Canadian Association for Information Science 2023 Annual Conference -proposal deadline: January 31, 2023

Imagining Information 

51st Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Information Science / l’Association canadienne des sciences de l’information (CAIS/ACSI) 

June 6-9, 2023 

The Canadian Association for Information Science / l’Association canadienne des sciences de l’information (CAIS/ACSI) invites submissions for its 51th Annual Conference, June 6-9, 2023. For the fourth year in a row, the conference will be free and open to all, online.  

We meet and structure the world through Imagination. The act of imagining enables inner and outer transformation. It assists in the construction of ourselves, our societies, and even our reality, it helps us to envision and to realize what is possible but it also limits. Collective imagining figures into forming hopes and strategies for the future, but also constructs the past. Imagination can be speculative, but imagination coupled with action can also be resistant and a powerful method toward moving toward liberation. Imagination has a strong connection to imagining, whether imagining new theoretical pathways, reflecting on the past, constructing or utilizing imagining as methodology. Imagination, while sometimes devalued, is a creative and resourceful force. 

For the 51st annual conference of the Canadian Association for Information Science, we invite attendees to consider imagining in its many senses and forms, from imagining potential futures for the field and our society, to the nature and function of imagination in information experiences and phenomena, 

Submissions may cover, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • Conceptions of information or documents as imagined or imaginary objects 
  • Imagining and Indigenous ways of knowing/methodologies 
  • LIS’ intersection with theories and theologies of mind 
  • Imagining otherwise: information and social imaginaries, liberation, and Imagination as resistant 
  • Conceptualizations of time: structuring the past through imagination, and a time “before” 
  • Theoretical Speculations of the future 
  • Restrictions and control of knowledge through imagined structures 
  • Re-imagining the future of scholarly communication 
  • Envisioning the future of information societies and professions 
  • Virtual reality, technologies, and information spaces 
  • Imagined communities (Nations, Readers, Lovers) 
  • Dreaming as information experience 

Additionally, we welcome any other reports on completed projects on any topic of relevance to the LIS field.  

Types of proposals 

CAIS/ACSI welcomes proposals reporting on empirical, theoretical, and practice-based research. Proposals may be submitted in English or French. All proposals will undergo double-blind peer review, and should be scrubbed of personally identifying information upon initial submission. 

Papers: 20-minute oral presentations of completed or well-developed projects on topics suitable for publication in scholarly journals. Proposals reporting on completed or ongoing research will be given preference. Diverse and innovative perspectives (theoretical and applied) and methodologies are welcome. Proposals should be in the form of an extended abstract (approximately 1000-1500 words excluding references). Please use this template

Lightning Talks: 5-minute oral presentations covering a single element of a work in progress, or a new idea. Lightning talk proposals aiming to cover an entire research project will not be accepted. The purpose of a lightning talk is to start a discussion, receive input on an idea, or find collaborators. Proposals should be in the form of a 250-word abstract (excluding references). Please use this template

Panels: 90-minute oral presentations from three or more authors on emerging domains, trends, or contrasting viewpoints, including time for questions or discussion. Panels are an opportunity to engage in discussion of shared concerns, including those not available in completed research or yet adequately recognized. Proposals should not be simply a set of related paper presentations; we encourage proposals that offer creative and unique opportunities for engagement and discussion with the audience as part of the panel session. We recommend three to five panelists plus a moderator; there will be an opportunity to modify the list of panelists after acceptance. Proposals should be in the form of an extended abstract (approximately 1000-1500 words excluding references), that identifies the topic to be discussed, provides an overview of the structure of the panel, and includes relevant qualifications and contributions of each participating panelist. Please use this template

Awards: Student-to-CAIS/ACSI and Best Paper by a Practitioner: Paper proposals by graduate students and practitioners will be considered for these awards. The Student-to-CAIS/ACSI award includes a monetary prize. Both awardees will have the opportunity to publish the full manuscript in the Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science / La Revue canadienne des sciences de l’information et de bibliothéconomie. In order to be considered for these awards, please indicate if you are a student or practitioner when submitting your proposal. Winners will be selected based on their extended abstracts. Details of the award, including previous winners, can be found at the CAIS/ACSI website at www.cais-acsi.ca

Proposals will be evaluated on theory/methodology, clarity, impact/originality, and overall quality. Proposals will be received and reviewed using EasyChair. Submit your proposal here: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=caisacsi2023 

Student Research Forum: We are pleased to invite master’s and doctoral students to CAIS’s Student Research Forum. The Forum’s goal is to provide graduate students with an opportunity to present and discuss their research project, get feedback from senior researchers, and make connections with other students. Students at any stage of their graduate program are invited to submit to the Forum. Please be prepared to present informally on an aspect of your research for 5-10 minutes, which will be followed by discussion. More details will be provided upon acceptance. 

To participate in the Forum, please fill out the following submission form no later than May 15, 2023. 

The submission deadline for all proposals is January 31, 2023, midnight Pacific Time. 

Authors will be notified by March 27, 2023. Final versions must be submitted no later than May 15, 2023, and will then be published on the conference website and in the conference proceedings. Authors are also encouraged to submit full papers to CAIS’s diamond open access journal (no Article Processing Charges): Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science / La Revue canadienne des sciences de l’information et de bibliothéconomie.

Registration: The conference will be free and open to all, no registration is required. 

For further information, please contact the CAIS/ACSI 2023 Conference Co-Chairs: 

Philips Ayeni, PhD Candidate 

McGill University 

[email protected] 

Roger Chabot, PhD 

Western University 

[email protected] 

Stacy Allison-Cassin, PhD 

Dalhousie University 

[email protected]