*CFP* "#TALKINGPOINTS - TWITTER AND CIVIC DEBATE", EDITED VOLUME

With its hashtags, trending topics, and 280-character messages, Twitter has become the place to watch ideas, movements, and communities develop and become part of a global consciousness. While some scholars and social commentators are excited at the increased visibility of groups and ideas commonly excluded from mainstream discourse, as well as the possibility of dialogue between groups, others have expressed concern about the presence of echo chambers and filter bubbles as well as the lack of “real” interaction. This raises the question what discussions on Twitter actually look like. Is there real engagement? What voices are heard and magnified, and which ones are backgrounded, or missing altogether? What kinds of conversations unfold on the platform, and do they contribute to or even qualify as civic debate?

This volume, edited by Gwen Bouvier and Judith E. Rosenbaum, seeks to shed light on the nature of the debates witnessed on Twitter through a consideration of a multitude of methodological and theoretical viewpoints. We are seeking contributions from a variety of backgrounds that consider the various types of conversations on Twitter, the users who engage in these conversations, and the impact these conversations have.

We welcome abstracts from across disciplines and methods, although proposals that present findings based on empirical analysis, including quantitative, qualitative, ethnographic or political economic, are preferred. Studies can focus on a range of aspects, from the smaller details of conversation to trends that point to broader changes and patterns in use and participation, as well as issues of resistance, marginalization of voices, off-line/on-line relations, community management, patterns in uses of platforms and campaigning and/or activism.

Please send abstracts (300-450 words) to the editors Dr Gwen Bouvier (Maynooth University, Ireland gwen.bouvier@mu.ie) and/or Dr Judith E. Rosenbaum (University of Maine, USA judith.rosenbaumandre@maine.edu).

Deadline: October 30, 2018.