The International Communication Association's current and prospective members can, beginning September 2, submit full papers and abstracts-as well as interactive papers and panel presenation proposals. The online submission window will stay open for 8 weeks, closing at 11 pm EST on November 3. To read about the 2009 Conference setting (Chicago), theme ("Keywords in Communication"), and submission guidelines, check the ICA website at http://www.icahdq.org/conferences/2009/2009CFP.pdf.
The setting of the 2009 conference is the Downtown Chicago Marriott, located in the Magnificent Mile area of Downtown Chicago. Known as the United States’ "Second City," Chicago is the third largest city in the U.S. and the largest in the Midwest. The city is located on two major bodies of water, Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, making it a major North American port. Chicago is a far more cosmopolitan place than simple shipping, however: It is one of the most culturally rich cities in the world, with deep influence in music, theater, and art - as well as spectacular shopping, great educational institutions, and a globally important Financial District. Chicago is also a great city of architecture: it was the locale of the world’s first skyscraper and, until recently, of the world’s tallest.
"Focusing on keywords in communication has both internal and external value," says Barbie Zelizer, ICA President-Elect and Conference Program Chair. "It will afford an opportunity to consider, clarify and debate what we are about as a field, what is most central to the ways in which we shape our inquiry, where our points of difference lie, and what we may hope for our future....At the same time, it can help clarify who we are to those outside of communication. Though we have much to offer the academy at large and the general public in understanding the trappings of communicative values, beliefs, practices and impacts, we need to figure out a better way of promoting our material and showcasing our strengths. Preliminary to doing that is figuring out more fully what we look like to each other, how we have come to do so, and why."
Submit your papers soon and avoid the last-minute rush!
