Working Groups

Guidelines for Working Group proposals

Working groups are formal or informal groups of individuals working together to pursue or support research in a particular area or topic of interest. Since 2009, the SIGMAA on RUME has encouraged networking, mentoring, and research collaboration by hosting working groups and supporting the development of new working groups at the annual RUME conference.

RUME hosts both new and ongoing working groups by providing pre-conference meeting space and time slots. Hosted working groups will be provided with a room, and A/V equipment for their meeting on Thursday, February 22^nd 2018, from 8:00 am – noon (additional time might be available during the conference if requested).

Each working group is considered independent from the RUME organization. Therefore, RUME takes no responsibility for the leadership structure and ongoing activities of any such group. Each is responsible for its own goals, duration, scope, activities, and organizational structure. Therefore at its own prerogative, a group may meet for a single event or conduct longitudinal work. Questions regarding involvement in an existing working group should be directed to that group’s organizers.

It is anticipated that working groups hosted by RUME provide a unique opportunity not met by the regular conference presentations. While differing in area of focus and interest, each working group should work to accomplish the following goals:

1. Increase, strengthen, and expand research efforts in the particular area of interest.
2. Foster networking by creating or enabling research collaborations.
3. Be open and accessible to new members, providing mentoring opportunities for new or transitioning researchers.

In these ways, working groups are expected to provide a unique opportunity for involvement and growth that is not met by regular conference sessions.

Working group slots at the annual RUME conference are limited by considering funding, space, community support/interest, and follow-up from prior years. Individuals or groups interested in having a working group slot at the RUME conference are encouraged to submit a working group proposal, as outlined in this document’s Conference Submission Requirements.

Working group organizers are responsible for planning, organizing, and facilitating their sessions so that they meet the specified goals as well as providing required post-conference reports. Throughout the planning, facilitating, and reporting process, organizers are also responsible for: a) ensuring participants professionally benefit from participation, and b) protecting participants by guarding against plagiarism.

Conference Submission Requirements:

Group Proposal: Complete and submit the application (as a Word document) by Monday, September 4th 2017 to the conference chairperson (Aaron Weinberg, aweinberg@ithaca.edu).

Conference Reports: After the conference, submit the following by Monday, March 26th 2018:

• Participant Report: An Excel sheet (as a .xls file) providing each participant’s name, email address, and role(s) during the working group (i.e. facilitator, presenter, participant, observer).
• (Optional) Proceedings Report: A 3-7-page report (as a .pdf file) for the conference proceedings, summarizing the work done or findings presented during the session. Appropriate citations and credit should be provided in these reports.

All files should be sent as attachments by email to Baweinberg@ithaca.edu, with the subject line: RUME 2018 Working Group. Please keep other questions, queries, and correspondence separate from e-mail submissions.

Reviewing Guidelines

All complete proposals received by the deadline will receive full consideration. The review process will proceed as follows:

1. Each proposal will undergo an initial, cursory review to assure that it is appropriate the working group venue (i.e. the plans meet the goals and expectations of a RUME working group) and that it is pertinent to the RUME conference.
2. In the event that there are more proposals than can be accommodated, appropriate proposals will be presented to the community for support and interest. The proposal’s abstract and description will be posted as a potential working group. Support and interest will be solicited and collected from the RUME community for a specified period of time.
   
3. Proposals will be grouped, reviewed, and ranked within two categories using the following criteria:
• Proposals for New Working Groups will be evaluated and ranked based on: a) the clarity and plausibility of its plans with regard to each of the working group goals, and b) the interest and support provided by the RUME community.
• Proposals for Returning Working Groups will be evaluated and ranked based on the criteria for new working groups and the following additional criteria: c) tangible outcomes of the group’s research work, d) ongoing networking, mentoring, and opportunities for collaboration created by the group, e) persistence or expansion of group involvement and membership, and f) completion of prior years’ obligations (e.g. mandatory report).
4. Based on available space and community interest, the top proposals from these two categories will be hosted at the upcoming RUME conference.