[NORSLIS] Deadline approaching for the International workshop on task-based research ...

[Katriina Byström]

Dear all,

Deadline for submissions is approaching! 

The deadline is August 15, 2006 and participants will receive the notification of acceptance/rejection by August 31, 2006.

Our aim is to gather a group of doctoral students and senior researchers to jointly scrutiny task-based research in educational and work settings. The ideal outcome of the workshop is, in addition to greater understanding of possibilities, challenges and limitations of task-based research, co-publications on the workshop themes between workshop participants.

All, both doctoral students and senior researchers, are warmly welcome to contact me for more information of the workshop.

Best regards,
Katriina



Extended call for participation

International workshop on task-based research in educational and work settings, 
October 15-17, 2006
Boras, Sweden

A NorsLIS research activity at the Swedish School of Library and Information Science, University College of Boras and Goteborg University 

This workshop is intended to provide opportunities for sharing experiences of task-based research in contexts of formal learning and working life and to further the issues raised at "Conceptions of task as a methodological issue: Scandinavians on information seeking and retrieval research", a panel at the ASIS&T Annual Meeting 2004. Issues related to task-based information seeking and searching were considered in the ASIS&T Annual Meeting at the session "Understanding the task" and these have been regularly addressed in the contributions of the latest conferences in Information Seeking in Context-conference series.

This workshop will develop these research issues with a focus on the conception and use of "tasks" in information studies from the theoretical and methodological perspective. The workshop covers all kinds of task-related information studies where different aspects of tasks are considered. We invite work on various interpretations and applications of the concept of task connected to information retrieval, information searching, information seeking, work practice, education, collaboration, individual tasks, multitasking, dimensions of tasks, and so on. 

Of particular interest are the following topics:
Learning as outcomes of task-based work in a range of various settings, such as formal learning from elementary level to higher education, daily work practice, organisational learning, professional development as well as keeping up to date with the knowledge development in one's professional field. What are the common traits of (or differences between) outcomes of task-based information work on different arenas? 

Theoretical growth of task-based research: Plenty of task-based research is currently carried out in the field of information studies. What do we know about information activities in relation to tasks investigated with different perspectives, such as system, individual, and socio-cultural perspectives? What are the limitations of task-based research? How are the results applicable in practice (either as work practices or in system design)? The key findings within different methodological perspectives are discussed in order to create a state-of-the-art knowledge map in task-based research.

Methods for task-based research: Multiple methods with great variation of operationalizations of task as well as data collection and analysis are utilized in the field of information studies. On the basis of examples from participants' empirical research (finished or on-going) some pitfalls and best practices are identified to guide development of empirical methods in task-based research.

Researchers in different phases of their careers, from doctoral students to professors, are invited to participate in creating a dynamic and extensive forum for discussing recent research projects and enhancing task-based research in educational and work settings. 

You are invited to join us to develop your own and other participants' expertise on task-based information studies, and enjoy the Scandinavian colourful autumn!

Send your extended abstract (max 2 500 words) to Boel Bissmarck (boel.bissmark at hb.se) no later than August 15, 2006. You will receive the notification of acceptance/rejection by August 31, 2006. The number of participants is limited.

Best regards,
Katriina Bystrom, Louise Limberg and Olof Sundin

Visit   www.norslis.net   to learn more about the workshop and NORSLIS, the Nordic Research School in Library and Information Science. The workshop is a NorsLIS research activity organized by Dr. Katriina Bystrom, Dr. Louise Limberg and Dr. Olof Sundin. Please feel free to contact any of us for further information of the workshop.

See also information about 1st Symposium on Information Interaction in Context - IIiX, Copenhagen 2006 on the NorsLIS homepage. The dates of the workshop are planned to enable participation in both events.


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Katriina Byström, Fil.Dr / Ph.D
Universitetslektor/Associate Professor

http://www.hb.se/bhs/personal/katriina/kbm.htm

+46 - (0)33 - 435 43 77  / +46 - (0)702 - 771 661

Högskolan i Borås                                                  
Biblioteks- och Informationsvetenskap/
Bibliotekshögskolan 
501 90 Borås                        

Swedish School of Library and Information Science
at Göteborg University and Högskolan i Borås
SE-501 90  Borås
Sweden
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