Special Issue Call for Papers: "Minority languages, multimedia and the Web" (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

"Minority languages, multimedia and the Web"

For The New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia, 2005 (2)

Guest Editors:
Daniel Cunliffe, University of Glamorgan, UK (djcunlif at glam.ac.uk),
Susan Herring, Indiana University, USA (herring at indiana.edu)

Information and communications technology, and in particular the World
Wide Web, can be a double-edged sword as regards the maintenance and
revitalisation of minority languages. On the one hand, minority
language communities can be active shapers of these technologies,
creating their own tools, adapting existing tools to local needs, and
creating culturally authentic, indigenous electronic media. On the
other hand, these technologies can be seen as a force for globalisation
and neo-colonisation, reinforcing the existing dominance of majority
languages and breaking down geographical boundaries that in the past
may have protected minority language groups.

Researching the effects of multimedia and the Web on minority languages
is challenging, and it is not yet clear how best to utilise these
technologies to maintain and revitalise minority languages. This
special issue invites researchers and practitioners who are actively
engaged in addressing these issues from practical or theoretical
viewpoints to share their findings and experiences and to contribute to
a platform for future research. Relevant topics include, but are not
limited to:

Minority language applications:

designing, implementing and evaluating applications
measuring the impact of applications on language use
promoting indigenous production and participatory design

Influence of ICTs on minority languages:

adaptation of languages to online environments, e.g., Romanisation
behaviour of minority language speakers in online environments

Measuring online minority languages:

quantitative and qualitative measurement of online presence and use
content related analysis of online presence and use

Strategic issues:

understanding barriers to online minority language use
integrating multimedia and the Web into language planning

Article submissions should typically be no longer than 7,000 words
(excluding references) and should follow the formatting guidelines in
the Instructions to Authors on the NRHM web site
(www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/13614568.asp). Submissions should be
sent by email to the Guest Editors, in Word, rtf or pdf format. If you
have any questions concerning the scope of the call or require further
information, please contact the Guest Editors. Open topic papers
meeting NRHM's scope in general are also welcome (contact the Editor
for further information).

Submission deadline: April 30, 2005

Acceptance notification: June 30, 2005

Final manuscripts due: August 31, 2005

NRHM Editor Douglas Tudhope - dstudhope at glam.ac.uk
Associate Editor Daniel Cunliffe - djcunlif at glam.ac.uk
NRHM is published by Taylor & Francis