[ecrea] CfP: ICA Young Scholars Preconference "Communicating the Power of Visuals"

*Call for Papers*

*Communicating the Power of Visuals*

ICA Young Scholars Preconference on Conceptualizing and Communicating
Visual Communication Research Projects

*Venue:* Kyushu Sangyo University (Fukuoka, Japan)

*Date:* 9 June 2016

*Sponsored by:* Kyushu Sangyo University (Fukuoka, Japan), ICA Visual
Communication Studies Division, Hans-Bredow-Institut for Media Research
at the University of Hamburg (Germany)

*Organizers*

Michael Grimm /(Hans-Bredow-Institut for Media Research at the
University of Hamburg, Germany)
/Akira Sano /(Kyushu Sangyo University, Fukuoka, Japan)
/Allison Kwesell /(International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan)
/Giorgia Aiello /(University of Leeds, UK)/

*Rationale*

Mediated images as means of communication are associated with specific
characteristics, such as their holistic nature and analogical quality,
which make visual communication especially powerful. But these
characteristics also come with some particular pitfalls when it comes to
conceptualizing visual communication scholarship and to communicating
both methods and results, especially for young scholars who deal with
mediated images in their first comprehensive research projects.

In /conceptualizing/ visual communication research projects, young
scholars must tackle pragmatic questions, such as how to access the
visuals under study and how to make the analytical process as adequate
and transparent as possible. But they also have to highlight the
particular insights that the study of visuals can contribute to any
given project.

In /communicating/ visual communication research projects, young
scholars are not only confronted with the challenges of the material
under study (e.g.: How to present videos in presentations and
publications? What are the legal standards for the use of mediated
images in presentations and publications?). They also have to face
structural aspects of the scientific community, since young scholars who
study mediated images are scattered across ICA divisions and interest
groups and thus primarily interact with scholars for whom visual
communication is not a primary interest or is even “exotic”, so that
young scholars usually have to go the extra mile in legitimizing the
visual aspects of their research projects.

*Aims*

This one-day preconference will therefore set out to bring together
young scholars – i.e. both current PhD students and early career
postdoctoral researchers – from all ICA divisions and interest groups
who focus on visual images in their research projects. The event aims to
address the needs of these young scholars from different sub-fields in
media and communication studies by: 1) summarizing key challenges in
conceptualizing and communicating visual communication research
projects; 2) demonstrating some of the most significant ways in which
the study of visual images contributes, both theoretically and
methodologically, to research from across ICA divisions and interest
groups; 3) providing strategies for presenting and communicating
research projects to cross-divisional, cross-disciplinary academic
audiences and for making use of the specific power of visuals in
presenting visual communication research projects; 4) providing a forum
for cross-divisional networking between young and senior scholars; and
5) providing feedback on young scholars’ research projects (e.g. in
order to polish their work for publication).

*Format*

This event follows the very successful cross-divisional ICA Young
Scholars Preconference on Visual Methods <http://www.visualmethods.net>
in San Juan 2015, which featured workshop sessions with 34 young
scholars from seven countries and 11 senior experts from five countries.
This year’s preconference will follow a similar format, but it will
focus on a new, though complementary, set of issues and questions.

First, an /opening keynote/ by distinguished visual communication expert
David Perlmutter will give an overview of key issues in conceptualizing
and communicating visual communication research projects.

Second, in /poster sessions/, young scholars will have the opportunity
to present their research projects, discuss their challenges in
conceptualizing and communicating their projects with other
participants, network with peers, and receive substantial feedback on
their projects from experienced senior scholars. All young and senior
scholars will participate in the poster sessions, a format that provides
a practice-oriented overview of a range of approaches to visual
communication studies and common challenges.

Third, in subsequent parallel /expert sessions/, young scholars with
methodologically and/or thematically related research projects will be
grouped together and matched with senior scholars whose expertise
matches their areas of research. The small groups will then discuss the
challenges in conceptualizing and communicating visual research projects
and possible solution strategies based on the research projects
presented in the posters.

Finally, in a /closing plenary/, we will summarize key insights
originating from discussions in the expert sessions and, together with
all participants, we will discuss ideas and plans for future networking
and research events.

*Senior Experts*

Several senior scholars with extensive experience in different areas of
visual communication research will participate in the preconference. The
range of approaches and perspectives provided by senior scholars will
offer the best fit for each young scholar’s research interests and
needs. Among the confirmed senior experts are:

  * Giorgia Aiello <http://media.leeds.ac.uk/people/giorgia-aiello/>
    /(University of Leeds, UK)/
  * Kari Andén-Papadopoulos

<http://www.ims.su.se/forskning/forskningsomr%C3%A5den/journalistik-medier-och-kommunikation/kari-and%C3%A9n-papadopoulos-1.85225>
    /(//Stockholm University, Sweden)/
  * Lilie Chouliaraki

<http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/whosWho/AcademicStaff/LilieChouliaraki.aspx>
    /(London School of Economics and Political Science, UK)/
  * Paolo Favero <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/staff/paolo-favero/>
    /(University of Antwerp, Belgium)/
  * Stephanie Geise

<https://www.uni-erfurt.de/kommunikationswissenschaft/personen/personenuebersicht/dr-stephanie-geise/>
    /(University of Erfurt, Germany)/
  * Laurie Gries <http://comm.colorado.edu/people/faculty/laurie-gries/>
    /(University of Colorado, USA)/
  * Katy Parry <http://media.leeds.ac.uk/people/katy-parry/>
    /(University of Leeds, UK)/
  * Luc Pauwels <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/staff/luc-pauwels/>
    /(University of Antwerp, Belgium)/
  * David Perlmutter
    <http://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/utilities/get_biog.php?record=208>
    /(Texas Tech University, USA)/
  * Catherine Preston <https://film.ku.edu/catherine-preston>
    /(University of Kansas, USA)/

*Submissions*

We invite young scholars from all ICA divisions and interest groups to
submit extended abstracts on both completed and ongoing projects. We
welcome submissions on all aspects of the visual communication process
(production context, media context, reception context) and on all visual
methods, as well as on a broad range of topics, such as visual political
communication, visual science and health communication, visual popular
communication etc.

Extended abstracts should briefly summarize relevance, theory, methods
and results (where applicable), and strongly focus on the discussion of
the challenges in conceptualizing the visual aspects of the project and
communicating it to other researchers.

Extended abstracts should be limited to a maximum of 1,000 words
(double-spaced; illustrations, tables and references do not count
against this total of words). Please remove all identifying information
from the document and include a separate title page indicating the
name(s) of the author(s), the affiliation(s) of the author(s), the title
of the project, and the status quo of the project (e.g. completed
project, work in progress).

Please send your submissions via e-mail to
(m.grimm /at/ hans-bredow-institut.de) <mailto:(m.grimm /at/ hans-bredow-institut.de)>
no later than *29 January 2016*. Decisions will be made by
29 February 2016. The preconference will be open to a maximum of 40
young scholars. Participants will be selected based on the quality of
their extended abstracts. In the review process, we will also consider
that a reasonable range of topics will be covered by the poster
presentations and that participants can be grouped in clusters with
similar interests.

*Venue*

The preconference will be hosted on the campus of Kyushu Sangyo
University <http://www.kyusan-u.ac.jp/E/> in Fukuoka. Transportation
from the main conference hotel to the university campus and vice versa
will be provided for all participants with a chartered bus (about 15-30
minutes each way).

*Fee*

There will be a US$ 30,- fee for preconference participants to cover
transportation and catering costs. Depending on the availability of
additional funding for the preconference, we may also be able to offer a
discounted fee at the time of registration.

*Website*

Please also visit the accompanying website
www.visualcommunicationstudies.net
<http://www.visualcommunicationstudies.net> for any updates on the
preconference.

*Contact*

Please do not hesitate to contact us in case you should have any
questions regarding the preconference.

*Michael Grimm*
Hans-Bredow-Institut for Media Research
at the University of Hamburg (Germany)
(m.grimm /at/ hans-bredow-institut.de) <mailto:(m.grimm /at/ hans-bredow-institut.de)>



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