Preconference: Being Digital - Future Research Challenges

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

The pace of communications technology change creates a situation for our disciplines whereby taking stock of theory and findings can be challenging. To better inform future research the pre-conference will undertake a set of workshops to explore and reflect on the findings from the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) scoping review on "Ways of Being in a Digital Age" (http://iccliverpool.ac.uk/?research=ways-of-being-in-a-digital-age-a-systematic-review).

This review concludes and reports in March 2017 and will provide an overview of research on how digital technology mediates our lives. The pre-conference will invite workshop contributions from ICA members around the seven domains of the review:

1. Citizenship and politics;
2. Communities and identities;
3. Communication and relationships;
4. Health and wellbeing;
5. Economy and sustainability;
6. Data and representation;
7. Governance and security.

The goal of the workshops will be to elicit reflection and discussion on the key research challenges facing communications research within each of the domains explored by the review. The workshops will seek to develop a short position statement on future research challenges for each of the areas explored.

Sub Unit

• Sponsored Sessions

Chair

• Simeon John Yates, U of Liverpool