SI-OSN 2014 - Special Issue on Online Social Networks

In recent years we observed the rapid development of Online Social Networks that have drastically transformed the way in which people communicate, get connected, and create information. Individuals establish friendships and relationships in these networks, exchange their experiences and opinions, and create groups and communities, all at a speed (and reach) previously unheard of. At the same time, more and more companies present themselves and their products via Online Social Networks such as Facebook or use corresponding internal applications to connect their employees. Thus, Online Social Networking platforms (e.g., Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn) are changing not only our personal but our organizational behavior too, while, at the same time, creating entirely new communities. Particularly the resulting availability of huge amounts of data allows the mining of valuable insights for both research and practice. By revolutionizing communication and collaboration patterns, Online Social Networks promise previously unimagined opportunities but may also bring along several new challenges and risks as well.
This special issue aims to contribute to the growing body of research investigating Online Social Networks and its most recent developments, addressing both theoretical and applied perspectives. We seek rigorous and relevant submissions in the context of Online Social Networks providing new insights on both opportunities and challenges in Online Social Networks for individuals (e.g., communication patterns), organizations (e.g., regarding their potential), and society in a broader sense (e.g., information overload, data privacy). We seek a full range of analyses (e.g., strategic, organizational, behavioral, economic, and technical). We welcome all methodological approaches, including, but not limited to, theoretical, analytical, design-oriented, and empirical research.
Topics of Interest
Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:
Potentials of Online Social Networks for companies
Online Social Networks and Enterprise 2.0
Success factors for Online Social Network platforms
Online Social Networks and Customer Relationship Management
Online Social Networks and Social Commerce
The use of Online Social Networks in Crowdsourcing
The impact of Online Social Networks in specific industries
Online Social Networks and education
Online Social Networks and mobile computing
Application of Social Network Analysis and Mining
Diffusion of information in Online Social Networks
The interplay between online and offline social networks
Online Social Networks and data privacy and security
Online Social Networks and information overload
Online Social Networks and Big Data/Data Analytics
Online Social Networks and their role in community building
Trends in Online Social Networks
Submission Details
All received submissions within the scope of this special issue will be sent out for blind peer review by three experts in the field and be evaluated in regards to the relevance for this special issue, level of novelty, depth of contribution, and overall quality. Submitted articles must be original, unpublished, and not currently under review by other journals. If the paper was preliminarily published in a conference, the submitted manuscript must be a substantial extension of the conference paper. In this case, authors are also required to explain the enhancements made in the journal version. Submitted articles must be written clearly, in good English, and should not exceed 25 pages.
Authors should follow the Computer Networks manuscript format which can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/journals/computer-networks.... Manuscripts should be submitted online through the Elsevier Editorial System http://ees.elsevier.com/comnet/ and authors should select 'Online Social Networks' as the article type for submission.
Important Dates
Paper Submission Due: November 30, 2013
First Round Notification: January 15, 2014
Revised Paper Submission Due: February 15, 2014
Second Round Notification: April 1, 2014
Final Papers Due: May 1, 2014
Final Notification: June 1, 2014
Publication Target Date: 4th Quarter, 2014
Guest Editors
Dr. Julia Heidemann
Department of Management Information Systems
University of Regensburg, Germany
Email: julia.heidemann-AT-wiwi.uni-regensburg.de
Prof. Dr. Mathias Klier
Department of Management Information Systems
University of Regensburg, Germany
Email: mathias.klier-AT-wiwi.uni-regensburg.de
Prof. Dr. Rolf T. Wigand
Departments of Information Science & Management
University of Arkansas at Little Rock, USA
Email: rtwigand-AT-ualr.edu