Call for submissions: 2013 Human Factors Prize: “The Human Factors / Ergonomics of Social Media”

This prize being offered by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society for papers in “The Human Factors / Ergonomics of Social Media” may be of interest to some of our audience. Papers are due by July 15th to the Human Factors journal (submission link). (Via Jonathan Grudin and the Researchers of the Socio-Technical Facebook group)

2013 Human Factors Prize Topic: The Human Factors/Ergonomics of Social Media

In 2010, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society instituted the Human Factors Prize, which recognizes excellence in HF/E research through an annual competition in which authors are invited to submit papers on a specific topic for that year. The topic is selected by the editor in chief in consultation with a Board of Referees chaired by Past Human Factors Editor Nancy J. Cooke. The prize carries a $10,000 cash award and publication of the winning paper in the Society’s flagship journal, Human Factors.

The topic for the 2013 Human Factors Prize is the human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) of social media. We seek articles that describe HF/E research that pertains to the effective and satisfying use of social media. Social media is broadly defined to include technology that supports communication among individuals, organizations, or communities. Examples include e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, wikis, LinkedIn, instant messaging, Skype, internet meetings, and collaborative games. This technology can be used to communicate professionally or personally.

We are not seeking examples that apply HF/E/usability to the design of such technology, which may be more suitable for a venue such as Ergonomics in Design. Rather we are seeking contributions to the science of human factors/ergonomics that involve social media. Suitable sample topics include effects of communication modality on comprehension of messages, effective ways to integrate social media into emergency response or health care coordination or education, use of social network data for HF/E applications, and human factors of computer-supported cooperative work.

The submission deadline has been extended to July 15, 2013. Submissions (research articles or extended multi-phase studies are welcome) must adhere to the policies for general submissions to Human Factors (https://www.hfes.org/Web/PubPages/hfauthorinfo.html). This includes length restrictions, originality, and formatting. To submit a paper for the 2013 Prize, go to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/humanfactors

Examples from Past Issues of Human Factors

Fussell, S. R. (1995). Social and cognitive processes in interpersonal communication: Implications for advanced telecommunications technologies. Human Factors, 37, 228-250. http://hfs.sagepub.com/content/37/2/228.abstract

Park, S., & Catrambone, R. (2007). Social facilitation effects of virtual humans.
Human Factors, 49, 1054-1060. http://hfs.sagepub.com/content/49/6/1054.abstract

Champness, B. G. (1973). Attitudes toward person-person communications media.
Human Factors, 15, 437-447. http://hfs.sagepub.com/content/15/5/437.abstract

Green, C. A., & Williges, R. C. (1995). Evaluation of alternative media used with a groupware editor in a simulated telecommunications environment. Human Factors, 37, 283-289. http://hfs.sagepub.com/content/37/2/283.abstract

Sincerely,
William S. Marras, Editor in Chief
Nancy J. Cooke, Chair, Human Factors Prize Board of Referees