Special Issue Call for Proposals: “In Cooperation, In Conflict, and In Coexistence: Locating Empirical Design-Based Research Territories in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence(s)”
Drs. Brett Oppegaard and Ryan Boettger are currently soliciting abstracts for a special issue they’re editing called “In Cooperation, In Conflict, and In Coexistence: Locating Empirical Design-Based Research Territories in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence(s).” The full CFP includes the motivations and goals of the special issue, an extended list of possible research topics, and a detailed schedule for every step of the publication process.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is more than just on your mind. You are collecting empirical data about it. You are seeking a group of design-based researchers to help you to develop your ideas. You have an innovative approach to this topic. You want to contribute to an impactful publication that establishes clear and new academic territory for this type of novel work, within the scope of Communication Design Quarterly. You can meet the deadlines for an upcoming special issue in this journal, and we therefore want you to submit an abstract of your plan for your
ambitious scholarship by the end of the summer.
POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR THIS SPECIAL ISSUE
The guest editors invite proposals for original research papers and experience reports that address issues related to communication design and Technical Communication more broadly in an era of emerging artificial intelligences, such as the following:
GenAI as Change Agents
• What major opportunities exist at the intersection of GenAI, tech comm, and communication design?
• How will GenAI impact writing, editing, and content-strategy roles in communication design?
• How might media accessibility be enhanced through GenAI?
• How is GenAI impacting job roles and responsibilities in communication design? How can we prepare students and current professionals for these shifting roles?
• What new career opportunities are emerging in communication design due to GenAI?
• What novel ethical, copyright, and intellectual property issues does GenAI raise?
AI as Design and Research Tools
• How are tech communicators using GenAI as a design tool? What are the challenges and opportunities?
• What is the state of the art in GenAI for communication design? What’s working well and what are key limitations?
• How can we leverage GenAI for user experience design and testing?
• What new research methods or approaches are enabled and/or boosted by GenAI?
• What have field experiments revealed about GenAI as a design tool?
• How can we address biases and misinformation in GenAI?
AI as Collaborators
• When should GenAI be used to augment human work vs. replace human work?
• What roles can/will GenAI play in multimedia production processes?
• How are GenAI assistants currently being used in communication design workplaces? What other roles could they play?
• What pedagogical roles could GenAI play, e.g. as tutors, teaching assistants, or co-teachers?
AI and Quality Control
• What metrics or standards are needed to evaluate GenAI systems and their impact on communication design?
• How can we ensure GenAI efficacy and address issues like the spread of misinformation?
• How are audiences receiving and perceiving GenAI-designed media?
• How can we build more transparent, explainable, and accountable GenAI for communication design? What quality controls are needed for GenAI to avoid issues like bias, factual errors, and disinformation?
The Challenges of GenAI in Communication Design
• What might the role of communication designers be in 5-10 years with continued progress in GenAI, as projected by different stakeholders in this area, including designers but also clients, managers, production staff, etc.?
• What risks are emerging about reliance on GenAI? And what do stakeholders say can be done about those risks?
• What significant ethical issues are predictable for GenAI? And what do stakeholders say we can do to prepare for those before they happen?
• What future advances in GenAI will most significantly impact communication design, from specific stakeholder perspectives? And how are those stakeholders responding to those potential futures?
If you’re interested in submitting, the deadline for abstracts is August 30, and an explanation of what the abstracts should include can be found in the brett.oppegaard and ryan.boettger.
Best wishes,
~ Brett
Brett Oppegaard, Ph.D., Professor
School of Communication and Information / College of Social Sciences / University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Program Director of the University of Hawaiʻi’s Journalism Program / Principal Investigator of the The UniDescription Project (www.unidescription.org)
brett.oppegaard,
Link to my Full Signature Text, including mailing address, bio, Audio Description of photo, etc.