Call for Papers

 

This International Seminar will bring together demographers, marketers and other social scientists working inside and outside of academia who have interests in the application of demographic techniques and information in business and other organizations. One of the objectives of this seminar is to highlight the growing diversity of employment settings available to persons with demographic skills, especially but not limited to business organizations. Many types of organizations require accurate and well-communicated demographic information in order to be effective. In the business arena, functional areas with such needs include marketing, site analysis, consumer behaviour, segmentation strategies, and market potential estimation.

Contributions related to the development and communication of demographic information for organizational decision-makers in business and elsewhere, and examples of innovative curricula around the demographic training for work in business settings are especially encouraged. Researchers and practitioners whose work has involved new methodologies for the development of demographic information for decision-makers are also encouraged to submit abstracts for consideration.

Case studies in business demography are particularly welcome, especially those highlighting the use of demographics in business disciplines such as marketing and consumer behaviour, as well as issues related to “bridging the gap” between demographic practitioners and those with decision-making responsibilities in business and other organizations.

As indicated, academic and those working in business and other applied settings are encouraged to submit abstracts of papers to be presented. These may include both works-in-progress as well as completed research. Papers may be country-specific or comparative and are encouraged from researchers and practitioners in both developed and developing countries.

Examples of topics that would be appropriate for this seminar include but are not limited to the following areas:

• The implications of various demographic trends for business planning and assessment of future costs and opportunities.

• Specific examples or case studies of the development and use of customized demographic information that has relevance for a range of organizational concerns.

• Comparative studies which highlight critical differences in the type of demographic information (including quality and accuracy assessments) that is appropriate for a given situation or differential outcomes resulting from the use of particular demographic inputs or methodologies.

• Methodological topics including: estimates and projections especially related to topics beyond population by age and sex, such as income, consumer expenditure analysis, demand for educational and health services, housing studies, transportation planning, and the impacts of migration and population distribution.

• The application of survey methodologies to business decision-making especially in the context of large-scale national surveys, including alternative censuses, that provide opportunities as well as challenges to demographers with respect to the effective and optimal use of results.

• Innovative curricula that provide students with a range of demographic techniques and experiences associated with developing and communicating demographic information to decision-makers in businesses and other organizations.

The IUSSP Scientific Panel on Business Demography invites researchers and practitioners in the field to submit a detailed 500-1000 word abstract and fill out the online submission form before 15 June 2007

 

Deadline for abstract: 15 June 2007.
Applicants will be informed whether paper is accepted by 15 July 2007.
Participants must submit their complete paper by 15 September 2007.

The seminar will be limited to a maximum of 20 contributed papers. If a paper is co-authored, please indicate the names of co-authors at the end of the abstract. Submissions should be made by the author who will attend the seminar.

Abstracts and final papers must be submitted in English only and the working language at the meeting is English. In addition to dissemination through posting on the member-restricted portion of the IUSSP website, seminar organizers will explore the possibilities for publishing the papers, after the seminar.

Current funding for the seminar is very limited, efforts are under way to raise additional funds, but the outcome is at this point uncertain. Participants are therefore encouraged to seek their own funding to cover the cost of their participation in the seminar. Those who are applying for financial assistance from the IUSSP should indicate their need when they submit by ticking the appropriate box on the on-line submission form when submitting paper or abstract. Applicants will be informed of the status of their application for financial support before 15 August 2007.

For further information, please contact Farhat Yusuf

Scientific Panel on Business Demography:
Chair: Farhat Yusuf (Macquarie University, Australia);
Members: Tom Exter (MapInfo Corporation, Canada); Lu Jiehua (Peking University, China); Eduardo Rios Neto (CEDEPLAR, Brazil); Louis Pol (University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA); Filomena Racioppi (University of Rome, Italy); Bernard Salt (KPMG, Australia);