Call for Papers

Submission Deadline
Proposal Types
Submission Process (Paper Presentation, Workshop/Interactive Session, or Roundtable Discussion)
Submission Process (90-minute Colloquium)
Submission Process (Virtual)
Can I submit more than one proposal?
Do you provide invitation or visa letters?

You may submit a proposal to the Conference Review Committee for an In-Person Presentation, or a Virtual paper at the Humanities Conference. If your Conference proposal is accepted you may submit a written paper to The International Journal of the Humanities. All proposals, presentations and papers must be in English.

Click here to submit your proposal
Please review the information on this page before you begin the online submission process.
If any problems occur during submission of the proposal using our online system, you are also welcome to download the proposal form and email it to support@commongroundpublishing.com .

Submission Deadline

The deadline for the current round in the Call for Papers is 8 March 2012. Please return to this page after this date for subsequent rounds and deadlines in the Call for Papers. Proposals received during earlier rounds, when accompanied by a paid registration, will be given scheduling priority.

Accepted presentations that have already been accepted may be viewed in the Session Descriptions area of this site.

Return to this page for subsequent rounds in the Call for Papers.

Submission Process

In-person Proposal (Paper Presentation, Workshop/Interactive Session, Roundtable Discussion):

  1. Submit an in-person proposal via the ‘Submit Proposal’ link on this page.
  2. Once a proposal is accepted, the author must submit a paid registration for the Conference. Note that, only one proposal in any format may be accepted per registered presenter, except in the following case: An author submits Proposal A for one in-person paper, and submits Proposal B for an additional, co-authored, in-person paper. This author will submit a paid in-person registration for Proposal A, and at least one of her/his Proposal B co-authors must submit a paid in-person registration. The two registrations (for Proposal A and Proposal B) permit both papers to be presented at the Conference and submitted to the Journal. If all of the co-authors of Proposal B are unable to attend, one of the co-authors will need to submit a paid virtual registration in order to submit the paper to the Journal.
  3. Once we receive the necessary paid registration(s), your presentation(s) will be scheduled in the draft program of the Conference. Note that we cannot schedule your session(s) in the program until we receive the paid registration(s). The draft program of the Conference is usually available about 4 weeks prior to the Conference.

In-person Proposal (90-minute Colloquium):

  1. Submit an in-person proposal via the ‘Submit Proposal’ link on this page. Remember, there must be at least 5 participants – for example, 4 presenters and a chairperson. All participants must be listed on the proposal submission form (list as one primary author, and 4 co-authors).
  2. Once the proposal for the colloquium is accepted, each participant must submit a paid registration for the Conference.
  3. Once we receive all participants’ paid registrations, the colloquium will be scheduled in the draft program of the Conference. Note that we cannot schedule the colloquium in the program until we receive all participants’ paid registrations. The draft program of the Conference is usually available about 4 weeks prior to the Conference.

Virtual Proposal:

  1. Submit a virtual proposal via the ‘Submit Proposal’ link on this page.
  2. Once a proposal is accepted, the author must submit a paid registration for the Conference. Note that, only one proposal in any format may be accepted per registered presenter, except in the following case:
    An author submits Proposal A for one virtual paper, and submits Proposal B for an additional, co-authored, virtual paper. This author will submit a paid virtual registration for Proposal A, and at least one of her/his Proposal B co-authors must submit a paid virtual registration. The two registrations (for Proposal A and Proposal B) permit both papers to be submitted to the Journal.
  3. Once we receive the necessary paid registration(s), your paper(s), if accepted, will be published in the Journal. Note that we cannot publish the accepted paper(s) in the Journal until we receive the paid registration(s).

For further information, contact the Conference Secretariat.

Proposal Types

In-Person Presentations
Non-Attending Presentation
Presentation/Paper Focus

The Humanities Conference is a participants’ conference comprised of numerous parallel sessions and selected plenary sessions. Participants are invited to submit proposals as either 30-minute, 60-minute or jointly presented 90-minute presentations. A virtual participation is also available if you are unable to attend the conference in-person. All proposals, presentations and papers must be in English.

Only one proposal for an in-person presentation may be accepted per registered presenter. This means that two proposals may be accepted in the case of two registered presenters in a joint presentation, as long as both presenters are registered as in-person participants. If one person registers as a virtual participant (instead of an in-person participant) the paper on which they are a co-author will be fully eligible for journal submission, but will not be listed in the Conference program.

If your proposal for an in-person presentation has been accepted, we cannot schedule your session in the Conference program until you have submitted a paid registration.

In-Person Presentations

Paper Presentation (30 minutes total)
This Conference Session focuses on one author’s work. The author presents an overview of his/her paper, describing the essential features (purpose, procedures, and outcome, product, or results) of their scholarly work. The presentation should be approximately 15 minutes, allowing the remaining time for questions and discussion. Common Ground usually provides Graduate Scholars to chair all of the parallel sessions, although authors are welcome to chair their own session or provide their own facilitator for the session. We recommend against reading an entire paper and suggest visual supports (paper handouts, computer slides, or digital displays) to assist delivery. Please note that we cannot provide photocopying facilities at the Conference but we will provide data projectors in each room. Multiple-authored presentations are welcome, though only one article may be submitted to the Journal based on each presentation.

Workshop/Interactive Presentation (60 minutes total)
This Conference Session follows a standard “presenter” format but is designed to allow more time for substantial interaction with the audience. Appropriate considerations for this Session format may include, for example: a workshop, demonstration, performance, exhibition, staged conversation, debate, or extended dialogue with the audience. The Session must be structured so that some explanatory or introductory information is provided, as well as ample time for audience questions, comments, or interactions. If the author wishes to submit an article to the Journal based on an Interactive Presentation, it should be a single article, jointly authored if appropriate.

Roundtable Discussion Session (60 minutes total)
In these Conference Sessions, the discussion format allows maximum interaction between author and audience by eliminating the formal “whole group/lecture” presentation. Individual authors are able to describe and discuss their work in a more fluid conversation with other delegates. Each author is assigned a numbered table in a large meeting room for a full hour. Interested delegates come to the table to hear about the work, discuss, ask questions and converse. This format is particularly well-suited for topics that generate, or benefit from, extended discussion. Authors are encouraged to bring copies of their papers and/or a short handout summarizing their work for distribution at their tables. Please note that we cannot provide photocopying facilities at the Conference.

Colloquium (90 minutes total)
This Conference Session involves five authors who are proposing a set of papers based on a shared theme or topic. The papers may present complementary aspects of a specific body of work, or contrasting perspectives on a specified topic. There must be at least five registered participants (for example, a Chair and four presenters). The Conference Committee does not organize these sessions. The presenters should conceive and design the session to allow time for (abbreviated) individual presentations and at least 15 minutes of audience discussion or question-and-answer. All participants must be listed on the proposal submission form (list as one primary author, and 4 or more co-authors). Either a single article or multiple articles may be submitted to the Journal based on the content of a colloquium session.

Non-Attending Presentation

Virtual Presentation
A paper submitted without the participant attending the Conference in person, but eligible to be refereed and published (if accepted) in the Journal. A virtual registration allows you to join the Conference community in the following ways:

  • Your Conference proposal will be listed in the Session Descriptions of the Conference. Acceptance of a Conference proposal for a virtual participant is based on the same criteria as that for an attending participant.
  • You may submit a paper to The International Journal of the Humanities.
  • Your Journal paper submission will be refereed by Conference participants and you will in turn referee paper submissions of other Conference participants.
  • If accepted, your paper will be published in the same volume as Conference participants from the same year. You will also have online access to all papers published in the Journal from the time of registration until one year after the Conference end date.

You will receive the Community Newsletter.

Presentation/Paper Focus: Practice, Research or Theory

Referees for presentation proposals and of submitted papers will base their assessment upon the kind of focus of a particular presentation or paper.

Practice Focus
A presentation or publication which describes innovative or exemplary practices or programs in the community, in workplaces, in education institutions and the like. This may take the form of case studies, narratives, demonstrations or technical reports. The outcomes of practice may be improved frameworks, concepts, understandings or structures, such as enhanced capacity through the development of skills, knowledge and operational effectiveness. This kind of work may involve putting theory and research into practice.

Research Focus
A presentation or publication reporting upon original research, based on the systematic collection and analysis of data or facts. This kind of work may involve the application or testing of theory.

Theory Focus
A presentation or publication which is broad and generalizing in its emphasis, reflecting upon and systematically referenced against one or more bodies of literature or systems of thought.