Michael Mahoney And The Histories of Computing

CALL FOR PAPERS – Michael Mahoney And The Histories of Computing(s)

SIGCIS History of Computing Workshop in Memory of Michael S. Mahoney

Sunday, October 18, 2009, Hilton Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

The Society for the History of Technology’s Special Interest Group for

Computers, Information and Society (SIGCIS – www.sigcis.org) welcomes

submissions for “Michael Mahoney And The Histories of Computing(s),” a

daylong workshop on the history of computing in memory of historian

Michael S. Mahoney. In keeping with Mahoney’s broad historical

perspective, we encourage submissions not only about computers themselves

but also about the technologies and knowledge systems into which computers

have been embedded as well as the societies in which they are used.

Contributions directly related to Mahoney’s work are welcome but not

required.

The keynote speaker, William Aspray, will discuss Mahoney’s contribution

to the development of the history of computing.

The workshop will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on Sunday,

October 18, 2009. It will occur on the final day of the annual SHOT

meeting with sessions in the morning and afternoon. SHOT has reserved that

day for SIG events and therefore the workshop will not overlap scheduled

sessions and most other SHOT functions. It will be held at the same site

as the SHOT meeting.

SIGCIS encourages scholars of all levels and affiliations to participate.

Organized sessions and individual papers are both welcome. In keeping with

the conference theme contributions that address historiographic issues or

situate work within a particular history of computing are particularly

welcome. Individual contributions can fit one of a variety of formats.

1. Traditional 20 to 25-minute presentations followed by a question and

answer session with the SIGCIS community. In this case a one-page abstract

(maximum 400 words) will be reviewed and included in the electronic

conference program. Abstracts should address the paper’s topic, argument,

evidence used, and contribution to the existing literature. A full version

of the paper should be sent to the session commentator at least a week

prior to the meeting.

2. Dissertation proposals. We hope to include a dissertations in progress

session, in which individuals will present their ongoing dissertation work

and seek feedback from the history of computing community. In this case

submit an abstract of your dissertation proposal. The full proposal will

be included in the electronic conference program if accepted. Participants

will be encouraged to read this prior to the session. You will have five

to ten minutes to introduce the material, leaving the bulk of time

available for discussion.

3. Works in progress. This is your chance to receive informal and expert

discussion of draft dissertation chapters, journal articles, or book

chapters. Submit a one-page abstract (maximum 400 words) including

discussion of the current state of the work and any specific kinds of

feedback you are seeking. If your proposal is accepted you will need to

supply the draft for discussion by 1 October for inclusion in the

electronic program for the workshop. You will have five to ten minutes to

introduce the material, leaving the bulk of time available for discussion.

4. Proposals in other formats are also welcome. For example round table

discussions, demonstrations of software of interest to historians of

computing, or “author meets critics” sessions.

SHOT presenters are encouraged to apply but must present material

significantly different from that presented in the main conference

program.

Submission Procedures

Individual submissions should be made at

http://www.sigcis.org/?q=workshop09a, and must include:

1. an abstract or dissertation proposal as described above. Paste this

text into the web submission form.

2. a one-page curriculum vitae, including current e-mail addresses as a

Microsoft Word or PDF document. Upload this via the web submission

system. Use the filename AuthorLastName_vita. For example Smith_vita.

Proposals for complete sessions should be made at

http://www.sigcis.org/?q=workshop09b, and must include:

1. The name of the session and the names, email addresses and paper

titles of the presenters, organizer, chair and commentator (if

applicable)

2. a one-page description (maximum 400 words) of the session that

explains how individual papers contribute to an overall theme

3. an abstract for each presenter in the form described above

4. for the each presenter and other participants (including commentator

if used) a one-page curriculum vitae. Compile as one Word or PDF

document and upload via the web submission system.

Questions should be addressed to Joseph November