Call for Proposals (Second deadline approaching)

The IEEE Professional Communication Society invites proposals for the ProComm 2020 conference regarding the study, preparation, production, delivery, use, improvement, and promotion of human communication in all media in technical, engineering, and professional environments.

Leveraging our location’s historical links to railroads, our conference theme for 2020 is STEAM, Powered by Communication. Our shared technological past was built by steam-driven engines that moved people and goods across long distances. Our shared technological future will be built not by steam engines, but by Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Humanities, and Mathematics (STEAM) professionals. STEAM professionals will move information and ideas across virtual distances using technologies and systems that haven’t been invented yet. The most influential STEAM professionals will use their strong foundation in the fundamentals of communication to maximize the clarity and impact of their message.

The audience for our conference includes communication practitioners, communication instructors, engineering instructors, managers, entrepreneurs, freelance writers, technical writers, engineering professionals, and others. Because of our diverse audience, the range of interesting topics for our conference is necessarily quite wide.

We welcome work that touches on communication in any STEAM-related technical or professional environment, including topics such as

  • techniques for teaching engineering, technical communication, and science students;
  • studies of intercultural and international communication;
  • advances in theory that give new perspectives on technical communication;
  • communication strategies for the modern, technologically centered workplace; and
  • insight into social media, multimedia, virtual workplaces, and other emerging forms of professional communication.

Submission Formats and Deadlines

We accept submissions in many formats, with different expectations for review and publication in the conference proceedings through IEEE Xplore. Our reviews are two-way anonymous (i.e., reviewers don’t know the identity of authors and authors don’t know the identity of reviewers) unless indicated otherwise. This section summarizes the submission process and applicable deadlines.

The second deadline is April 20th, 2020. Brief papers, full papers, and panel session authors submitting as brief or full papers must submit a second-round document, overwriting the first deadline file. Be sure to review the comments that you received after the first-round review as you draft your submission.

Please use our IEEE Xplore template (Microsoft Word file) and follow the formatting instructions contained within. Submissions should remain anonymous at this stage. Author information is only included at the camera-ready deadline in late May/early June.

Submit your revised document through EasyChair, overwriting your first-round submission file. The decision to accept your submission will be made based on this second-round review, for which you will receive feedback.

Extended abstracts summarize your talk at a high level without requiring a longer paper. Your 700-word abstract fits a single page when formatted for IEEE Xplore. One round of review is used at our first deadline to determine acceptance. The author(s) receive one standard presentation slot at the conference.

First submission deadline (January 31st, 2020)

700-word abstract

Second submission deadline (April 20th, 2020)

none

Camera-ready submission for Xplore (June 19th, 2020)

1-page abstract

Brief papers document and present a work-in-progress, early stage results, or straightforward practice papers. Your 350-word abstract receives review at our first deadline and your 3–5 page IEEE Xplore-formatted paper receives a second round of review to determine acceptance. The author(s) participate in a conference roundtable session where the audience regularly rotates between tables for exciting back-and-forth discussion.

First  submission deadline (January 31st, 2020)

350-word abstract

Second submission deadline (April 20th, 2020)

3-5 page paper

Camera-ready submission for Xplore (June 19th, 2020)

3-5 page paper

Full papers are appropriate for late-stage research projects with conclusive results, mature, theoretically-grounded position papers, or papers reporting on a well-tested professional or teaching practice. The Full Paper review process is the same as the Brief Paper process, except your abstract can be up to 700 words and your paper can be 6–8 pages when formatted for IEEE Xplore. The author(s) receive one standard presentation slot at the conference.

First submission deadline (January 31st, 2020)

700-word abstract

Second submission deadline (April 20th, 2020)

6-8 page paper

Camera-ready submission for Xplore (June 19th, 2020)

6-8 page paper

Workshops are usually “how to” or “about” sessions on topics relevant to professionals or educators (in engineering or technical communication), with a strong interactive component. The review process for Workshops is one round of one-way anonymous review (i.e., authors don’t know the identity of the reviewers) on your 700-word workshop proposal, due at our first deadline. The author(s) receive one full session at the conference, usually about 75 minutes. Nothing about the Workshop will appear in IEEE Xplore.

First submission deadline (January 31st, 2020)

700-word abstract

Second submission deadline

none

Camera-ready submission for Xplore

none

Panel discussions are ideal for presenting multiple perspectives on a single topic or theme, with a focus on discussion between the panelists themselves or with the audience. One of the panel members will coordinate submission of an extended abstract, brief paper, or full paper, following the stated guidelines and requirements. The panel will receive a full session at the conference, usually about 75 minutes. All panelists must attend the conference.

First submission deadline (January 31st, 2020)

Extended abstract, brief or full paper

Second submission deadline (April 20th, 2020)

Extended abstract, brief or full paper

Camera-ready submission for Xplore (June 19th, 2020)

Extended abstract, brief or full paper