The Public Address Division (PAD) of the National Communication Association invites submissions for the 100th Annual Convention to be held in Chicago, IL, November 20-23, 2014. PAD supports research into multiple forms of political and cultural rhetoric, including verbal, visual, performative, or blended texts, occurring in U.S., international, or transnational contexts, generated by or for minority or majority individuals and groups, and responsive to historical or contemporary concerns. PAD welcomes work on topics and using methods that cross or bridge disciplinary boundaries (e.g. memory, post-colonialism, religion, gender, sexuality). Submitters are not required to be members of PAD. See the PAD web site for more information about the division: ncapad.com.

We invite submissions of (1) completed papers (also known as “individual papers”), (2) paper sessions, and (3) panel discussions. An individual should submit no more than one paper to PAD. Papers must not have been presented at another conference, nor can the same submission be made to more than one division at this conference.

The 2014 NCA convention theme is “The Presence of Our Past(s): NCA at 100.” The NCA First Vice-President has created a special “NCA Centennial!” series for individual papers, paper sessions, or panel discussions related to the convention theme. A planning group headed by two public address scholars is organizing those sessions, so PAD members whose work is relevant to this theme are encouraged to submit directly to this series in NCA Submission Central.

All submissions must be made through the NCA Submission Central online system, available via the NCA Convention web site: www.natcom.org/convention. Submissions MUST be uploaded to the site by 11:59 pm, Pacific Time, on March 26, 2014. Please begin the submission process well in advance. Submitters who need assistance with the process can access how-to guides, sample submissions, webinars, and other useful resources from the NCA Convention Resource Library web site at www.natcom.org/conventionresources.

Additional details about submissions follow:

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. Individual Papers

Please complete the required electronic submission fields including title, description, author(s), and keywords.

~ If you are a student, indicate on the submission form that your submission is a student paper so that it can be considered for the division’s Robert Gunderson Award for Top Student Paper in Public Address.

~ All submitters of papers to PAD are encouraged to consider marking the Scholar-to-Scholar option if their work can be effectively presented in a poster format. Some papers that we otherwise would not have room to place in a session slot will be accepted if this box is checked on the electronic submission form.

Upload a copy of your paper.

~ To ensure blind review, please remove all indications of authorship from the paper before uploading to NCA Submission Central. Include a title and a 250-300 word abstract with the paper upload.

~ The maximum length for submitted papers is 25 double-spaced pages, excluding notes and illustrations.

The Public Address Division offers two awards for top submitted papers. In addition to the Gunderson Award for Top Student Paper, the Wrage-Baskerville Award honors the Top Paper in Public Address. Awards are presented at the Division’s business meeting at the convention, and top papers are presented in a special session immediately following the business meeting.

The time limit for presentation for most papers accepted for presentation is 12 minutes, so participants should prepare accordingly.

2. Paper Sessions

A paper session involves a group of presenters with titled papers centering on a common theme. Submissions should include:

~ a title and description for the session of no more than 75 words,

~ a chair and respondent,

~ titles, descriptions, and author information for each paper,

~ a rationale. This statement should provide an overall justification for the significance of the paper session.

~ If the session is a good candidate for co-sponsorship with another division, caucus, or affiliate organization, please identify the potential co-sponsor on the special requests tab.

For a paper session to be considered for inclusion in the convention program, participants should come from more than one institution.

3. Panel Discussions

A panel discussion involves a group of panelists discussing a specific topic. Panelists in a discussion session do not title their individual presentations or present papers.

Submissions should include:

~ a title and description for the panel of no more than 75 words,

~ a chair and all presenters,

~ a rationale. This statement should provide an overall justification for the significance of the panel discussion.

~ If the panel is a good candidate for co-sponsorship with another division, caucus, or affiliate organization, please identify the potential co-sponsor on the special requests tab.

EVALUATIVE STANDARDS

In preparing your submission, please consider these criteria, which will guide the review process:

~ Relevance to the Public Address Division. How relevant is the submission to the aims and goals articulated in the conference call and expressed in the “About PAD” statement on the division’s web site at ncapad.com/about?

~ Quality of scholarship. Will the submission make an important contribution to knowledge in public address? This criterion involves engagement with appropriate primary and secondary source material; originality and significance of argument; and coherence, rigor, and soundness of argument.

~ Quality of writing and/or coherence of session design. How well is the submission presented? This criterion focuses on clarity of expression, developmental flow, and stylistic artistry, and, for paper sessions and panel discussions, the conception and articulation of the session plan.

SUBMITTING PAPERS TO RESPONDENTS

Completed papers that are accepted for presentation at the convention and then uploaded by the submitter will be available to respondents via NCA Submission Central prior to the convention.

Please feel free to send questions to the Public Address Division’s Vice Chair for 2014: Leah Ceccarelli cecc@uw.edu

We look forward to seeing your submissions!