June 12-16, 2025

ICA Conference in Denver, USA

Deadline: November 1, 2024

 ICA 2025 Conference Theme: Additional Info for CHD

- In addition to open-call submissions, the CHD encourages members to submit work engaging the ICA 2025 conference theme “ICA@75: Disrupting and Consolidating Communication Research,” which is of particular relevance and interest to members of the division. Historical approaches to the conference theme are especially welcome (for more information about the conference theme, see: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.icahdq.org/resource/resmgr/conference/2025/ica2025-theme-cfp.pdf).

Submissions might address (though not exclusive to) the following themes:

- Historical case studies about specific practices, institutions, industries, and/or media technologies offering a reflection on media and communication studies;

- Historical trajectories and political economy of media and communication scholarship, especially with regards to disruption and consolidation;

- The public impact of media and communication scholarship (in public discourse, policy-making, cultural artifacts, etc.);

- The “communication” (or “communication research”) label as an element of integration and/or as a repellent, in the context of the increased globalization of the field and inter/trans-disciplinary perspectives;

- Disruptions associated with ideas, technologies, and/or research with a focus on minority contexts or those less represented in scholarship;

- The history of the International Communication Association (its conferences, divisions, journals; leadership, etc.).

If you have any queries about submitting a proposal to CHD, please contact vice chair Dominique Trudel, dtrudel@audencia.com

Types of submissions accepted by the CHD 

For ICA 2025 Conference, CHD will accept four types of submissions: full papers, posters, extended abstracts, and panel session proposals (for more information, see: https://www.icahdq.org/page/SubmissionTypes).

1.    Full papers – “Traditional" full papers should not exceed 8,000 words, excluding title, abstract, tables, figures, and references. Most full papers will be presented in paper sessions and some may be selected for the interactive poster session. Authors will have the option on the submission page to have their submission considered just for paper panels or both paper panels and poster sessions. CHD will award prizes for the best paper and the best student-led paper. 

2.    Posters – A poster presentation is a submission that an author wishes to be considered for presentation in a poster session. Poster proposals should not exceed 2,000 words, excluding the title, abstract, tables, figures, and references. If the submission is accepted as a poster, authors will be expected to prepare a poster display of the research for presentation at the conference. Authors of accepted posters should bring a physical paper or fabric poster.

3.    Extended Abstracts – The extended abstracts session is an opportunity for scholars with a work-in-progress to receive feedback and support to move toward future stages like publication, conference presentation, doctoral dissertation, and others. Submitted Extended abstracts should not exceed 2,000 words, excluding the title, abstract, tables, figures, and references. Extended abstract submissions are not eligible for Top Paper awards but CHD will recognize the best extended abstract and the best student-led extended abstract by awarding Promising Research awards. Accepted extended abstracts will be presented during the scheduled session(s), which will encourage shorter presentations of the work and more encouragement of feedback and assistance from attendees to help advance the work and its contribution.

4.    Panel Proposals – Panel proposals should bring together different scholars focusing on a common topic or problem in media and communication history. They could also take the form of roundtables. Panel proposals require a 400-word rationale, a 75-word panel description and, if there are individual presentations, a 75-word abstract from each panel participant. When submitting a pre-formed panel, you should base your submission-type decision on what the people in your panel are planning to do in terms of attendance (everyone in person or a mix of in-person and remote presentations). Panel proposals should include contributions from at least two different countries, be gender inclusive, and include not more than one contributor from a single faculty, department or school.

While the Communication History Division will not be accepting submissions for a Research Escalator session, we plan to organize informal session(s) of mentorship for students and early career scholars. All students and early career scholars accepted in the CHD program will be contacted at a later stage to inquire about their interest in participating in an informal mentorship program.

Deadlines for submissions

 Authors should submit papers and panel proposals to the Communication History Division online at the ICA website no later than 1 November 2024 at 12 noon EST.

Early submission is strongly recommended to avoid any technical issues since the deadline is firm. ICA will send acceptance/rejection notices to submitters by mid-January 2025.

All the submitters should follow the General Conference Submission Guidelines (https://www.icahdq.org/general/custom.asp?page=ConfSubmissionGuidelines), providing clear and step-by-step information on how to submit your work.

Top Papers and Promising Research Award

- Top papers and top extended abstracts (“Promising Research) will receive recognition awards at the group’s business meeting. Top student papers and Tier B-C countries participants might also receive a fee waive and travel funding awards. To be eligible, student authors must indicate their status: please identify your paper as a student paper when submitting it through ScholarOne, and not within the body of the paper itself. To be considered for any award, the author must be a member of the CHD.

 Reviewing

- If you’re not already part of our reviewer community, please volunteer! Peer-review is the foundation of our academic mission. If you are submitting work it is especially important that you consider serving as a reviewer: We encourage advanced graduate students to volunteer to review submissions along with established scholars. Be sure to indicate your willingness to review on your ScholarOne account (create an account if you are new to ICA). We do our best to match the three or four papers that on average you are asked to review to your own research interests. The Division is very grateful to all who serve in this important way and will grant a Top Reviewer Award that will be presented at the group’s business meeting.

For more info: https://www.icahdq.org/mpage/CommHistory_CFP