The new field of social robotics is a multidisciplinary area of research that presents special methodological challenges to both empirical and conceptual investigations.  While researchers in social robotics are aware of these challenges in relation to their disciplinary perspectives, the  specific methodological issues of social robotics as a transdisciplinary area have not yet been explicitly addressed and clarified.

The TRANSOR network is the first European network involving the full spectrum of disciplines involved in social robotics research: robotics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, education, cognitive science linguistics, art, philosophy, history of ideas, and information science.  The TRANSOR network is thus in a unique position to provide the missing methodological discussion, to work towards a 'methodology for social robotics,' and in this way to make a substantive contribution to international social robotics research.

This inaugural workshop of the TRANSOR workshop series will serve two aims, introducing the direction of research and taking stock of the status quo:

• Direction of research: First, the workshop shall bring the overall program into focus--we will try to work towards identifying the key methodological questions for social robotics research as a transdisciplinary area by appreciating the different viewpoints on methodological problems from each single disciplinary perspective, and by getting clear on whether and how social robotics deviates from other interdisciplinary research areas. 
• Current status: Second, the workshop shall inform about all research initiatives currently undertaken by network members, so that TRANSOR can establish itself as a joint research platform for the exchange of ideas but also for the planning of concrete collaborations on (i) research studies, (ii) grant proposals, and (iii) shared guest researchers. 

In line with these aims, the schedule will combine (a) longer paper presentations, (b) short reports, and (c)  joint discussion units. 

Call for abstracts 

We are inviting short abstracts (half a page to a page) for:

• longer paper presentations (for a talk of about 30 minutes, to be following by 20 minutes discussion) on methodological issues of social robotics (SR).  Such a talk could either report on a methodological problem encountered in a specific study, or a general methodological problem for research in SR from a certain disciplinary viewpoint (e.g., from the perspective of psychology, ethics, education etc.); or else, such a talk could address the notions of 'multidisciplinary', 'interdisciplinary,' and 'transdisciplinary' research as discussed in the general debate on methodology in philosophy of science.
• short reports (akin to a 'poster presentation') on current or planned research initiatives in which network members are involved (10 minutes, followed by 10 minutes questions and discussion).

Please send your abstract to this email (transor@cas.au.dk).  Deadline: December 15.

There is no registration fee and the network budget will cover all meals during the sessions (i.e., coffee and lunch).  Please register by January 15 here.

We hope that many of you will not need support for travel and accommodation, but if you do, please write an email (again, to all on the cc) by December 15; we will then calculate how much our budget can offer to each participant speaker (i.e., participants giving a paper or short presentation) for travel and accommodation.

We are looking forward to welcoming you here in Aarhus!