ASSOCIATION OF INTERNET RESEARCHERS

What ASSOCIATION OF INTERNET RESEARCHERS does

The Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) is a private, member-based nonprofit academic association founded in 1999 and headquartered virtually, with formal contact in Chicago, Illinois. AoIR exists to promote critical and scholarly internet research independent of traditional academic disciplines, serving an interdisciplinary community of scholars in media studies, communications, sociology, anthropology, and related fields across six continents. Its core offerings comprise the annual AoIR Conference (the 27th edition scheduled for Mexico City in October 2026, drawing 600-800 international participants), AoIR membership with associated mailing lists and benefits, publications including Selected Papers of Internet Research (SPIR) and special issues in Information, Communication & Society and Internet Policy Review, three annual awards (Nancy Baym Book Award, Dissertation Award, Best Student Paper Award), the Kelly Quinn Travel Scholarship program, the AoIRchive digital archive, the AoIR Legacy Lecture Series, and the Flashpoint Symposia held in underrepresented regions.

Revenue derives from three streams: recurring annual membership dues, one-time conference registration fees (which also fund Kelly Quinn scholarships), and voluntary donations. Operations are run by approximately 10 staff, including an Association Coordinator, under governance of an elected Executive Committee serving two-year terms. Technology infrastructure is composed entirely of third-party SaaS platforms: WildApricot for membership and conference registration, ConfTool for call-for-proposals management, PayPal for payment processing, and Zoom for virtual events. The organization maintains no proprietary technology stack, API, or mobile application.

AoIR's geographic footprint is genuinely global, with conference rotation through North America, Europe, and Latin America and stated intent to expand into Asia, supported by an Executive Committee drawn from institutions in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Estonia, Israel, Switzerland, Australia, and South Africa. The association is governed by an elected body, holds no external equity, has no parent company or subsidiaries, and reports no external funding rounds.

Name

ASSOCIATION OF INTERNET RESEARCHERS

Legal name

Association of Internet Researchers

Website

https://aoir.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Association of Internet Researchers is a nonprofit academic association founded in 1999 that promotes interdisciplinary internet research worldwide through an annual conference, membership, publications, awards, and travel scholarships for scholars across media studies, communications, and sociology disciplines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Academic & Education Conference Organizers (THAHACAE)

Keywords

• Academic association services
• Scholarly conference management
• Research membership organization
• Professional academic society
• Internet research community

Headquarters

HQ city

Virtual/Remote

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: AoIR generates revenue through annual membership fees. Members receive benefits including access to the mailing list, discounted conference registration, awards and travel scholarships, and the archive of past conference papers.
2. Conference Registration: The annual conference generates revenue through registration fees. A portion of conference fees funds Kelly Quinn Travel Scholarships for junior scholars.
3. Donations: AoIR accepts donations to support the association's work, including travel grants and awards for students and scholars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) is a member-based academic association that delivers a portfolio of scholarly community services including an annual international conference drawing 600-800 researchers, membership with access to mailing lists and discounted publications, peer recognition awards, travel scholarships for junior scholars, ethics guidance materials, Flashpoint Symposia, Doctoral Colloquia, the AoIR Legacy Lecture Series, and the AoIRchive digital archive. Revenue is derived primarily from annual membership fees, conference registration fees, and donations.

Product overview

AoIR is a member-based academic association dedicated to promoting critical and scholarly Internet research. Rather than a unified software product, AoIR operates as a portfolio of services including the annual AoIR Conference (the flagship event featuring paper presentations, panels, workshops, and preconferences), membership services, awards (Nancy Baym Book Award, Dissertation Award, Student Paper Award), travel scholarships (Kelly Quinn Travel Scholarship), publications (Selected Papers of Internet Research SPIR, Ethics Guide, Risky Research Guide, ICS Special Issues, Internet Policy Review Special Issues), the AoIRchive archive, AoIR Flashpoint Symposium (one-day regional events), AoIR Legacy Lecture Series (online events), and Doctoral Colloquium. These services are facilitated through third-party platforms including WildApricot for membership management, ConfTool for conference submissions, PayPal for payments, and Zoom for online lectures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AoIR Annual Conference Annual international flagship gathering of the association featuring paper presentations, panels, workshops, preconferences, roundtables, and networking opportunities, with a distinct annual theme (e.g., 'Regeneration(s)' for 2026). Drawn 600-800 international researchers in recent years; the 27th meeting (AoIR2026) is scheduled 14-17 October 2026 in Mexico City.
• AoIR Membership Annual membership subscription providing access to the AoIR Listserv, discounted conference registration, access to SPIR archive, eligibility to apply for awards and travel scholarships, and other member benefits. Membership is required for award applications.
• Selected Papers of Internet Research (SPIR) Conference papers publication venue for AoIR, featuring selected papers from the annual conference published in collaboration with academic journals.
• Nancy Baym Annual Book Award Annual award recognizing the best scholarship of the Association of Internet Researchers, highlighting work relating to the social and cultural dimensions of networked media.
• Annual Dissertation Award Annual award for outstanding PhD dissertations in internet research, recognizing doctoral work that advances the field.
• Best Student Paper Award Annual award recognizing exceptional student research presented at the AoIR conference.
• Kelly Quinn Travel Scholarship Travel scholarship program supporting junior scholars to attend the AoIR annual conference, including conference fee waivers and travel stipends. Applications for AoIR2026 due July 10th, 2026 and now require AoIR membership.
• AoIRchive Digital archive of past AoIR conferences, symposia, doctoral colloquia, and executive committee records, including the AoIR 20th Anniversary 2019-2039 Time Capsule.
• AoIR Flashpoint Symposium One-day supplementary symposium held before the annual conference, fostering conversations about internet research among regions, groups, and thematic areas underrepresented in AoIR. Hosted in collaboration with regional partners (e.g., the Malmö Research Centre for Imagining and Co-Creating Futures) with funding of up to US$8,000 available for hosting.
• AoIR Legacy Lecture Series Online lecture series connecting members beyond the annual conference across time zones, featuring 30-minute presentations followed by 30 minutes of Q&A, delivered via Zoom.
• ICS Special Issues Annual special issues of the peer-reviewed journal Information, Communication & Society published in conjunction with AoIR, featuring selected papers from the annual conference.
• Internet Policy Review Special Issues Special issues of the Internet Policy Review journal featuring AoIR conference-related content.
• AoIR Ethics Guide Ethics guidance document supporting researchers, students, and others in conducting internet research ethically and professionally.
• AoIR's Risky Research Guide Guide addressing risky research practices in internet studies.
• Doctoral Colloquium Pre-conference event for PhD students to share and discuss their research within the AoIR community.
• AoIR Mailing Lists AoIR Listserv community mailing list infrastructure for members and the broader community to stay connected with association announcements and discussions.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hyatt Regency Mexico CitycoreOthers · 14 October 2026The 2026 AoIR conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City. A block of rooms has been reserved at a conference rate for participants. The hotel has been newly renovated and offers accessible rooms, air conditioning, a gym, onsite dining, an indoor pool, and views of Chapultepec Park.
• ConfToolcoreTechnology or IntegrationAoIR uses ConfTool submissions management software system to manage the CFP process for its annual conference. All applicants need to recreate a ConfTool account for each conference year.
• WildApricotcoreTechnology or IntegrationAoIR utilizes WildApricot for membership management and conference registration. The platform handles member benefits delivery and event registration processing.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationAoIR utilizes PayPal for payment processing for membership fees and conference registration. The organization also processes reimbursements via Bill.com, Wise.com, and PayPal.
• Malmö Research Centre for Imagining and Co-Creating FuturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn collaboration with Malmö Research Centre for Imagining and Co-Creating Futures, AoIR invites participants to its annual Flashpoint symposium on the theme 'Imagining and Co-creating Methods for Internet Research'
• International Travel Agency PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAoIR partners with an international travel agency to coordinate travel and accommodations for Kelly Quinn Travel Scholarship awardees. The agency arranges flights and lodging, supports visa applications, and coordinates arrangements based on awardee information.
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCLA scholars are part of the 2026 Conference Host Committee for AoIR2026 in Mexico City. Dr. Stacy Wood (UCLA) serves as Program Chair.
• Tecnológico de MonterreycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholars from Tecnológico de Monterrey are part of the 2026 Conference Host Committee for AoIR2026 in Mexico City.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIT scholars are part of the 2026 Conference Host Committee for AoIR2026 in Mexico City.
• Pomona CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholars from Pomona College are part of the 2026 Conference Host Committee for AoIR2026 in Mexico City.
• Platform ObservatorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform Observatory is part of the 2026 Conference Host Committee for AoIR2026 in Mexico City.
• Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitially announced as host for AoIR2025 in São Paulo, Brazil, before conference location was changed to Niterói.
• Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAoIR2025 was hosted in Niterói, Brazil by UFF (Universidade Federal Fluminense) following location change from São Paulo.
• Information, Communication & Society JournalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAoIR partners with the journal Information, Communication & Society to publish an annual special issue featuring selected papers from the annual conference.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR): Worldwide academic association for media and communication researchers, holding annual conferences and publishing thematic outputs. Directly comparable to AoIR in membership model, conference rotation across regions, and interdisciplinary social-science framing of media/internet research.
• Internet Society (ISOC): Global nonprofit membership organization focused on the open development, evolution, and use of the internet. Highly comparable to AoIR as an internet-focused scholarly/policy association with chapters, conferences, and policy publications — though ISOC tilts more toward technical standards and policy than AoIR's social-science lens.
• Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T): Membership-based academic association for information science professionals, with annual conferences, awards, and a flagship journal (JASIST). Highly comparable to AoIR in structure and information-focused scholarship, though ASIS&T leans more toward library/information science than AoIR's internet-research focus.
• Society for Social Studies of Science (4S): International academic association studying science, technology, and society — including how digital/internet technologies shape social life. Highly comparable to AoIR in scale, conference-driven operating model, and interdisciplinary social-science framing of technology.
• International Communication Association (ICA): Major international academic association for communication scholars, including its Communication and Technology division that directly overlaps with AoIR's domain. Operates an annual conference, journal portfolio (Communication Research, Journal of Communication), and member-driven awards — a directly comparable operating model.

Regional players

• European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA): European regional academic association for communication researchers, with thematic sections covering digital media and internet research. Directly comparable to AoIR in scholarly operating model, but geographically focused on Europe while AoIR rotates globally.

Broad incumbents

• Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC): Larger and longer-established US-based academic association for journalism and mass communication educators. A broad incumbent in adjacent scholarly territory; AoIR's internet-research members often present at AEJMC as well, making it a partially comparable institutional peer.
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM): The largest international computing society, with a vast conference portfolio, journal portfolio, and membership base orders of magnitude larger than AoIR. Functions as a broad incumbent in the same scholarly ecosystem AoIR operates in; ACM Special Interest Groups (e.g., SIGCHI, SIGCOMM) overlap with internet-research concerns.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AoIR_
• Facebookfacebook.com/aoir
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aoir

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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