Call for Stories

51 Reasons to Invest in the National Information Infrastructure

 

FARNET (the Federation of American Research Networks) is launching a national search for good stories about how and why people use the Internet in education, research, health care, libraries and manufacturing.

Right now, Congress is considering ways to expand and build upon the successes of the Internet. The stage is being set for the creation of a ‘national information infrastructure’ – computer and communications sytems that will make it possible for Americans to access and use all kinds of electronic information in the 21st century. Your stories will help set the agenda for the national information infrastructure.

We must receive your story submission by March 31, 1993. Because critical information policy issues are already being debated, the timetable for the first round of the project is short.

This summer a collection of the stories – including at least one from each state and the District of Columbia – will be published in an illustrated booklet and delivered to members of Congress, other elected officials, and project participants.

Every story submitted that satisfies the criteria for publication will be included in a public database, accessible from the Internet and indexed so that it is easy to retrieve all stories from a particular region or about a particular topic.

WHAT to Submit

Each story should focus on only one use of the Internet, or one network-supported project. For instance, it might describe a collaboration between bilingual eighth-grade classes in different states, or a rural health-information delivery system. The story should be short (600 words or fewer) and should describe the use of the network and explain how the ability to use the network was of direct benefit to the activity supported.

Specific details, examples and quotations will make the story more readable. Do not include material that does not support the narrative.

Photographs and illustrations will be included in the printed booklet but not in the story database (for the first round). To submit a graphic, please mail camera-ready artwork (for charts, illustrations, or graphs) or photographic prints (any size, in black and white or color) to the address below.

We welcome submissions of videos, software, computer graphics, documentation, and other supporting information and will index these as part of the story database.

WHO Should Submit

Anyone may submit a story for consideration.

HOW to Submit

We prefer that you submit stories electronically to the Internet address below. You may also submit them by fax or postal mail. You must use the Story Submission Form at the end of this announcement so that we can readily enter the stories into the database.

FARNET’s address is:

   Email:   info@farnet.org
   Postal:  FARNET, 100 Fifth Avenue, Waltham, MA  02154
   Phone:   (800) 72-FARNET
   Fax:     (617) 890-5117

UPDATE (FARNET has moved as of January 1, 1995!!!)

   FARNET, Inc.
   1511 K Street, NW
   Suite 1165
   Washington, DC  20005
     202-637-9557

CRITERIA for Publication

To be included in the database, stories must describe how access to or use of the Internet for education, research, health care, libraries or manufacturing resulted in one or more of the following:

• Innovative or improved ways of doing things
• More equitable access to technology or electronic information
• Creation of new ideas, products, or services
• Technology transfer
• Local investment in, commitment to, and control of network-based activities
• Leverage of public funding
• Volunteer contributions of time and energy
• Partnerships between public sector and private sector organizations
• Other social, economic or educational benefits

THE PANEL of Reviewers

The review panel for the stories to be included in the booklet will consist of eight people representing key public sector interests in networking, including libraries, education, health care, and economic development. One of these representatives will be named by FARNET. The others will be named by other national organizations, including the Coalition for Networked Information, the Consortium for School Networking, Educom’s NTTF, and the Science and Technology Council of the States.

NOTIFICATION of Acceptance

All submissions will be acknowledged upon receipt. If a submission is incomplete, the author will receive a comment sheet and will have the opportunity to amend the submission for inclusion in the database.

COPYRIGHT

The Story Submission Form requires each author to grant FARNET a non-exclusive, royalty-free copyright license to use his or her story for the purposes described in this Call for Stories. All stories must be original with the author, and the author must have obtained permission to use the names of any person or organization identified in the story.

WHAT is FARNET?

FARNET is a national non-profit association dedicated to advancing the use of computer networks for research and education. Its members are network service providers and other organizations that support its mission.

PROJECT Underwriters (to date)

• Coalition for Networked Information
• Interop, Inc.
• National Science Foundation

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