LAWRENCE - The University of Kansas will host the first-ever conference of the Association of Internet Researchers at 8 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, in the Big 12 Room of the Kansas Union.
Unlike previous conferences that dealt with the technology behind the Internet, the three-day conference will focus on the social, political and ethical ramifications of Internet-based research. Topics will include the phenomenon of online personal relationships, the legitimacy of Web-based surveys and whether or not researchers need to identify themselves when they observe behavior in chat rooms.
More than 300 academic researchers from all over the world are scheduled to attend - more than twice the number organizers expected. Several KU researchers will also be in attendance.
Among the KU Internet-based researchers planning on attending are:
- Paul Atchley and Steve Ilardi, assistant professors of psychology. Atchley and Ilardi are investigating the growing phenomenon of psychiatrists who use the Internet to develop treaments for depression without ever having face-to-face meetings with patients. Atchley says this practice will become common within the next five to 10 years. For more information, contact Paul Atchley at (785) 864-9803.
- Surendra Singh, professor of business. Singh is examining the criteria people use to determine whether or not a Web site or Web page is pleasing, and therfore successful. Although he began from a marketing standpoint, Singh has expanded his research to include psychological and sociologcal factors that shape a person's perceptions of Web sites and pages. For more information, contact Surendra Singh at (785) 864-7531.
For more information about the event itself, contact Nancy Baym, KU assistant professor of communication studies and vice president of the Association of Internet Researchers, at (785) 830-9242. Or visit the website at www.cddc.vt.edu/aoir
