Theory and Methodology
Eastern Communication Association
Hyatt Regency Baltimore,
Baltimore, Maryland
April 22-April 25, 2010
"Charting a Course: Meeting New Horizons"
Submission Deadline: October 15, 2009
The Theory and Methodology Interest Group invites submission of competitive papers, thematic program/panel proposals, and innovative programming alternatives (e.g., roundtables, symposia, debates, open forums, and community programs) for the 101st annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association. This 2010 convention marks the start of a new century for the ECA. Accordingly, the convention theme is "Charting a Course: Meeting New Horizons" - a theme which prompts reflection and projection about what comes next in our collective narrative.
General information about the 2010 Call for Papers can be found at http://ecasite.org. The conference theme offers a rich field of possibilities for this interest group. Theory is at once the reason for voyaging and the wind in the vessel's sails, for it is theory that enables us as researchers and scholars to even sense what lies just on the new horizon; it is theory that functions as the lens of scholarly perception. And we cannot engage what we cannot perceive. Likewise, it is methodology that is the sextant, stars, and calculus comprising the mechanism of navigation in a sea of human experience, symbolic abstraction, theorizing/interpretation, and a dizzying array of digital technologies.
Some questions potentially raised by this theme are:
What theories or schools of thought have been the most successful for our discipline, helping us most successfully to chart a course?
To what extent have any particular theory or theories been seen as useful beyond the bounds of the academy?
What on the horizon seems to demand a new approach to theorizing?
How has the methodological thinking in our discipline matured over time? How will it need to develop to meet the future?
What methodological issues have recently or are currently emerging in or field?
How has ECA served to help shape theory, method, and methodology as the present unfolds into the future?
Are there any key constancies is theorizing about human communication?
Are there any crucial methodological issues that we must address in order to meet the new horizon?
Can theory serve as the mechanism to bridge subdisciplinary divisions and the gap between the academic and the non-academic worlds? How?
We welcome all thoughtful, creative, smart, insightful, and heuristic submissions! Please feel free to contact the unit planner with ideas or questions.
Submissions to the Theory and Methodology Interest Group must adhere to the following guidelines:
In order to receive full consideration, all submissions, including completed papers and program/panel proposals must be received by October 15, 2009.
Submissions must be sent via e-mail, with an attachment in MS Word format, to the 2010 Program Planner:
Susan Jasko, California University of PA, email: Jasko@cup.edu
Competitive Papers
Authors are invited to submit completed papers. (Abstracts or incomplete papers are not acceptable in this category.) If the paper has been presented at a previous convention, accepted for publication, or delivered in any other form as a "public" presentation, this fact must be made clear at the time of submission. Competitive paper submissions must include:
1. A separate and clearly labeled file with the title of the paper and the author(s), and authors' institutional affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address.
2. The word "DEBUT" marked on the paper if the author or authors have not previously presented at a regional or national convention.
3. An abstract (of no more than one page) on the second page.
4. A statement of professional responsibility on the second/third page. (See below.)
5. If the paper is multi-authored, please indicate who will be presenting the paper at the convention.
Program/Panel Proposals
All program/panel submissions must include:
1. A thematic title for the program/panel.
2. The name of the Chair, and Respondent (if any, or indicate none).
3. The names, institutional affiliations, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of all participants.
4. Titles and abstracts for each paper or presentation.
5. The program copy (no more than a 75-word description) as it will appear in the final program.
6. A detailed rationale for the program/panel.
7. A statement of professional responsibility:
Statement of Professional Responsibility When submitting a paper or proposal for review, the following statement MUST be included. (If it is not attached to a submitted document, the chair is responsible for obtaining a completed copy of this form prior to the paper/program/panel being officially programmed for presentation at the convention.) Papers and panels without this statement will not be programmed.
"In submitting the attached paper or proposal, I/we recognize that this submission is considered a professional responsibility. I/we agree to present this paper or program/panel if it is accepted and programmed. I/we further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA's annual meeting must register and pay the required fees."
Equipment requests
Equipment rental at conventions is VERY expensive, and ECA has a limited budget for this purpose. Please try to structure your presentation in such a way that equipment is not necessary. If such equipment is absolutely required, you are, of course, invited to bring your own equipment if you can manage it.
Please feel free to contact the Theory and Methodology Interest Group Program Planner, via e-mail, for more information:
Susan Jasko, California University of PA Jasko@cup.edu