WORLD PUBLIC RELATIONS FORUM
Research Colloquium
Oslo, Norway
April 22, 2018

  SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

Research Colloquium of the World Public Relations Forum

Every two years since 2001, the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management has brought together public relations and communication professionals and scholars from around the world to share their experiences and knowledge and to reflect together on major issues affecting the profession.

The three-day World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) includes a Research Colloquium, a full day of discussions and presentations featuring the world’s leading educators, researchers and practitioner thought-leaders. The Research Colloquium has become a unique opportunity to engage professionals, academics and students from across the world in the key challenges facing the profession, to advance thinking and research and share best practices. It builds a bridge between the academic and practitioner communities and is for the benefit of both.

The 10^th World Public Relations Forum to be held April 22–24, 2018 in Oslo, Norway, has as its theme “Value! Communication's impact in a fast and ever-changing world".

Main themes: Truth, profit and intelligence (as in human intelligence and artificial intelligence)

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS/PAPERS

Should we believe the media hype, there are changes in society’s epistemic foundation. Descriptions abound of a “post-truth society” – word of the year in 2016, according to Oxford Dictionaries. Post-truth denotes “circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” While the use and misuse of facts and research is nothing new, it might be possible to talk about an intensification due to changes in the media landscape leading to fragmentation and potentially to “echo chambers” where people seek to get their views confirmed without being exposed to counterarguments.

If it is correct that the epistemic foundation of society becomes more polarised, fragmented, uncertain and fluid, grasping the ways in which organisations communicate becomes important to understand what contributes to increase or decrease in social fragmentation. What truths are forwarded by public relations, and how do organizational intelligence and ultimate goals of profit and legitimacy play into this? That is the challenge the Research Colloquium will examine.

WPRF 2018 participants will come away with a better understanding of communications impact in a fast and ever-changing world.

Research Colloquium Submissions and Review

Because so much knowledge is generated by transdisciplinary work, the Research Colloquium invites speakers from many branches of knowledge. Researchers, educators, students and academic thought-leaders from around the world are invited to submit 1,500-word abstracts, in English, that relate to the main theme, Value! Communication's impact in a digital and ever-changing world".

The submissions will go through a double-blind review and the authors of the highest quality abstracts will be invited to submit full papers for presentation at the Research Colloquium.

Full papers of a maximum of 8000 words will be considered for publication in a special edition of a journal (to be decided).

Research Colloquium Topics

We welcome contributions to the Research Colloquium that speak to the conference theme and may focus on topics such as:

1. Truth, trust, and transparency
2. Value, evaluation, and measurement of public relations
3. The role of emotions and affects in public relations
4. Communication towards profitability
5. Social media communication, automation, and artificial intelligence
6. The re-basing of the educational curriculum
7. Any other topic relevant to the conference theme

All papers should also include

• something about change, impact and technology
• a focused discussion of practical implications, e.g., on challenging extant best practices or the need for new skills and capabilities in the profession

Abstract Submission Guidelines

Please ensure that you have read these guidelines before submitting your abstract. Abstracts not submitted in this format may not be considered for review.

All abstracts must be submitted in the paper management system using the template provided on the WPRF website.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

• December 1, 2017

CONDITIONS OF ABSTRACT/PAPER SUBMISSION AND ACCEPTANCE

• Once you have successfully submitted your abstract, you will receive an e-mail acknowledgement. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within 48 hours, check your “spam” mailbox to see if the acknowledgement was delivered there.
• Your acknowledgement e-mail will include a password that you may use to access your submitted abstract to make changes until the December 1, 2017 submission deadline.
• Do not submit an abstract more than once.
• If you are invited to submit a full paper, you must register (and pay) to attend the Research Colloquium by xxxx and must affirm that your paper does not breach copyright law. If you do not register, your paper will be removed from the programme.
• The presenting author you identify on your submission form is the person who will be attending and presenting at the Research Colloquium.

For queries, please contact project manager Malin Sundby Revaa, malin@kommunikasjon.no

Key Research Colloquium Dates and Deadlines

September 1 2017	Submission of abstracts opens
December 1 2017 at 11:59 p.m. ET	Submission of abstracts closes
January 15 2018	Notification of abstract decisions, authors of accepted abstracts to be invited to submit full papers
March 31 2018	Full papers due
April 22 2018	Research Colloquium in Oslo, Norway

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