The Public Address Division (PAD) of the National Communication Association invites submissions for the 103rd Annual Convention to be held in Dallas, TX, November 16-19, 2017.

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) individual papers (also known as “completed 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 convention, nor can the same submission be made to more than one division at this convention.

The 2017 NCA convention theme is “Our Legacy, Our Relevance,” which points to the ways our disciplinary work impacts not only the discipline but also the communities we engage and the world we inhabit. Asking NCA members to reflect backward into our histories and forward down our new paths, the 2017 convention theme centers the everyday relevance of our scholarly and pedagogical projects and gives particular attention to existing legacies—intellectual, institutional, and cultural—to honor and new ones to cultivate. In addition, the convention theme encourages papers and panels that address the relevance of our research, teaching, and service. With attention to the notion of “standing in the gap,” this year’s NCA program planner encourages submissions that prioritize advocacy for and connection to everyday communities.

All submissions must be made through NCA Convention Central. NCA Convention Central will open for 2017 conference submissions on January 16, 2017. Submissions MUST be uploaded to the site by 11:59 pm, Pacific Time, on March 29, 2017. 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.

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

I.  Individual Papers: Individual papers are completed, unpublished research papers. The Vice Chair will organize accepted individual papers into thematic panels and assign a chair and respondent.

Submission Guidelines (all submissions):

1. Please complete the required electronic submission fields including title, description, author(s), and keywords.
2. Include a title and a 250-300 word abstractwith the paper upload.
3. Recall that the maximum length for submitted papers is 25 double-spaced pages, excluding notes and illustrations.
4. To ensure anonymous review,upload a copy of your paper that has all identifying information removed. To remove identifying data, make sure you:
5. Remove author(s) identifying information such as the title page or personal references.
6. Remove author(s) identifying information from the title of the document.
7. Remove author(s) identifying information from the document properties.
8. Re-save the file and confirm that the document properties have been updated to remove any author(s) information before uploading.
9. Before finalizing your submission, preview your submission to make sure all information is correct.
10. 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.
11. All AV requests must be made at the time of submission.

Students: please 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.

Awards: 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.

II.  Paper Sessions: A paper session involves a group of presenters with titled papers centering on a common theme. Paper sessions that include participants of varied career stages across different universities and geographical regions and those that include diversity of gender, race/ethnicity, and other identity positions are strongly encouraged. Proposals must include:

1. A title and description for the session of no more than 75 words;
2. The names of a chair and a respondent;
3. Titles, descriptions, and author information for each paper.
4. A rationale. This statement should provide an overall justification for the significance of the paper session.
5. 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.
6. All AV requests must be made at the time of submission.

III. 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. Interactive panel sessions that include participants of varied career stages across different universities and geographical regions and those that include diversity of gender, race/ethnicity, and other identity positions are strongly encouraged.

Proposals must include:

1. A title and description for the panel of no more than 75 words;
2. A chair and all presenters;
3. A rationale. This statement should provide an overall justification for the significance of the panel discussion.
4. 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.
5. All AV requests must be made at the time of submission.

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 https://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 Convention Central prior to the convention.

Please feel free to send questions to the Public Address Division’s Vice Chair for 2017: Lisa A. Flores, lisa.flores@colorado.edu.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!