This message is the annual call of the "Social Science Computer Review" for nominations and self-nominations for contributions to SSCORE's annual "State of the Art of Computing in the Social Sciences" issue. Whereas other issues of SSCORE are peer reviewed, the state of the art issue is commissioned. We are presently seeking to commission articles for an issue to appear approximately summer, 2000, with contributions due at the end of this year.

Below is attached a description of this year's special issue (Vol. 17, No. 3, for Fall, 1999) as an indication of the nature of what is wanted, which is an article of general interest in each of the social science disciplines and related fields. (This year there was no psychology article, but there will be one in the next issue).

Sample issues of SSCORE may be obtained by contacting jsamples@sagepub.com.

Interest in the "State of the Art" 2000 issue may be directed to the editor, David_Garson@ncsu.edu.

 SOCIAL SCIENCE COMPUTER REVIEW
 ADVANCE TABLE OF CONTENTS
 VOLUME 17, NO. 3 (FALL, 1999)
 STATE OF THE ART OF COMPUTING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, 1999

In anthropology, Douglas R. White, Vladimir Batagelj, and Andrej Mrvar make an interesting and comprehensive presentation of their innovative software for analysis of large kinship and marriage networks. This software, Pgraph and Pajek, has generously been made available online without charge. It is highly pertinent not only to anthropology, but should be of considerable interest to small group researchers in sociology and psychology, network analysis researchers in political science, and other research communities focusing on relationships among finite groups of individuals.

In economics, Betty Blecha, a leader in economics instruction using technology, presents a careful and very useful overview of use of the web in economics, assessing its instructional effectiveness. She makes the case that such use has "fundamentally altered" cost effectiveness considerations, then goes on to present an economic analysis of why diffusion cannot be expected to occur without new university policies.

In geography, Scott Orford, Richard Harris, and Daniel Dorling present their work on information visualization, relevant not only to GIS but to the social sciences generally. Examples are included from geography, economics, political science, psychology, and social statistics. They also discuss the diffusion of data visualization approaches from the natural sciences to the social sciences.

In political science, Mark A. Boyer presents a computer simulation dealing with mixed motive negotiations. Illustrated from the field of international relations, the simulation is also relevant to labor relations, legislative bargaining, and game theory. Moreover, the simulation is designed for classroom use, giving students access to the concept of mixed motive negotiations without need for immersion in heavily formal theoretical constructs.

In sociology, Edward Brent and G. Alan Thompson, who have worked extensively on expert systems in the social sciences, discuss the literature on intelligent agents in relation to the possibilities for modeling various types of social interaction. A typology of uses of intelligent agents is presented, and the authors conclude with an assessment of the potential of intelligent agent modeling in the social sciences.

In the area of research methodology, Barbara K. Kaye and Thomas J. Johnson extend the continuing coverage of this journal regarding computer and web-assisted survey research. Focusing on the Internet and based on their own practical experiences with online surveys, the authors outline challenges associated with this approach and present recommendations in the areas of survey design, sampling, data collection, response analysis, and related matters.

In the area of the study of the social impacts of computing, Nicole B. Ellison examines the state of the art of research on telework and telecommuting, presenting a framework for understanding this subfield. Six major thematic concerns are presented, dealing with the definition, measurement, and scope of the subject; management of teleworkers; travel-related impacts of telework; employee isolation in relation to organizational culture; and delineating home/work boundaries in relating to household impacts.

Finally, Edwin H. Carpenter, Fred H. Wolfe, Jennifer Richards, and Erik Norvelle discuss distributed learning course creation, providing valuable details on how state of the art hybrid web/CD-ROM online courses are delivered. Generously providing how-to information for which educational consultants often charge a great deal, this article will be of immense value to any social scientist seriously considering setting up or improving lab facilities for distance education.