International Symposium on Technology and Society IEEE on September 13-15, 2023 in Swansea, United Kingdom

IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS23)

Technology and Analytics for Global Development

13 - 15 September 2023

Swansea University, Swansea, Wales

The IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS) is the flagship conference of the IEEE’s Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT). ISTAS is a multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary forum for engineers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, philosophers, researchers, social scientists, and technologists to collaborate, exchange experiences, and discuss the social implications of technology.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are global grand challenges that are inherently complex, multi-faceted and socially embedded (Corbett & Mellouli, 2017). The SDGs inevitably encounter tensions between their design and implementation, representing design-reality gaps (Pradhan et al., 2022; Heeks, 2020a; Dennehy et al., 2014). While optimism is relatively high about the role of technology and analytics in the context of global development (Smidt & Jokonya, 2022), significant learning remains about how best to use them as ‘platforms that mediate development’ (Heeks 2020b). Further, despite the efforts made by scholars to advance understanding about the role of technology and analytics for global development (e.g., Dwivedi et al., 2021; Khene & Masiero, 2022; Masiero & Arvidsson, 2021), a concerted effort within and between academic disciplines, policy-makers, practitioners, and the intended beneficiaries of the SDGs will help to discover and create better ways to achieve the SDGs.

ISTAS23 aims to bring together contributions from a variety of perspectives, disciplines, and communities for the advancement of knowledge regarding Technology and Analytics for Global Development. We invite participation from academics and practitioners who are engaged in current debates about the role and significance of technology and analytics, and who are interested in topics related to sustainability, ethics, equity, and social values for global development.

Authors Guidelines

IEEE ISTAS 2023 invites submission of full papers and short papers by 01 March 2023 that are aligned with SSIT’s technical areas and provide insight into the Role of Technology and Analytics for Global Development supporting achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another conference or journal. Each presenter will present one paper in the Programme.
• Papers should focus on a specific conference topic.
• All papers submitted (full papers and short papers) are blind peer reviewed. All papers are published in English.

Paper Submission

• All submissions must be made online to facilitate the blind peer review process. The submission link will be published in due course.
• Author details should be included in the online submission form. Author details should not be included in the initial version of the paper submitted for blind peer review.

General Issues to be considered when preparing Papers

• Papers must present analysis of initial or final research results or a case study. It is important to highlight actual or expected impact as well as the level of innovation.
• It is necessary to clearly state what contribution each submission is making to the body of knowledge in the relevant thematic area and how the results are innovative in the context of the specific intervention. General project descriptions or project proposals will not be assigned for review.
• It is necessary for papers submitted to include new elements that have not previously been published to warrant inclusion in the conference proceedings. Any visionary elements in paper should be supported by mini use cases to illustrate applicability.
• Any elements of the paper previously published should be carefully referenced. Authors should undertake a plagiarism check prior to submission and ensure that all content is appropriately referenced including self-references.

Paper Types

Full Papers

• Full Papers are 6 – 8 pages in length using the IEEE paper template including a full reference section. This paper type is appropriate for sharing mature work or analysis of results from completed projects. Full papers should include a clear methodology section and literature review, comparing results against published literature. See section below on Paper Structure.

Short Papers

• Short Papers are 3 – 4 pages in length using the IEEE paper template including a short reference section. This paper type is appropriate for sharing early stage results from research / projects, work in progress or a snapshot of interim results, experiences and perspectives. See section below on Paper Structure.

Paper Structure

All paper submissions should incorporate the following sub-sections within the IEEE paper template prior to converting to PDF format and uploading via the Online Submission site:

Abstract (c. 150 words) – Summarise the problem domain, paper objectives, research methodology, main findings and recommendations.

Introduction – Context and motivation for research or intervention, target need and community/communities addressed, statement of the contribution to the body of knowledge in this domain

Objectives – Summarise paper objectives

Methodology – Please summarise the methodologies used for data collection, sampling and data analysis in sufficient detail to support replicability. Outline the limitations of the study

Results and Discussion – presentation of preliminary, early results or final results (depending on submission type selected), analysis and discussion of implications of results, comparison of findings with published literature. Summarise how societal and ethical implications of technology have been appropriately addressed.

Conclusion and Recommendations – Summarise key findings, outline concrete recommendations and next steps

References

Plagiarism Check

As part of the quality standard expected for IEEE and SSIT Conferences, all papers submitted willundergo a Plagiarism Check before being assigned for blind peer review by members of the IEEE ISTAS 2023 International Technical Programme Committee Members (TPC), who are all experienced subject matter experts.

Paper Review Criteria

All paper submissions will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

Relevance – Paper should share insight, experiences and lessons learned through the lens of pilot, implementation, deployment, development or research projects in the relevant thematic area related activities. Content should be sufficiently relevant to the conference topic selected. The submission should clearly outline how societal and ethical implications of technology are appropriately addressed in the context of the specific intervention.

Validity – Quality of argument and interpretation is well-structured, logical, appropriate, and well-grounded in relevant theory as well as within the actual experiences and realities of humanitarian practices. Provides sufficient analysis of results and contextualises the work with published literature.

Contribution – Contribution to the body of knowledge related to the specific domain. Presents timely, novel and original knowledge of ideas, information, problems, interpretation or solutions in relation to existing practice (programs, use and ways of working) and academic research (theory, techniques, paradigms). Provides potential for positively impacting practice and research (including design, engineering, use or understanding). Results should be innovative within the context of the intervention and the target users.

Methodological Rigor – Is the research design of high quality, and are the proposed methods (data collection, sampling, data analysis) appropriate with a clear description of data/findings, quality and appropriateness of analysis? Is there a clear evaluation of consequences of interventions, and strengths and limitations of the study to support replication and external validation?

Clarify and Accessibility – Paper should be written in easy to understand English, have a short descriptive title, clear abstract and objectives, be well-structured, apply formatting and style guidelines, clearly explain any technical language or abbreviations, and present tables and graphics that add value. It should be of appropriate length, with a strong conclusion presenting a synthesis of the insight shared, with actionable recommendations and proposed next steps.      

Proceedings and Participation in Program

The IEEE ISTAS 2023 Proceedings will be submitted for publication in IEEE Xplore.

It is a requirement for all IEEE Conferences that authors sign the Electronic Copyright form (eCF) transferring ownership of papers to IEEE to facilitate inclusion in IEEE Xplore.

After the updated camera-ready paper is submitted and conference registration is paid, a personalised link to sign the eCF will be sent by email to the nominated author/presenter.

Each presenter can present ONE paper in the Programme. It is necessary for papers to be presented by an original author / co-author who will also answer questions based on the presentation during the event to facilitate inclusion in the Conference Proceedings.