CALL FOR CHAPTER PROPOSALS

 

Proposals Submission Deadline: August 1, 2011

Full Chapters Due: November 1, 2011

 

Web 2.0 Technologies and Democratic Governance:

Political, Policy and Management Implications

 

A book Edited by Christopher G. Reddick, The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA and

Stephen K. Aikins, University of South Florida, USA

 

To be published in 2012 by Springer (http://www.springer.com)

 

 

 

Introduction and Purpose of the Book

 

Web 2.0 has become the buzz word for describing social media available on the Internet, such as blogs, photo and file sharing systems (e.g., Flickr, SlideShare, YouTube) and social networking sites (e.g., Friendster, Facebook, MySpace, SecondLife). These Web 2.0 applications are rapidly transforming citizen-citizen and citizen-government interactions in a manner not seen before.

 

Given these realities, it is very important to find a way to leverage Web 2.0 in government and their suitability for various enterprise-level applications, for strengthening the government-citizen relationship and for intra- and inter-government use in order to improve the policy and public management processes. For this to happen, government organizations need to align their Web 2.0 strategies with their organizational strategic goals for effective outcomes. This calls for clear sets of policy goals and development of Web 2.0 strategies that initiate new interactive ways of policy making, improve data and information management, and stimulate the development and use of knowledge for effective public management. Therefore, the hope of this edited book is to help understand the nature of Web 2.0 applications, their political, policy and managerial implications, as well as how best governments can leverage the applications for effective governance in both developed and developing countries.

 

Intended Contribution of Book

 

This book will bring together international scholars to provide the theoretical and practical contexts for understanding the nature of Web 2.0 technologies and their impact on political, public policy and management processes, and to explore how best Web 2.0 applications can be leveraged and aligned with the strategic goals of government organizations to add value and ensure effective governance. Drawing from experiences from countries around the globe, the book provides the theoretical context of the potential for Web 2.0 applications to transform government services, as well as practical examples of leading public sector institutions that have attempted to use Web 2.0 applications to enhance government operations, policy making and administration.

There are three themes to the book, namely: 1) Perspectives on Web 2.0 and Democratic Governance; 2) The Political, Policy and Management Impacts of Web 2.0 Applications in Government; and 3) Leveraging Web 2.0 Applications for Effective Governance.

 

   

Audience for the Book

 

The primary audience for the edited book Web 2.0 Technologies and Democratic Governance will be university professors, graduate students, researchers and professionals in information systems, public administration, and political science fields. Another audience would be government officials and policy makers interested Web 2.0 technologies for democratic governance.

 

Recommended Topics by Theme

 

Some recommended topics are listed below. However, submissions are encouraged from other topics that examine Web 2.0 technologies on democratic governance. Cases studies examining a specific country or countries are particularly welcome.

 

Theme 1: Perspectives on Web 2.0 and Democratic Governance

Theories of Discourse and Deliberation in the Era of the Internet and Web 2.0

Theoretical Perspectives on Web 2.0 Evolution and Adoption

Theoretical and Empirical Exploration of Web 2.0 Applications for Civic and Political Purposes

Modeling and design of Web 2.0 Applications for Government Organizations

Contributions of Open Source Technologies to Web 2.0 Application Development

Economic and Social Considerations in the Uses of Web 2.0 Applications by Social Networks and Governments

 

Theme 2: Political, Policy and Management Impacts of Web 2.0 Applications in Government

Social Media as Mobilization Tools for Protesting Government Policies

The Promise of Social Media as Change Agents in Contemporary Government

Social Media as Conduits for Engaging Citizens, Government Responsiveness and Policy Change

Uses and Effects of Web 2.0 Applications in Political Campaigns and Their Implications for Democracy

Administrative Uses of Web 2.0 Applications and their Implications for Service Delivery

Policy and Managerial Implications for Adopting Web 2.0 Applications in Government

 

Theme 3: Leveraging Web 2.0 Applications for Effective Governance

Strategies for Successful Implementation of Web 2.0 Applications in Government

The Risks, Challenges and Remediation Strategies for Adopting Social Networking in Government

Methodologies for Measuring the Outcome and Effectiveness of Web 2.0 Technology Adoption

Strategic Alignment Web 2.0 applications and Public Agency Goals for Effective Governance

 

 

Submission Procedure

 

Prospective authors should email Stephen Aikins at saikins@usf.edu a copy of a 250 word proposed chapter abstract by August 1, 2011. Their chapter proposal should clearly outline the topic that the author(s) would like to examine and how the topic relates to the politics, policy, and management of Web 2.0 technologies and democratic governance. Author(s) of accepted chapter proposals will be notified by August 15, 2011. Full chapters are due by November 1, 2011. All chapters will go through a double blind peer review process. Results of the peer reviews will be announced to authors by January 15, 2012. The final copy of their chapter will be due by March 1, 2012.

 

Important Dates

Chapter Proposals Due:                                    August 1, 2011

Notification of Accepted Chapter Proposals:   August 15, 2011

Full Chapters Due:                                           November 1, 2011

Peer Review Results:                                        January 15, 2012

Final Revised Chapters Due:                            March 1, 2012

 

Inquiries and submissions should be emailed to saikins@usf.edu