New Media Research at UMN: An Interdisciplinary Conference on New Media and Internet Studies

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE

Across the University of Minnesota campus new media / internet research is being conducted in departments ranging from journalism and mass communication to computer science, rhetoric to political science, communication studies to educational psychology. The study of the internet and other digital technologies requires innovative thinking about methods and theories both within and across disciplines.

The University of Minnesota’s potential impact as a thought-leader in multiple areas of internet and new media research is just beginning to be realized. The proposed New Media Research at UMN conference has these objectives:

• To showcase the cutting edge research being done right in our own backyard
• To build a UMN network of researchers and scholars interested in the examination of new media and technology
• To foster interdisciplinary collaboration in the seeking and writing of research proposals
• To publish a “state of the University” paper on new media / Internet studies research across the campus

The conference will be a combination of paper presentations, poster exhibition and brainstorming on collaborative research opportunities. We will also hear from the Directors and Deans of various departments about the ways new media is affecting their research agendas.

A luncheon keynote by Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life project will give us insights into the research questions being pursued.

If you are a student (graduate or undergraduate) or faculty member looking for colleagues interested in new media and new communication technologies research issues, please join us on Sept. 15-16. (see schedule)

The opening reception and poster session will provide a chance to meet and talk with other researchers. The opening panel will be an opportunity to hear from deans and directors about how new media is influencing the research work in their departments.

The conference on Friday, Sept. 16 will feature 16 papers from UM researchers in:

• Law
• Political science
• Public health
• Family social science
• English
• Journalism and mass communication
• Rhetoric
• Computer science

Research topics covered include: health literacy through online support groups, website credibility issues, candidate use of websites, network analysis, web advertising, and research methods used to develop new media theory.

The afternoon will provide an opportunity to meet with other researchers in an open forum to discuss your own research interests and the issues and opportunities that collaborative research partnerships across disciplines might provide to you as a UM new media / new technologies researcher.

For questions regarding the conference, contact co-organizers Nora Paul and Anna Martinson.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE