Deadline for abstract submission is December 1, 2009

GENERAL ONLINE RESEARCH 2010 (GOR 10), http://www.gor.de

New Methodological Approaches and Insights in Internet Research

Organizer since 1997: German Society for Online Research, http://www.dgof.de

Local Organizer: University of Applied Sciences in Pforzheim, Germany, Prof. Dr. Elke Theobald and Prof. Dr. Christa Wehner

1. Focus and Conference Topics

The pursuit of the General Online Research (GOR) is the discussion of fundamental research, innovative developments, and practical experiences in the field of online research. Online research covers a) all methods, instruments and theories that are dealing with the collection of data via the Internet and b) effects of online applications and technologies on all levels of society. Since 1997 GOR delivers high quality research results important for researchers and practitioners from universities and companies who want to stay on top of new developments and best practices.

This conference focuses on two topics:
- Data Quality / Sample Quality / Panel Quality (covered primarily by track 1 and track 2)
- Participative Internet - Participative Society? (covered primarily by track 3)

Conference-Tracks are
- Methodology in Online Research (Track 1)
- Applied Online Marketing Research (Track 2)
- Internet, Communication, and Society (Track 3)

Three prizes will be awarded at the conference:
- Best Practice Award (Best Case Study in Market Research)
- Best Research Thesis Award
- Best Poster Award

The conference language is English. Please contribute to the above conference topics. You may also submit abstracts covering other areas of research, if it is part of online research. Theory driven papers are welcome as well as papers with a strong empirical basis and a thorough design. The presentation of applications, best practice examples and case studies are encouraged. Purely theoretical papers are welcome as long as they provide a clear guidance for future empirical research. The program committee invites presenters from the private sector, official statistics, the government and academia. Presentations by teams of authors from two or more sectors are especially welcome. Proposals may include industry cases.

2. Conference Tracks

(Track 1) Online Research Methodology and Internet Surveys

Covers all types of research regarding online methodology, including Internet surveys, data collection, coverage, sampling, non-response, measurement, processing and adjustment. Presentations in this track should clearly point out, how science is promoted by this work.
Typical fields of interest include but are not limited to:

Data Collection and Measurement:
- Data Quality,
- New Instruments in Web Surveys,
- The Merger of Oral and Visual Communication,
- Field-experimental Work on the Question-Answer Process in Web Surveys,
- Audio and Video in Web Surveys.

Weighting in Web surveys:
- Propensity Score Weighting and Related Procedures.

Sampling:
- Sample Quality / Panel Quality
- Probability Samples and Online Access Panels,
- Sampling of Special Populations on the Internet,
- Non-response: Incentives, Field work and its Timing.

(Track 2) Applied Online Market Research

Covers all types of applied market research (quantitative and qualitative). Presentations which show how the online methodology performs compared to classical approaches, regarding validity, and/or effectivity and efficiency of the research, are especially welcome. Please note that purely promotional presentations will not be considered for the program.
Typical fields of interest include but are not limited to:
Quantitative Research via the Internet:
- Quantitative or mixed Qualitative-Quantitative Methods which are enabled by the Internet
Qualitative Research via the Internet:
- New Approaches in Qualitative Research Online,
- Semi-structured and Qualitative Interviews on the Web,
- Qualitative Content Analysis of Websites, Blogs, Wikis, Personal Profiles, et cetera.

Sampling:
- Sample Quality / Panel Quality,
- Probability Samples and Online Access Panels,
- Sampling of Special Populations on the Internet.

Internet and Mobile Metrics:
- Data Mining Techniques, Indicators,
- Combining Data Mining and Survey Data,
- Network Analysis: Methods, Instruments, Indicators.

Electronic & Mobile Business:
- Evaluation of Web-Sites and E-Commerce,
- Electronic CRM and its Relation to Online Market Research,
- Online Employee Surveys,
- Internet and Trust.

(Track 3) Internet, Communication, and Society
Covers effects of online applications and technologies on all levels of society.
Typical fields of interest include but are not limited to:

Social Web & Civil Society:
- Public Opinion and Social Web,
- Privacy on the Internet,
- Authorization, Security, and Social Control,
- Internet and Social Movements: Participation and the Deliberative Democracy,
- Digital Inequality,
- eDemocracy & eGovernance,
- Social Networks and Relations Online and Offline,
- Social and Psychological Effects of Internet Use, E-Health,
- E-Learning.

Buon lavoro.