From the analytical engine to the supercomputer, from Pascal to von Neumann, from punched cards to CD-ROMs — the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing covers the breadth of computer history. Featuring scholarly articles by leading computer scientists and historians, as well as firsthand accounts by computer pioneers, the Annals is the primary publication for recording, analyzing, and debating the history of computing. The Annals also serves as a focal point for people interested in uncovering and preserving the records of this exciting field. The quarterly publication is an active center for the collection and dissemination of information on historical projects and organizations, oral history activities, and international conferences.

Scope

The IEEE Annals of the History of Computing serves as a record of vital contributions which recount, preserve, and analyze the history of computing and the impact of computing on society. Where possible, first-hand accounts of events and activities are recorded with minimal editorial change, and scholarly reports of analyses of the historical record from archives and personal contact are published so as to better understand both the past and the future of our field.

Special Issue on Histories of Computing in Oceania
Submission Date: 2022-09-30

The region of Oceania includes Australasia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. To date, the history of computing in this vast and relatively lowly populated region is underrepresented, notwithstanding recent efforts to expand the geographical scope of the history of computing. The geographical characteristics of Oceania have facilitated the development of innovative, interesting (and often unique) patterns of information and knowledge exchange. For instance, despite limited interaction with work undertaken overseas, Trevor Pearcey built CSIR Mark 1, the first digital stored program computer in the world that played music, in Australia between 1947-49. Nonetheless, representations of these important contributions made to the history of computing in Oceania in the academic discourse are still scant.

This special issue explores the history of computing in the countries of Oceania with reference to the nuanced relationship between the local and the global. Bringing together accounts from Oceania, it seeks to document a history currently often only published in grey literature. Topics of interest include:
- Historical, post-colonial, and regional perspectives on the development, appropriation, and use of computing technologies in Oceania;
- The regional, national, or transnational politics of computing and telecommunications;
- Exploration of multinational versus local initiatives;
- National and international transfer of technologies, knowledge, and people;
- Critical analyses of the development of computing education;
- Studies of community computing, ICT4D, and the role of NGOs; and
- Histories and critical analyses of digital initiatives that involve Indigenous people.