[AISWorld] CFP: AMCIS 2012 Minitrack – Ethics in Information Systems

[Alan Litchfield]

Call for papers

Track: Philosophical Perspectives in IS (SIGPhilosophy)
Mini-track: Ethics in Information Systems

For research and professional practice in the field of Information
Systems, ethics maintains a broad range of concerns that impact the work
of professionals, academics and researchers, and the work and lives of
those who are dependent upon the successful and appropriate deployment
of information systems (for example, Chatterjee, Sarker & Fuller, 2009;
Mingers and Walsham, 2010). Recent world events reported in the media
highlight the need for a constant review of ethics, both in application
and theory, through sociopolitical and sociotechnical lenses.

The use and application of computing technologies typically derives
positive and negative influences for humanity. Accounts exist of the
negative impacts of unforeseen events, the misuse of technologies, or
the corruption of otherwise well-intentioned technologies, as well as
being part of a wider negative impact on the environment. It is when
such events occur that the role that practitioners and researcher play
is brought into question. Typically, ethics in computing and information
technology has concentrated on certain specific areas such as whether
ethics in computing is a unique field, how ethics is treated
pedagogically, issues of logic versus moral responsibility, matching
computer use against human values, the ethics of professionals and
practitioners, and so on. However, some of the debates regarding ethics
have been renewed in light of recent advances in technology and the uses
to which technology is applied.

Moor (1985, p. 266) says: “A typical problem in computer ethics
arises because there is a policy vacuum about how computer technology
should be used. Computers provide us with new capabilities and these in
turn give us new choices for action. Often, either no policies for
conduct in these situations exist or existing policies seem inadequate.
A central task of computer ethics is to determine what we should do in
such cases, that is, formulate policies to guide our actions.”

This mini-track provides a forum for the expression of debates and
arguments surrounding these and other issues. Authors can present cases
that have arisen out of present and past researches, and events that
clarify ethical dimensions. Papers should be of a standard where
specific issues are identified and questions or solutions presented.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

●	Applications of classical ethical theory
●	Computer crime
●	Ethics in research
●	Ethics issues and arguments on IS related phenomena that include
security, knowledge management, strategy, information systems
development, collaboration, plus others. 
●	Ethics issues and arguments that face IS researchers and
academics in the preparation and execution of their practice.
●	Ethics of information use and misuse, especially in an
increasingly networked world
●	Ethics of professionals and practitioners 
●	Globalization of computerization and its effect on society
●	Intellectual property issues
●	Logic versus moral responsibility
●	Matching computer use against human values
●	Pedagogical issues in ethics education
●	Privacy and anonymity issues
●	The encroachment of information technologies into the lives of
people
●	The ethics of distance learning in advanced education
●	The impacts of social networking on the work place
●	The use and misuse of computers in the workplace

References
Moor, J. (1985) “What Is Computer Ethics?” Metaphilosophy, 16(4):
266-75.
Chatterjee, S., Sarker, S., and Fuller, M. (2009). "Ethical Information
Systems Development: A Baumanian Postmodernist Perspective," Journal of
the Association for Information Systems 10(11), 787-815.
Mingers, J., and Walsham, G. (2010). "Toward Ethical Information
Systems:  The Contribution of Discourse Ethics," MIS Quarterly 34 (4),
833-854.

Contact Information
Track chairs
Nik R. Hassan,
Labovitz School of Business and Economics, University of Minnesota
Duluth, Duluth MN
Email: nhassan at d.umn.edu

Alan T Litchfield
Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies, Auckland University of
Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Email: alan.litchfield at aut.ac.nz

Mini-track chairs
Alan T Litchfield
Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies, Auckland University of
Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Email: alan.litchfield at aut.ac.nz

Sutirtha Chatterjee
College of Business, Prairie View A & M University, Texas, USA
Email: suchatterjee at pvamu.edu

CFP site
http://amcis2012.aisnet.org/index.php/program/call-for-papers

Important dates
Paper submission starting date: January 3, 2012
Deadline for paper submissions: March 1, 2012
Notification of Acceptance: April 6, 2012
Final Copy Due: April 25, 2012

Submission site
http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/amcis2012


--
Alan T Litchfield MBus (Hons), CTT, MNZCS
Programme Leader, Masters in Services Oriented Computing
School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences
Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies
Auckland University of Technology
http://www.aut.ac.nz/cms/
Ph +649 921 9999 x5217