Here is a list of some research ideas I have. If you have any interest in collaborating on the research and publication of any of these specific topics, let me know and lets get started asap (as soon as possible).

If you have any other ideas, please feel free to share them - and lets see if we can refine them as well, getting other interested people involved and start finding answers and writing some high-quality interesting papers.

Research Paper Topics:

1. This team itself - the stages, process, and evolution of what we experience and what we learn together (perhaps presented from multiple viewpoints). This might involve a short survey or some short interviews at the end of our experience together, and then perhaps using an online environment to collaboratively write it up with anyone who is interested.
2. Using eye tracking equipment here at our lab - what are the cultural differences in the way people from different countries look at ____ (an image, a computer screen, a piece of instruction, etc... yet to be determined)? Esentially we need to find the largest international groups here in Joensuu and get them in to use our equipment in looking at something. We are kind of duplicating a study that was done with Americans and Chinese that found some pretty interesting results. Do we find the same thing or different results?
3. Review of literature on culture and online learning. This would be an extension of the encyclopedia article that we just read, which we would submit to a journal.
4. Review of the trends and changes over the years in the papers presented at the CATaC conference (Cultural Attitudes toward Technology and Communication http://www.catacconference.org/). I was invited by the conference organizers to do this meta-study, which I think will be interesting, and would welcome anyone who would like to help analyze the themes of the papers presented over the last 4 conferences. This will be presented at the next CATaC in Nimes, France, and subsequently published in a journal.
5. The impact (strengths and weaknesses) of Web 2.0 tools for international collaborative work that we are doing? This can be a specific look at even some of the platfom features we have tried to use for specific types of cross-cultural understanding and communication.
6. The use of web analytics and decision automation in customizing online experiences for cultural differences.
7. The impact of introductions (customized for cultural preferences) in establishing rapport, trust, interest, credibility, etc. I have some good material on this that I think would be fun to turn into a study. As we are customizing a lesson in a few weeks, we could focus on this aspect for a study of its own.
8. What is "culture"? - This would be more of a theoretical paper, looking at the concept of culture from a 21st century stand point.
9. Culture and Ethics - related to the discussion that ensued in posts between Sabine and myself - and perhaps in her upcoming discussion week.
10. Evaluation of the IMPDET program from a cross-cultural standpoint. This is an evaluation that I have been asked to do of the whole IMDPET program, which I imagine will be publishable. If anyone wants to help collect, analyze, write-up and publish this data, let me know.

Well, those are some of my initial ideas - do any of them strike anyone's interest? Part of me keeping my deal and helping you publish is that you have to pick something that you are interested in collaborating on, or propose a topic that you are willing to take the lead on.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and seeing your ideas.