[GSDI Legal Econ] GI Ethics and GIScience at AAG 2009

[Kate Lance]

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2009 AAG ORGANIZED SESSION
Geographic Information Ethics and GIScience
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Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, March 22-27, 2009
Las Vegas, NV, USA

ORGANIZERS:
Francis Harvey, University of Minnesota, fharvey at umn.edu
Dawn Wright, Oregon State University, dawn at dusk.geo.orst.edu

DESCRIPTION:
Ethical engagements with the multitude of GIS applications and uses,  
whether surreptitious or overt have marked recent developments in the  
field. Indeed, the variety of applications of GIS&T has led the U.S.  
Department of Labor to highlight "geographic technology" as a key high  
growth job field for the 21st century. While the potential benefits  
and risks of geographic technologies are becoming well known, these  
ethical issues  are less widely engaged. For instance:
- Geographic  technologies are surveillance technologies. The data  
they produce may be used to invade the privacy, and even the autonomy,  
of individuals and groups.
- Data gathered using geographic technologies are used to make policy  
decisions. Erroneous, inadequately documented, or inappropriate data  
can have grave consequences for individuals and the environment.
- Geographic technologies have the potential to exacerbate inequities  
in society, insofar as large organizations enjoy greater access to  
technology, data, and technological expertise than smaller  
organizations and individuals.

We invite scholars to present papers in this session that engage with  
the above issues in relationship to GIScience. We especially encourage  
presentations on the pedagogy of teaching GIS ethical issues.  
Discussions will also connect to the ongoing NSF Ethics Education in  
Science and Engineering project, "Graduate Ethics Seminars for Future  
Geospatial Technology Professionals," where the goal is to develop  
course materials and other resources on applied ethical issues for the  
broader GIScience community.

Papers are welcome in the areas of:
- case studies or curriculum development involving ethical issues
- issues of privacy, surveillance, inequity, erroneous or  
inappropriate data concerning geographic technologies
- codes of ethics and conduct of professional organizations
- GIS professional development
- reflections on the changing nature of ethical issues in GIS&T

The session(s) will be followed by a concluding panel of invited  
scholars to engage us in forward-looking discussion about the  
challenges for teaching GIS ethical issues.

DEADLINES:
October 15, 2008 (WEDNESDAY): Submit a PIN to either Francis Harvey or  
Dawn Wright

All participants must first register individually for the meeting.  
Please follow the instructions at http://www.aag.org/annualmeetings/2009/registration.htm 
  . Upon registration you will be given a participant identification  
number (PIN). Send this PIN and a copy of your final abstract to Will  
or Dawn. They will not edit your abstract, nor will the AAG, so please  
make sure it is grammatically correct and without typos.

October 16, 2008: Sessions submitted to the AAG for approval.

March 22-27, 2009: AAG Meeting in Las Vegas. Exact day and time of  
sessions to be announced.

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Dawn Wright | Professor | Department of Geosciences
Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR 97331-5506
http://dusk.geo.orst.edu | 541-737-1229 phone | 541-737-1200 fax


      
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