SIG-SI Awards

Each year, ASIS&T SIG SI gives out two research paper awards. Nominations for both awards are accepted during July of each year, with awardees notified in time for early registration for the ASIS&T conference (usually in October). Awards are then formally given during the SIG SI symposium at that year’s ASIS&T conference.

Best Paper and Emerging SI Researchers Awards 2024

The Special Interest Group for Social Informatics (SIG SI) of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) is excited to announce a call for the best paper and emerging researchers awards in 2024. These awards aim to recognize outstanding contributions in the field of social informatics and offer a platform for sharing innovative research at the 87th Annual Meeting of the ASIS&T.

Award categories

We seek nominations in the following two categories:

Best Paper: Open to researchers at all career stages, including students, early-career researchers, and established scholars. This award celebrates a peer-reviewed journal or conference proceeding paper published in 2023. The recipient(s) will be honored with a $100 cash prize and an invitation to present their work at the ASIS&T 2024 Annual Meeting.
Emerging Social Informatics Researchers: Dedicated to up to two students focusing on social informatics research. Preference is given to lead authors of peer-reviewed works. Winners will receive ASIS&T Annual Meeting registration support and the chance to showcase their projects at the ASIS&T 2024 Annual Meeting.

Application process

To apply, please send the following supporting materials to Julaine Clunis (jclunis@uwm.edu), SIG SI Awards Coordinator, by July 1, 2024, 11:59 pm EDT (UTC-4): We will notify award winners via email in August 2024. Please use the subject line "SIG SI 2024 Award Submission - [Award Category] - [Applicant's Name]" when submitting.

For the Best Paper Award:
- A full reference of the nominated article, including authors, title, and publication venue.
- A brief explanation of why this article is being nominated.
- A brief bio of the author(s).
- A digital copy of the article (PDF preferred).
For the Emerging Social Informatics Researchers Award:
- Your name and university/institutional email address.
- Your university/institution and department.
- A short statement (~300 words, plus references) describing your research in social informatics.
- Proof of student status (current course schedule or a letter from your program, department, or dissertation/thesis chair).
- Reference any relevant paper or poster submitted or accepted to the ASIS&T 2024 Annual Meeting (included in your email or as an attached PDF).

Eligibility

At least one author of the best paper must be a member of ASIST&T at the time of submission. Award winners of emerging SI researchers should also be registered as ASIST&T members. Please provide a proof of valid ASIST&T membership when submitting papers to the call for award.

For any questions or clarifications regarding the application process, please contact SIG SI Chair - Pu Yan (puyan@pku.edu.cn) or SIG SI Awards Coordinator - Julaine Clunis (jclunis@uwm.edu).

We encourage submissions from all members of the social informatics and ASIST&T community. Your research is invaluable to the advancement of our field.

Previous Winners of Best Paper Award

2021: John Seberger (Indiana University) and Geoffrey Bowker (University of California-Irvine) for their paper, “Humanistic Infrastructure Studies: Hyper-Functionality and the Experience of the Absurd,” published in Information, Communication and Society. https//doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1726985
2020: Irene V. Pasquetto (Harvard University), Christine L. Borgman (University of California Los Angeles), and Morgan F. Wofford (University of California Los Angeles / University of Michigan), for their paper “Uses and reuses of scientific data: The data creators’ advantage,” published during 2019 in Harvard Data Science Review, volume 1 issue 2. http://doi.org/10.1162/99608f92.fc14bf2d
2019: Madelyn Sanfilippo (Princeton University), Pnina Fichman (Indiana University, Bloomington), and Shengnan Yang (Indiana University, Bloomington): “Multidimensionality of online trolling behaviors,” published during 2018 in The Information Society, volume 34 issue 1, pp. 27-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/01972243.2017.1391911
2018: Ken Fleischmann, University of Texas at Austin, Cindy Hui and William Wallace, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: The Societal Responsibilities of Computational Modelers: Human Values and Professional Codes of Ethics. Appeared in the 2017 Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology 68(3): 543-552.
2017: Daniel Schlagwein and Katie Choy, UNSW Sydney, for: “Crowdsourcing for a Better World: On the Relation Between IT Affordances and Donor Motivations in Charitable Crowdfunding", published in: Information Technology & People, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 221-247. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-09-2014-0215
2016: Kevin Crowston and Steve Sawyer, Syracuse University: “Social Networks and the Success of Market Intermediaries: Evidence From the U.S. Residential Real Estate Industry.”
2015: Mary Chayko of Rutgers University: “Techno-social Life: The Internet, Digital Technology, and Social Connectedness.” Appeared during July 2014 in Sociology Compass vol. 8 no. 7, pp. 976-991.
2014: Nama Raj Budhathoki of The World Bank and Caroline Haythornthwaite of the University of British Columbia: “Motivation For Open Collaboration: Crowd and Community Models and the Case of OpenStreetMap.” Appeared during 2013 in volume 57, issue 5 of American Behavioral Scientist, pp. 548-575; doi:10.1177/0002764212469364. Additional information from Budhathoki on Kathmandu Living Labs’ work on social and crowd engagementwas made available in association with the 2014 SIG SI symposium.
2013: Monica Garfield of Bentley University and Alan Dennis of Indiana University: “Toward an Integrated Model of Group Development: Disruption of Routines by Technology-Induced Change.” Appeared during 2012 in volume 29, issue 3, of the Journal of Management Information Systems, pp. 43–86; doi:10.2753/MIS0742-1222290302
2012: Kristen R. Eschenfelder, Anuj C. Desai, and Greg Downey, all of the University of Wisconsin, Madison: “The Pre-Internet Downloading Controversy: The Evolution of Use Rights for Digital Intellectual and Cultural Works.” Appeared during 2011 in volume 27, issue 2 of The Information Society, pp. 69-91; doi:10.1080/01972243.2011.548692
2011: Payal Arora of Erasmus University (Netherlands): “Digital Gods: The Making of a Medical Fact For Rural Diagnostic Software.” Appeared during 2010 in volume 26, issue 1 of The Information Society, pp. 70-79; doi:10.1080/01972240903423378

Previous Winners of Best Student Paper Award

2019: No award given
2018: Jenny Korn, Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University: Expecting penises in Chatroulette: Race, gender, and sexuality in anonymous online spaces, published in Popular Communication (15)2 2017.
2016: “Tweet to learn: Expertise and centrality in conference Twitter networks”
(No award given in 2015)
2014: Gal Oestreicher-Singer and Lior Zalmanson of Tel Aviv University: “Content or Community? A Digital Business Strategy For Content Providers in the Social Age“. Appeared during 2013 in volume 37, issue 2 of MIS Quarterly, pp. 591-616.
2013: Eden Litt of Northwestern University: "Knock Knock, Who's There: The Imagined Audience." Appeared during 2012 in volume 56, issue 3 of the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media; doi:10.1080/08838151.2012.705195
2012: Jessa Lingel of Rutgers University: “Improvisation, Tactics, and Wandering: Urban Information Practices of Migrational Individuals.” Paper was presented at the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) annual conference in January 2012 in Dallas, TX, where Lingel also received the ALISE / Bohdan S. Wynar Research Paper Competition award.
2011: Katie Shilton of UCLA: “Participatory Sensing: Building Empowering Surveillance.” Appeared during 2010 in volume 8, issue 2 of Survelliance and Society.