technology Business Incubation

Call for papers: Innovative University Programs in Technology Business Incubation

A special issue of International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management

To compete in the new economy, a number of universities have been actively involved in designing and implementing innovative programmes for promoting regional innovation and entrepreneurship. Over the past three decades, one salient approach has been the development of formal technology business incubation mechanisms. The goal of these university-based and university-sponsored organisational mechanisms is to serve as conduits facilitating the spillover of university knowledge through enterprise creation and commercialisation of research results.

Some of these technology business incubation mechanisms are developed and run by the universities themselves; others are offered in partnership with public and private organisations in the community. In all cases, their objective is to create more comprehensive and integrative incubation spaces in and around the university campuses aimed at providing seamless innovation milieus.

This special issue will feature high quality research that explores various innovative models of these formal university incubation mechanisms in developed as well as emerging regions of the world. Preferred submissions will chronicle cases where an entrepreneurial university serves as the initiator and/or locus of regional innovation and entrepreneurship.

Potential topic areas suitable for review articles include but are not limited to:

• Business/technology incubators
• Science/research/technology parks
• Technology trampolines
• Technology/business accelerators
• Business/industry/venture centres
• Technology/research centres
• Venture funding institutes
• Technology transfer programmes/offices
• Other formal enterprise development/support mechanisms

Important Dates

Manuscript submission: 30 September, 2007
Notification of acceptance: 30 August, 2008

Featured article: P2P file sharing and the law: a brief survey of legislation and jurisprudence

P2P file sharing and the law: a brief survey of legislation and jurisprudence
Brett J.L. Landry, University of Dallas, Irving, Texas, USA
Dinah Payne, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
International Journal of Services and Standards 3(2) 2007, 169-187

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) applications are easy to use and pervasive at a variety of institutions, both public and private, business, governmental and academic. They cause major problems with the networks upon which they are applied: viruses, worms, spyware and adware can cause crippling congestion of the network resources. Additionally, P2P file sharing applications typically violate the copyright law, as well as create legal liability through the concepts found in tort law. This paper will present very basic definitions of P2P technology, a review of the pervasiveness of the use of IP2PFS and a brief survey of legal measures designed to prevent illegal usage.

Call for papers: 4D Medical Imaging and 4D Radiation Therapy

Call for papers: 4D Medical Imaging and 4D Radiation Therapy

A special issue of International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology

This special issue presents a collection of manuscripts that discuss novel and innovative applications of 4D medical imaging in radiation oncology, called 4D radiation therapy. It focuses on critical issues pertaining to 4D medical imaging, including time-resolved volumetric CT, MRI, MRSI, PET, PET/CT, and SPECT imaging and other emerging imaging modalities. Particular emphasis will be put on novel and unique applications of these 4D imaging modalities in 4D radiation therapy, including 4D simulation, 4D treatment planning, 4D pre-treatment verification, and 4D treatment delivery.

Subjects include, but are not limited to the following topics:

• 4D computed tomography (CT)
• 4D multi-detector-row CT (MDCT)
• 4D cone-beam CT (CBCT)
• 4D Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• 4D magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI)
• 4D positron emission tomography (PET)
• 4D single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
• 4D PET/CT
• 4D ultrasound (US)
• Other emerging imaging modalities
• 4D image reconstruction
• 4D image enhancement, registration, segmentation, and visualization
• 4D radiation therapy simulation
• 4D treatment planning
• 4D pre-treatment verification
• 4D treatment delivery

Important Dates

One page proposal deadline: 10 May, 2007
Paper submission deadline: 20 July, 2007
Review results and notification: 20 September, 2007
Submission of Revised Papers: 20 October, 2007
Final Acceptance of Papers: 20 November, 2007

Special issue: Public affairs informatics research

International Journal of Public Policy 2(3/4) 2007 is a special issue: Public affairs informatics research.

Article titles:
* Minority elderly and timely hospice care: caregiver status
* Is public health expenditure in Ecuador progressive or regressive?
* Social capital and use of folk and herbal medicine by older women in Almaty, Kazakhstan
* The role of government in tobacco leaf production in China: national and local interventions
* Research driven Medicaid reform: the case of managed care
*The effect of Taiwan's National Health Insurance programme on hospital physicians' perceptions of their careers: a survey
* Health information technology: will it make higher quality and more efficient healthcare delivery possible?
* Development of Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs): knowledge networks and collaboration
* Factors associated with hospital preference among rural Medicaid beneficiaries
* Differential effects of hospital case mix on hospital costs and revenues, with a focus on Medicaid patients
* Comparing four estimation methods for uninsurance in Florida
* The impact of quality and efficiency on federal healthcare

First issue: European Journal of International Management

The first issue of European Journal of International Management has just been published

This is the first international journal devoted entirely to fostering an understanding of issues in international management theory and practice in the newly expanded European arena – including the underrepresented regions of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe – and to providing both conceptual and functional implications useful for the further development of research, teaching practices, and managerial techniques.

It also solicits literature that allows for a broader interpretation of research – it welcomes not only papers which adhere to the most common research standards (i.e., largely based on hypothesis testing using quantitative methods), but also those that introduce a more European perspective through qualitative and interdisciplinary contributions.

The main objective of the journal is to establish an outlet for scholars interested in a variety of topics in international management in Europe. Papers are aimed not only at the academic community preoccupied with purely conceptual research, but also at other academics actively involved in transferring theoretical wisdom into actionable knowledge.

In general, EJIM is designed to serve a slightly wider segment of the academic audience by containing strong implications for both teaching and practicing communities, while still maintaining both academic quality and rigor.

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Management and Network Economics

International Journal of Management and Network Economics - to begin publication in 2008 - is devoted to the study of network industries (e.g. telecommunications, energy, air transport). Advanced managerial, financial and economic findings and research related to the development of interconnected networks attempt to modify the modern debate regarding network industries. Their importance relies on expectations of growth of several and differing private and public sectors, especially in the light of market liberalisation and increasing attention to quality management, customer satisfaction, technological innovation and value creation. Accordingly, financial markets, customers, public authorities and companies are looking for advances in network management and economics that can provide long-term benefits for both private and public stakeholders. New and adapted theories, models and frameworks are necessary to understand such a dynamic, complex and evolving scenario.

Call for papers: Materials Characterization

Call for papers: Materials Characterization

A special issue of International Journal of Materials and Product Technology

This special issue deals with materials characterization in all industries comprising various areas such as mechanical testing, electrical and electronic measurements, electrochemical techniques, optical imaging and spectroscopy, and resonance methods.

The aim is to provide an international forum for academics, industry leaders, and policy makers to investigate and exchange novel ideas and disseminate knowledge and information covering the broad range of characterization concepts and techniques from idea through engineering to marketing.

Fields of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Computers and electronics engineering
• Materials science and engineering
• Nanomaterials and nanotechnology
• Petroleum science and engineering
• Medicine
• Materials economics
• Risk assessment and management

Important Dates

Paper due: 1 May, 2007
Acceptance notification: 1 June, 2007
Final paper version due: 1 July, 2007

Call for papers: Information Society in China and EU: Synergies and Cooperation

Call for papers: Information Society in China and EU: Synergies and Cooperation

A special issue of International Journal of Chinese Culture and Management

In order to strengthen high-level dialogue about the information society between China and the EU, the EU-China Information Society project has been launched as part of the EU technical assistance programme in China, to promote economic and social reform through informatisation.

With this aim, the EU designed a regulatory framework by introducing best practises from the EU; the project supports the Chinese Government in enacting and implementing essential laws, regulations and policies to improve the legal and regulatory environment for e-commerce, e-government and convergence. Specific topics cover telecommunications policy, access to government information, data protection, online copyright, electronic signature, electronic contracts, information security and online arbitration.

This Special Issue aims to offer readers the state of the art in terms of synergies and cooperation on the information society in China and EU.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Access to government information
• Data protection
• E-commerce
• E-government
• Electronic signature
• Information security
• Online arbitration
• Online copyright
• ICT
• IT innovation
• Managing service Innovation
• Telecommunications policy

Important Dates

1-2 Page Abstract: 30 April 2007
Submission of Manuscripts: 15 October 2007
Notification to Authors: 15 November 2007
Final Versions Due: 10 December 2007

Call for papers: Business Excellence in New Zealand: Role of Leadership in Managing Corporate Governance and Knowledge Culture in the Global Village

Call for papers: Business Excellence in New Zealand: Role of Leadership in Managing Corporate Governance and Knowledge Culture in the Global Village

A special issue of World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development

Quality has been one of the corner stones of businesses and evolved to total quality management and then to business excellence as a means of operational excellence in organisations which want to survive the global competition. One of the main requirements for attaining business excellence is leadership that gives proper guidance, encourages improvement and generally steers the ship, i.e. the whole organisation, to change from traditional management thinking towards continuous improvement through best practices in corporate governance and fosters a knowledge culture for the organisation to survive and thrive in the global village we are living in.

New Zealand (Aotearoa) is a multicultural nation that has most of the ingredients to evolve its social, economic and environmental policies to deliver the best qualities of life, which sets the scene for its businesses. Organisational identity and culture is shaped by its leadership and how it inspires and engages people, champions innovation and leads organisational change. This is evident in the recent reforms taking place in many sectors (e.g. corporate governance framework, environmental education in New Zealand schools, education for sustainability, tertiary education reforms) to help New Zealand businesses meet the global challenges and demonstrates the nation’s capabilities in competing internationally.

This special issue will provide an insight in the role of leadership and the strategies used by NZ business in managing business excellence through their corporate governance. It will also provide a platform for discussion on the different perceptions of knowledge, the resultant challenges and how it is managed in a diverse and multi-cultural nation like New Zealand.

Contributions are welcomed to address the following and related topics:

• Evolution of business excellence trends in New Zealand businesses
• Review of leadership practices in New Zealand businesses and its role and contributions to organisational performance
• The role of leadership in a multi-cultural organisations
• Studies of best practices in corporate governance
• Knowledge management in organisations

Important Date

Submissions should be sent no later than: 10 August 2007

Call for papers: Advanced Production System, Production Design and Production Management

Call for papers: Advanced Production System, Production Design and Production Management

A special issue of International Journal of Product Development

Production engineering is an important and often necessary step in product development. Research in this area has yielded many promising approaches and strategies. Extensive literature related to a) manufacturing technology, b) CAD/CAM, c) production management, etc., has been built up over the years.

This special issue aims at presenting the state-of-the-art in the area of production engineering, and promoting further research in the area of developing new products and production lines. The issue will focus on theories and methods on manufacturing technology, product design, production control, intelligent systems and optimisation systems.

Topics of interests include but are not limited to:

• Next-generation manufacturing systems (intelligent systems, scheduling, CAPP, MRP, JIT cell production, FMS, FTL, etc.),
• CAD/CAM
• Lean production (LP),
• Die and mould manufacturing technologies
• Advanced machine tools and machine elements
• 3D-CAD
• Concurrent engineering
• Integrated framework for design and management of manufacturing systems
• Integration of the design of lines, production policies and maintenance strategies
• Applications (multi-function machine tools, multi-axis control, intelligent machine tools, CAM, monitoring, etc.)

Important Dates

Submission of full paper before: 30 September 2007
Notification of acceptance before: 31 October 2007
Submission of final and revised manuscripts: 1 December 2007

Special issue: Clusters and regional innovation systems

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management 7(2/3/4/5) 2007 is a special issue: Clusters and regional innovation systems.

Article titles:
* Regional innovation, entrepreneurship and talent systems
* Constructing knowledge-based regional advantage: implications for regional innovation policy
* Economic policy from an evolutionary perspective: the case of Finland
* Coordination of interactions in innovative environments
* Resources development and actors coordination: what role for innovative milieus?
* The clustering and spatial distribution of economic activities in eight Canadian cities
* Network positions and efforts to innovate in a small Canadian optics and photonics clusters
* Path dependence and cluster adaptation: a case study of Toronto's new media industry
* The uniqueness of the Montreal fur industry in an apparel sector adrift: the role of proximity
* Entrepreneurship, knowledge and learning in cluster formation and evolution: the Windsor Ontario tool, die and mould cluster
* Knowledge links in high-technology industries: markets, networks or milieu? The case of the Vienna biotechnology cluster
* Clusters, innovation and the local learning paradox
* Universities as entrepreneurship engines in the periphery: more than wishful thinking? The example of Kiel in Northern Germany
* Institutional structure and modes of governance in non-metropolitan innovation systems
* Institutional features, path dependencies and regional industrial change: comparing mature and embryonic clusters in an old industrial region
* Innovative new firms, embeddedness and regional development
* Promoting regional networking and cluster formation in East Germany: a chance for setting up new regional growth regimes in an economically volatile environment?

Call for papers: Intellectual Capital Reporting and Contextual Influences in Organisational Learning

Call for papers: Intellectual Capital Reporting and Contextual Influences in Organisational Learning

A special issue of International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital

Organisational learning theory has made great progress from its early conceptions by Cangolosi and Dill (1965), and Argyris and Schon (1978). While early scholars established strong links between thinking and action (Argyris, 1993), and the relationships between individual and organisational learning (Fiol and Lyles, 1985; Kim, 1993), more contemporary inquiry has advanced the field from strategic renewal (Crossan, Lane, and White, 1999), to dynamic capabilities (Prieto and Easterby-Smith, 2006; Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000), to leadership (Vera and Crossan, 2004), and to improvisation (Vera and Crossan, 2004:2005).

Indeed, organisational learning has now become a contemporary linking pin (so it appears) between cognitive thinking, behavioural action, and organisational strategy and change, and as a foundation for understanding organisational processes. Contextual influences thus appear to be many but remain somewhat elusive and fuzzy as a unifying whole and in terms of their influence on the organisational learning process.

This special issue seeks to address the various learning contexts that influence the organisational learning processes. What is of particular interest is how contexts influence the quality of learning, learning routines and capabilities, and the capacity of the firm to embed them (if at all) within the 4I framework, and learning outcomes. At the expense of a more discursive and interpretive perspective, to what extent are scholars using structure and prescription as a reductionist fallacy that glosses over contextual effects? To what extent is the field grounded in contextual fact and how does this influence learning processes and outcomes?

Papers from a variety of perspectives are welcomed, consistent with the theme. We encourage theoretical pieces that link context to theory, empirical works, and case studies. While many contextual influences are a matter of interpretation, scholars might particularly examine those that influence cognition, behavioural routines, and organisational processes. These might be drawn from a variety of fields such as strategic capability, organisation change, leadership, and strategy. We welcome inquiries from broader but related fields including organisational psychology and organisational studies, as a basis for extending organisational learning frameworks and typologies.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to:

• Individual and organisational capabilities
• Time and improvisation
• Strategic capabilities
• Power and control
• Technical and operating core
• Psychology of learning
• Change
• Learning routines
• Cognition
• Fiction and Story telling
• Culture
• Leadership

Important Dates

1-2 Page Abstract: 30 April 2007
Submission of Manuscripts: 15 October 2007
Notification to Authors: 15 November 2007
Final Versions Due: 10 December 2007

Call for papers: Innovation and Knowledge Management: Challenges for the Firm

Call for papers: Innovation and Knowledge Management: Challenges for the Firm

A special issue of International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital

The subjects of innovation and learning are receiving increased interest both from the academic community and from companies because of the influence of innovation and learning on the achievement of a sustained competitive advantage for the firm in the knowledge-based economy. Literature on innovation and learning suggest that competitive advantage flow from the creation, ownership, protection and use of certain knowledge-base organisational resources. Superior organisational performance depends on firm’s ability to be good at innovation, learning, protecting, using and amplifying these strategic intangible resources.

That being so, the UK's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has fuelled interest in innovation topics, designating innovation as one of the nine research areas in their initiative agenda.

The aim of this Special Issue is to offer a holistic view of the resources, tools, techniques, strategies and technologies necessary for the effective implementation of innovation and learning in organisations.


Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Dynamic capabilities and routines
• Human capital, relational capital, social capital and organisational capital
• Intangible resources and sustained competitive advantage
• Innovation and knowledge management
• Innovation and leadership
• Organisational learning
• Product and process innovation
  
• Technology and innovation management

Important Dates

1-2 Page Abstract: 30 April 2007
Submission of Manuscripts: 15 October 2007
Notification to Authors: 15 November 2007
Final Versions Due: 10 December 2007

Call for papers: Tourism and Development in China - Key Issues

Call for papers: Tourism and Development in China - Key Issues

A special issue of International Journal of Chinese Culture and Management

China is a vast land, rich in tourism resources. It has scenic spots and historical sites, spectacular landscapes and colorful and varied national customs. China's continuing economic reforms since 1978 have substantially altered its economic structure, expanding the service sector and in particular the tourist industry. These reforms have generated a spectacular economic growth as well a boom in tourism development. Under these circumstances, the ability of tourism to counteract the uneven development and promote regionally decentralised development in China is a strategic issue. It is also important for the sustainability of regional tourism, which depends on nature conservation and the presence of minority cultures.

This Special Issue deals with issues such as the sustainability of tourism, the convergence and divergence in regional tourism development and economic growth and the ecotourism strategies in China.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Ecotourism
• Regional economic disparity and tourism development
• Spatial distribution of tourism in China
• Tourism and economic growth
• Tourism and economic growth and sustainable development
• Tourism development and policies in China
• Touristic strategies in China
• Trends in the regional distribution of tourism in China

Important Dates

1-2 Page Abstract: 30 April 2007
Submission of Manuscripts: 15 October 2007
Notification to Authors: 15 November 2007
Final Versions Due: 10 December 2007

Call for papers: Web 2.0 for Technology Enhanced Learning Social Dynamics and Social Engineering for Learning

Call for papers: Web 2.0 for Technology Enhanced Learning Social Dynamics and Social Engineering for Learning - a New Era for Learning Content Creation and Exploitation

A special issue of International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning

One of the most significant deficits in technology enhanced learning (TEL) or e-learning approaches has always been the capacity of systems to provide means of knowledge creation and renewal of learning content through the exploitation of social interactions and learning experiences. In a way, it seems that e-learning was incapable of exploiting and capitalising on the “knowledge and learning assets” generated in the context of the unique e-learning experience. The contribution on learning objects metadata, learning designs and adaptive hypermedia as well as semantic web in this really problematic area is significant.

However, nowadays the scientific field of TEL or advanced learning technologies has true momentum: Web 2.0 sets new milestones for the exploitation of collective intelligence, social engineering and social networks and especially for TEL.

In this special issue, we explore the potential of Web 2.0 and the synergies of Web 2.0 and Semantic Web for TEL and we provide the state of the art in theoretical foundations and technological applications. We also differentiate within the development process. We apply the collaborative community enhancement model.

The issue will also host two interviews with academics and practitioners who have produced seminal work on Web 2.0/social and learning networks.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Web 2.0 for Learning: theoretical foundations, practices, technologies, strategies
• Design variables and conditions for social networks
• New forms of interaction in social systems
• Blogging as a social activity and approaches to semantic blogs
• Collaborative filtering in social settings
• Analysing social interaction for finding knowledge on Web users
• Semantic desktops
• Social network analysis enabled by the semantic web
• Learning and knowledge communities
• Analysis of large online communities web communities of practice
• Network analysis for building social networks
• Implicit, formal, and powerful semantics in communities
• Semantic social networks metadata and annotation techniques
• Metadata schema describing individuals and social ties
• Folksonomies, tagging and other collaboration-based categorisation systems
• Wikis, semantic Wikis and other collaborative knowledge creation systems
• Online social networking
• Applications of online semantic networks
• Knowledge management with semantic networks
• Emerging human experiences in social networks
• Analysis of human behaviour in semantic social networks

Important Dates

4-5 Pages Extended Abstract: 30 April 2007
Notification to Authors: 15 July 2007
Final Versions Due: 30 September 2007