Call for papers
Making Meaning Through Signs and Signals: Effective and Emerging Multimodal and Technical Communication
Conference dates: July 20-23, 2025
Location: University of Southern Denmark, Sønderborg, Denmark
We encourage submissions for papers, panels, or workshops that address how signs and symbols affect our interpretations, practices, and revolutions of professional communication. This year we have a new submissions process. Instead of submitting a 500-word proposal, all potential presenters must submit a complete draft of their final submission, whether that is a brief or full paper or extended abstract.
We invite you to share work that explores how engineers, technologists, and professional communicators engage with the array of signs, signals, and ways of making meaning that shape our world, whether that addresses:
- adaptive technologies for communication,
- media affordances, constraints, and transformations
- new technologies for professional or team communication,
- forms and functions of communication signals in professional contexts,
- the roles or limitations of LLMs, GenAI, or diffusion models in research or pedagogy,
- critiques and reflections on our fields, futures, and practices,
- or any ideas related to meaning making!
We are particularly interested in work that integrates the technological with the cultural or sociological in the production and interpretation of signs and signals. We especially encourage industry practitioners to give panels or workshops on emerging best practices.
IEEE ProComm 2025 promises to offer a rich synthesis of approaches, a dynamic community of researchers and practitioners, and an exciting conversation for all involved. Show up to this cool place and interact with neat ideas and people!
IEEE Members: Please note that ProComm, the conference of the Professional Communication Society, is distinct from the Signal Processing Society and Communications Society. The Professional Communication Society’s vision is “to become the leading IEEE authority on professional, scientific, engineering, and technical communication, content development, information design, and usability, as well as their potential social impacts.
Submission Formats
Please Note: This year, our submission process and timeline has changed for participants submitting papers. Rather than submitting a brief initial proposal abstract, participants will submit a full draft upon first submission.
Papers (Full Papers, Brief Papers, or Extended Abstracts)
For Papers, speakers will typically have 15-20 minutes to present their work. Topics will be grouped along thematic lines during a 75-minute session. At least one author must register for and attend the conference in order for any paper to be published in the proceedings.
- Full 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. These are typically 6-8 pages in IEEE’s double-column format.
- Brief Paper. Brief Papers are appropriate for research and position papers that are works-in-progress, or papers reporting on short-term or experimental professional or teaching practices. These are typically 3-4 pages in IEEE format.
- Extended Abstract. Extended Abstracts are appropriate for participants who would like to bring new ideas to the table for discussion. These must not exceed 2 pages.
All papers will initially be full draft submissions, without a proposal stage.
All papers will undergo double-blind review. For the first stage of review for extended abstracts, brief papers, and full papers, submit a complete draft in IEEE format. Submitters of accepted drafts will receive feedback, and be invited to submit a revised and final copy. Templates for the submissions for full papers, brief papers, and extended abstracts are below.
For questions about submissions, please email Hua Wang at hw472@cornell.edu or Scott Weedon at Scott.Weedon@ttu.edu
Panel Proposals
Panels are 75-minute sessions with collaborating presenters. Panels may be organized around a general topic or they may include multiple perspectives on a more specific topic. All members of the panel must register for and attend the conference.
To propose a panel, the organizer should submit a draft paper (up to 8 pages) that provides a brief description of the panel’s overall goals and each panelist’s contribution to the panel discussion. All panel proposals will undergo one round of double-blind review. If the panel is accepted, a camera-ready version of the proposal must be submitted for inclusion in the proceedings.
If individual panelists may wish to have their panel presentation published in the proceedings, they must also submit a paper (full, brief, or extended abstract) for review. These papers should be submitted at the first stage of review along with the panel proposal.
All panel proposals will undergo double-blind review. The template for the submission for panel-based papers is below.
Workshop Proposals
Workshops include one or more facilitators presenting a 75-minute “how to” or “about” session addressing relevant practices, issues, or technologies of interest to professional engineers, technical communication specialists, and/or people teaching in those fields.
Prospective workshop facilitators should provide a 500-1000 word proposal of the envisioned content and shape of the workshop (what is this workshop about?), its stated goals (what will attendees learn or take away?), its envisioned audience (who will benefit from attending?), as well as any relevant background information about the workshop facilitator(s) to demonstrate their expertise on the topic. Workshops will be published in IEEE Xplore with the “Workshop” designation at the head of the paper title to serve as a record of its inclusion in the conference.
Workshop proposals do not undergo double-blind review and are selected by the conference team based on the presenter’s expertise, fit, and need. The template for the final submission for workshop-based papers is below.
Reviewing Practices
IEEE ProComm is committed to inclusive reviewing practices. Read our reviewer statement.
IEEE Policy on AI-Generated Text
The use of artificial intelligence (AI)–generated text in an article shall be disclosed in the acknowledgments section of any paper submitted to an IEEE Conference or Periodical. The sections of the paper that use AI-generated text shall have a citation to the AI system used to generate the text.
IEEE Diversity Statement
IEEE’s mission to foster technological innovation and excellence to benefit humanity requires the talents and perspectives of people with different personal, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds. IEEE is committed to advancing diversity in the technical profession, and to promoting an inclusive and equitable culture that welcomes, engages, and rewards all who contribute to the field, without regard to race, religion, gender, disability, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
IEEE Nondiscrimination Policy
IEEE prohibits discrimination, harassment, and bullying against any person for any reason—for example, because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religion, gender, sexual or affectional orientation, gender identity, appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
IEEE WIE Pledge
The IEEE Professional Communication Society supports the IEEE WIE pledge. In doing so, we pledge to work towards gender-diversified panels and speakers at our conferences, leadership of our events, and in authorship of our journal publications.
Interested in reviewing?
Sign up here if you’re interested in reviewing ProComm proposals.
IEEE Accessibility Statement
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TIMELINE
Deadlines
- February 1, 2025 at 5pm ET: Drafts of Full Papers, Brief Papers, Extended Abstracts, and proposals for Panels, and Workshops are due via the conference website.
- March 1, 2025: Proposal and draft paper submitters will be notified of acceptance status.
- April 1, 2025 at 5pm ET: Camera-ready copy of revised Full Papers, Brief Papers, Extended Abstracts, Workshops, and Panel submissions for accepted works, along with copyright releases, are due for publication in the proceedings..
- July 20-23, 2025: ProComm 2025 at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) in Sønderborg, Denmark!
For questions about submissions, please email Hua Wang at hw472@cornell.edu or Scott Weedon at Scott.Weedon@ttu.edu