Back to the Future: The 53rd Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Information Science

Call for papers

This year’s theme, “Back to the Future” is a nod to our return to gathering back in person for the CAIS conference, after five years exclusively online. It also denotes the CAIS community’s over half-a-century tradition of conferring with other members of our interdisciplinary community about our shared values and mission, which we continually return to for guidance as our field evolves. Just as this theme roots us back to CAIS’ core principles of openness and inclusivity, it also turns our minds towards the future of our field. It asks: how do we draw on and learn from our past to shape our future? The researchers and practitioners comprising our community may consider where we came from, where we are going, and the threads that unite past and future, as we gather as an academic community in the present.

CAIS is committed to embracing diversity and incorporating a range of perspectives in the field of information science. We invite researchers, practitioners, and students to join us in exploring the many facets of information science and its impact on individuals, communities, and society as a whole.

We encourage submissions that showcase a range of methodologies, theoretical perspectives, and areas of focus, including but not limited to:

  • Information seeking and behaviour
  • Information literacy and education
  • Knowledge management and organization
  • Information technologies and systems
  • Social media
  • Bibliometrics and scholarly communication
  • Information policy and ethics
  • Cultural heritage and preservation
  • Health information management
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion in information science

Types of submissions

  • Full paper: 2000-3000 words excluding references.
  • Work in progress: 1000-2000 words excluding references.
  • Poster: 500-1000 words excluding references.
  • Panel: 500-1000 words excluding references.

Submissions

Please use the submission template (available in English or French) to prepare your submission. Then submit here.

Student research forum

We are pleased to invite master’s and doctoral students at any stage of their program to CAIS’s Student Research Forum. The Forum aims to allow graduate students to discuss their research projects, get feedback, and connect with other students. Please be prepared to present informally on an aspect of your research for 5-10 minutes. More information about participating in the Forum will be provided when Registration opens in March.

Important dates

  • Submission deadline: January 8, 2025, midnight Pacific Time.
  • Notification of acceptance: No later than March 15, 2025.
  • Submission of final versions: No later than April 30, 2025.
  • Conference: May 27-29, 2025.