SUBMISSION DUE DATE: July 1, 2010
(with prior expressions of interested encouraged)

SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE PAST INFORMING THE FUTURE: APPLIED GEOSPATIAL SOLUTIONS

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED GEOSPATIAL RESEARCH (IJAGR)

Guest Editors: G. Rebecca Dobbs and Mary B. Ruvane

Geographic information systems and other geospatial technologies have emerged as important tools by which geographers, historians, anthropologists, archaeologists, information scientists, and other social and physical scientists answer questions about the past. Within this trend, the variety of approaches is both large and multiplying, defying attempts to characterize historical GIS neatly and succinctly. This special issue of IJAGR, scheduled for publication in late 2011, is intended to expand the available body of historical GIS literature by exploring applied research on problems or questions about the past, incorporating not only GISs as conventionally understood, but also other kinds of geospatial technologies and spatial-temporal information sciences. In keeping with the spirit of IJAGR's mission statement (see below), we interpret not only "geospatial technologies" but also "historical" broadly, seeking papers that address/explore issues from any period of the past and from any part of the earth, with varied approaches to human spatial and social existence and to earth environments and human-environment interactions.

The key requirement is that the research described be "applied" in the sense of contributing knowledge or understanding with the potential to inform practical decision-making activities (again, broadly interpreted) in today's world. Because geospatial phenomena of the past are not generally thought of as having practical applications, manuscripts should address this aspect of the research explicitly. By way of example, work on the past might be considered to have practical applications in the present day if it

• introduces new understandings of present landscapes for planners and preservationists but also for the general public
• alters understandings of key events, landscape features, or places
• makes visible the previously hidden roles or experiences of marginalized groups
• produces new pedagogical possibilities
• enhances spatially oriented access to sources from the past
• and many other possibilities.

RECOMMENDED TOPICS:
Topics to be discussed in this special issue include (but are not limited to) the following:

• microscale histories that affect local knowledge and decision-making
• geographical analysis of key historical moments such as battles, epidemics, or natural disasters
• new analyses of past global or regional trends that contribute to understanding of present trends at those scales
• lab and classroom approaches incorporating geospatial technology for historical analysis
• public history adaptations of geospatial technologies such as in museum settings
• explorations of the lives of marginalized groups in the past
• analysis of past land or resource uses
• uses of geospatial technologies to document indigenous peoples' traditional territories, special sites, or pathways, or other uses relating past conditions to current legal claims
• development of tools for persistent access to historical spatial data
• online collaborations involving historical spatial data, including Web 2.0 initiatives
• development of library/archives catalog systems that use map interfaces for accessing collections geographically

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Manuscript submissions due: July 1, 2010
• Reviews due: November 2010
• Notification of conditional acceptance: December 2010
• Final revised manuscripts due: January 2011
• Final manuscripts ready for IJAGR: February 2011
• Publication: October 2011

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE:
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit papers for this special theme issue on THE PAST INFORMING THE FUTURE: APPLIED GEOSPATIAL SOLUTIONS on or before July 1, 2010. All submissions must be original and may not be under review by another publication. INTERESTED AUTHORS SHOULD CONSULT THE JOURNAL’S GUIDELINES FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS at http://www.igi-global.com/development/author_info/guidelines submission.pdf. All submitted papers will be reviewed on a double-blind, peer review basis. Papers must follow APA style for reference citations.

Authors should submit manuscripts directly to the guest editors as directed below. ABOUT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED GEOSPATIAL RESEARCH (IJAGR):

The International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research publishes research that exemplifies the usage of geographic information science and technology (GIS&T) to explore and resolve geographical issues from various application domains within the social and/or physical sciences. IJAGR is designed to provide planners and policy analysts, practitioners, academicians, and others using GIS&T useful studies that might support decision-making activities.

The IJAGR is interested in research highlighting various GIS&T application domains that span the social and physical sciences. The limiting factor is less topical, but more whether such studies incorporate geospatial technologies (geospatial statistics, global positioning systems, geographic information systems, remote sensing, etc.) to answer practical, utilitarian, and applied geographic questions.

This journal is an official publication of the Information Resources Management Association, www.igi-global.com/ijagr

Editor-in-Chief: Donald Patrick Albert
Published: Quarterly (both in Print and Electronic form)

PUBLISHER:
The International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research is published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the “Information Science Reference” (formerly Idea Group Reference) and “Medical Information Science Reference” imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com.

All submissions should be directed to the attention of:

G. Rebecca Dobbs and Mary B. Ruvane
Guest Editors
International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research
E-mail: pastinformingfuture@gmail.com

posted 11/5/2009
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