Call for Papers: Journal of Virtual Worlds Research (JVWR)  

The May/June 2009 issue of the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research (JVWR - http://jvwresearch.org) is inviting interested authors and research groups to submit their original research papers, research-in-brief papers, reviews, monographs and 'think pieces', interactive online exhibits with accompanying detailed descriptions, and other forms of scholarship to be considered for publication in a forthcoming issue of the journal, to be published in May/June 2009, on the theme of ‘3D Virtual Worlds for Health and Healthcare’.

Background:

Over the past three years (2006-2008), the medical/health and public health communities have shown a growing interest in using online 3D multi-user virtual worlds like Second Life^®, OpenSim Grids (http://opensimulator.org/wiki/OpenSim:Grids), Twinity (http://twinity.com/) and other virtual worlds, to serve many purposes, including, but not limited to, health education, community outreach, training and simulations.

Some examples of the wide range of application of virtual worlds to medicine and health include:

·         Emergency preparedness training (Play2Train), http://www.play2train.org

·         Paramedic training (Kingston University and St George's, University of London), http://www.kingston.ac.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/2008/october/13-First-paramedic-course-to-use-Second-Life/

·         A 3D virtual hospital that communicates complex healthcare messages and illustrate possibilities for the future of healthcare (Imperial College London in conjunction with the UK’s National Physical Laboratory), http://secondhealth.wordpress.com/

·         Public education and outreach about sexual health, including seminars and various experiences (University of Plymouth, UK), http://healthcybermap.org/slsexualhealth/

·         Medical research and teaching that includes reproductions of real-life laboratories and meeting spaces for collaboration, (Sbarro Health Research Organization), http://shro.org/SHRO/allPDF/pressRoom/press/08_2_11shro.pdf

·         Consumer health education and development of new ways for users and libraries to interact (Health Info Island)  http://infoisland.org/islands/health_info/

·         And many other examples—see http://healthcybermap.org/sl.htm

If you are involved in any research project or initiative related to health and healthcare in virtual worlds, please consider contributing to this special edition of the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research. For specific submission instructions and detailed descriptions of the different submission formats visit: http://jvwresearch.org

Deadline for Submissions: 

Abstract - January 20, 2009 

Full manuscript – March 5, 2009 

Publication: May 1, 2009

For further information please contact: 

Susan Toth-Cohen, Department of Occupational Therapy, Jefferson College of Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University, USA, and Guest Editor, Susan.Toth-Cohen@... 
 
Simon Bignell, Centre for Psychological Research, University of Derby, UK, and Guest Editor, S.Bignell@... 
 
Maged N. Kamel Boulos, Faculty of Health and Social Work, University of Plymouth, UK, and Associate Editor, JVWR, mnkamelboulos@...

About the Journal:

The Journal of Virtual Worlds Research is an online, open access academic journal that adheres to the highest standards of peer review and engages established and emerging scholars from around the world. The Journal of Virtual Worlds Research is a transdisciplinary journal that engages a wide spectrum of scholarship and welcomes contributions from the many disciplines and approaches that intersect virtual worlds research.

JVWR Editorial Team:

Advisory Editors: Nancy Baym, University of Kansas; Edward Castronova, Indiana University; James Gee, Arizona State University; Ang Peng Hwa, Nanyang Technological University; Steve Jones, University of Illinois at Chicago; Jorge Peña, University of Texas at Austin; Ralph Schroeder, Oxford Internet Institute; Joseph Straubhaar, University of Texas at Austin; Kathleen Tyner, University of Texas at Austin; Natalie Wood, Saint Joseph's University

Editor: Jeremiah Spence, University of Texas at Austin

Associate Editors: (Jim) Chee Siang Ang, City University London, UK; Mark Bell, Indiana University, USA; Maged N. Kamel Boulos, University of Plymouth, UK; Connie Cassarino, Center for Advanced Learning, IBM, USA; Myriam Dunn Cavelty, Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Aaron Delwiche, Trinity University, USA; Suely Fragoso, Universidade do Vale do Rio do Sinos / Unisinos, Brazil; D. Linda Garcia, Georgetown University, USA; Eric Hackathorn, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, USA; Sun Sun Lim, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Gilson Schwartz, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Amanda Salomon, Smart Internet Technology CRC, Australia; Yesha Y. Sivan, Shenkar College & Metaverse Labs, Israel; Stephanie Smith, NASA JSC Learning Technologies, USA; Kurt Squire, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Caja Thimm, University of Bonn, Germany; Robert Vinet, Community Chest, France