Upcoming Conferences of the International Communication Association

 

ICA Annual Meeting

2025 - Denver, Colorado, USA
12-16 June 2025

https://www.icahdq.org/mpage/ICA25-theme

 

The Political Communication Division's ICA25 CfP can be found here:

https://www.icahdq.org/mpage/POLIT_CFP

It includes calls for...

  1. Fully completed research papers. These submissions remain the standard format of our division and have a minimum length of 6,000 and a maximum length of 8,000 words, including abstract and references (but excluding tables, figures, or other illustrative material). When submitting the paper on ICA’s ScholarOne website make sure to select appropriate and meaningful keywords out of our division’s keyword list.

    Important: Please note that papers must adhere to the guidelines in the general ICA call for papers. Specifically, papers MUST NOT contain any identifying information (i.e., author names) and may not have been previously published or accepted for publication. Submission of the same paper or proposal to more than one division is not allowed. Covert self-plagiarism in papers can constitute a serious ethical transgression. Papers violating ICA’s general submission rules MAY DISQUALIFY your submission from review.

  2. Panel submissions. Panels provide a good forum for the discussion of new approaches, timely topics, ongoing political developments, innovative ideas, and debates in the field. If you plan to submit a panel, please submit the following details: (a) panel theme or title, (b) a 75-word description of the panel for the conference program, (c) a 400-word rationale, providing justification for the panel and the participating panelists, (d) 250-word (maximum) abstract of each paper, (e) names of panel participants (usually four presenters, plus a designated respondent), and (f) name of panel chair/organizer. In terms of diversity, we expect a strong panel proposal to (a) include contributions of at least two different countries, (b) feature gender balance, and (c) include not more than one contribution from a single faculty, department, or school.
  3. Works in Progress (Short Papers). Short work-in-progress papers of 3,000-4,000 words in length (including abstract and references, but excluding tables, figures, or other illustrative material) allow scholars to present ongoing work that could not be translated into a fully completed research paper by the deadline. Work-in-progress papers should include succinct and sufficient information about research objectives, significance, methods, and preliminary (or expected) findings. Work-in-progress contributions provide an opportunity for late-breaking results to be presented more fully at the conference. We expect work-in-progress papers to be based on rigorous high-quality original research that furthers our understanding of political communication. They will undergo the regular peer-review process and enjoy no special treatment and no softer admission barriers than full papers. Work-in-progress contributions are not eligible for top paper awards. They could be programmed with a higher probability in high-density sessions or the interactive poster session.

    Important: Submissions of this format may in no case be shorter than 3,000 words and MUST include the words “Work In Progress” in the TITLE of the paper. Papers must not contain any identifying information (i.e., author names) and may not have been previously published or accepted for publication. Submissions violating these rules will be desk-rejected.

  4. Research Escalators. The research escalator is an opportunity for graduate student scholars with less developed research ideas to receive feedback and support on their work, with the intent of helping the work toward advanced stages of the knowledge-sharing process: either publication or conference presentation. The purpose is to connect junior scholars looking for mentorship with established scholars. Research escalator submissions will take the form of extended abstracts that are not to exceed 1,000 words (excluding references). Extended abstracts should present concisely the purpose of the paper, main theoretical framework/assumptions, and, if applicable, research methods. Submitters should delete all identifying information before submitting an extended abstract. The extended abstract will be reviewed by potential mentors with expertise in the field and/or paper topic. If an abstract is selected for mentorship, the submitter will be expected to send the most recent version of their paper to their mentor(s) four weeks prior to the conference so that they have sufficient time to review progress made on the topic.

The submission deadline was 1 November @ 12:00 (noon) ICA headquarters time (EDT).

 

ICA Political Communication Division's Travel Grants

The Political Communication Division is accepting applications for travel grants from ICA attendees without (sufficient) funding for the conference.

These grants are especially directed at scholars from Tier B/C countries as well as junior scholars without their own funding (see ICA country tiers here: https://www.icahdq.org/page/tiers). Presenting authors on a paper accepted by the Political Communication Division may apply. Typically, no more than one presenting author per paper may receive a travel grant. Since the division’s travel funding is competitive and awarded travel grants will not cover all the costs for traveling and accommodation, we also encourage authors to consider applying for the ICA-wide travel grants: https://www.icahdq.org/page/TravelGrant

MORE INFO COMING SOON

 

FAIR Fund

ICA PolComm's Facilitating the Advancement of Integration and Representation (FAIR) fund is an initiative that supports events promoting the inclusion and advancement of underrepresented communities within the Division during the annual ICA conference. The fund aims to provide logistical, promotional, and financial resources to members of the Division who organize events that bring together diverse backgrounds and support their development. The goals of the FAIR fund include bringing underrepresented community members together, increasing their visibility within the Division, internationalizing the Division, and promoting initiatives for early career scholars. If you are interested in learning more and applying, find the full description here, or reach out directly to division leadership.

 

ICA Political Communication Division's "Guide for first-time presenters"

Our student and early career representative, Ernesto de León, recently put together a guide for first-time presenters. Whether you are an early career scholar or a seasoned presenter, the new guide to presentations from the Political Communication division is an essential resource to help you deliver a successful talk. The guide is packed with practical advice and tips, including how to communicate within the limited time, structure your presentation,  and engage with your audience. Even if you have presented before, the guide can still be a useful tool for refining your skills and ensuring that your talk is impactful and engaging.