ICA 2027 | ICA Mobile

ICA 2027
Call for proposals

Mobile Communication Division

Conference Call for Papers

Adriana de Souza e Silva, Chair
Northeastern University (USA)
a.desouzaesilva@northeastern.edu

Paper Submission Deadline:

Monday, 2 November 2026 at noon (EST)*

*This is the deadline, but we highly encourage early submissions! By submitting early, you might be avoiding lots of last minute surprises, such as a slow system.

Paper Submission Opens:

Tuesday, 1 September 2026

Acceptance Notices:

Wednesday, 13 January 2027

WHERE TO SUBMIT

ICA’s ScholarOne submission management system.

QUESTIONS?

Adriana de Souza e Silva, Chair

Northeastern University (USA)

a.desouzaesilva@northeastern.edu

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Mobile Communication Division focuses on how mobile devices, platforms, and networked infrastructures shape the movement of human bodies, social life, psychology, and culture. Scholarship conducted in the division is at the intersection of mobility, technology, social structure, and culture in communication. We include a wide array of perspectives and approaches in mobile communication studies through the angles of mobility and mobile communication, ranging from historical approaches to studies on future media innovations, from ethnographic methods to quantitative empirical approaches, and from critical and cultural studies to media effects research. Regardless of theoretical and methodological traditions, submissions for the division must focus on state-of-the-art theories and methodologies on the social consequences and contexts of mobile media and communication.

Submissions can include themes such as:

The social and cultural dimensions of mobile communication:
The ubiquitous presence of mobile communication in everyday life; the embeddedness of mobile communication within social networks; the mutual shaping of mobile technology and social structures; cultural differences in mobile communication; mobile communication in the majority world and within marginalized groups; policy, power, and political perspectives on mobile communication.
Spatial and geographic perspectives:
Mobile communication in urban, suburban, and rural spaces; local uses and experiences of mobile media and communication.
Histories and futures of mobile communication:
Histories of mobile media; AI in mobile communication; emergence of new uses, experiences, negotiation of norms, and symbolic representation by producers and users.
Applied domains and uses:
Mobile learning and education, mobile health, mobile journalism and civic engagement; mobile gaming; disconnection from mobile media and communication.

This list is far from exhaustive and is provided only as an indication of the scope of inquiry welcomed by the Division. We encourage the submission of papers and proposals using a wide array of theoretical and methodological approaches.

In line with the ICA 2027 Conference Theme, Centering the Human: Communication in an Age of Uncertainty, the Division especially welcomes submissions that focus on the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on mobile communication, set against the contemporary rapidly changing social, political, economic, and environmental landscapes.

If you are unsure about the fit of your submission with the division, please email the planner (a.desouzaesilva@northeastern.edu) to inquire.

IMPORTANT NOTES for ALL SUBMISSIONS:

Below the title of your submission, include:
- Method keyword(s) – to aid with the review process.
- An explicit statement (50-100 words) describing the fit with the division. You can consult the call above and the keywords below to determine fit.

We do not accept submissions for remote presentations.
Divisions and interest groups are not permitted to accept remote/hybrid/virtual submissions. Those who need to present remotely should submit to the theme or the interdivisional sections (both of which will have hybrid capabilities) INSTEAD of to a division/IG. In the submission system’s drop-down list, the interdivisional section and the conference theme are separate options from the names of the 34 divisions and interest groups. If there is a chance you won't be able to attend in person (due to visa restrictions or financial limitations, for instance), DO NOT submit to the division/IG unless you have a disability accommodation (see below).* Please note that asking the Chair to allow you to “DIY” Zoom-in to present in an in-person DIG session is not permitted.

*Exceptions will be made for disability accommodations: If you plan to submit a paper or panel to a Division/IG and you or someone on your panel will require accommodation due to a disability (whether that accommodation is remote presentation access or some other intervention), please submit to the division/IG and note the accommodation needed in the comments box so that the planner knows in advance and can flag this requirement for conference organizers. ICA only has two rooms for hybridity so there is still a limit to the number of exceptions that can be made until we run out of space.

Notes section: The notes sections in each submission should be used ONLY to inform us of any scheduling/religious conflicts or accessibility needs (see above) so that if accepted, your paper can be scheduled appropriately. Reviewers WILL NOT see the comments you enter in the notes section during the review process; your notes will only be seen by the planner and ICA headquarters, after the review process has concluded.

Proposals must directly address themes relevant to the Division (see description above). Ideally, submissions will address the conference theme of inequalities, but that is not a review criterion. There will be an opportunity to note special needs regarding the submission.

Format:
APA 7th edition format for all elements of the submissions.

Anonymity:
All submissions must be anonymized for blind peer-review.

SUBMISSION TYPES

The Mobile Communication Division welcomes three types of submissions:

Full Papers,
Extended Abstracts,
Panel Sessions.

For a full description of ICA submission types, please visit: https://www.icahdq.org/page/conf-submission-types

Full Papers for Standard Sessions (1 chair, 4-5 papers)

Maximum length: 8,000 words, excluding tables and references.

Standard presentations will be 10-12 minutes in length. Please note that in some cases, full-length papers may be transferred to high-density sessions due to scheduling needs.

Extended Abstracts for High-Density Sessions (1 chair, 6-9 papers)

Target word length: 1500-2000 words, excluding tables and references.

Please note:

If your extended abstract describes an empirical study, data collection must be completed at the time of submission and your submission needs to report at least preliminary findings. The division will not accept submissions of empirical work where data collection is planned or ongoing. If you have work in progress, please consider submitting to the Mobile Communication Pre-Conference.

Extended Abstracts are a highly competitive submission category. We receive a great number of extended abstracts, but accept a greater proportion of full manuscripts. If the first author of an extended abstract already has a full paper accepted in the Mobile Communication division, we may reject the abstract to allow more scholars to present their work.

Panel Sessions (1 chair, 4-6 papers)

Thematic Panels include a group of scholars who collaboratively present on a cohesive theme related to Mobile Communication. A Panel Session will last 75-minutes and include between four and six abstracts. The session may also include a discussant.

Each Panel Proposal should include:

400-word panel topic summary (indicating the panel’s goals, topics of discussion, and contributions to mobile communication studies)
250-word abstracts for each paper/contribution
Contributions from at least two different countries
Gender and ethnic diversity
No more than one contributor from a single faculty, department, or school

REVIEW PROCESS

Full Papers, Extended Abstracts, and Panel Sessions will be reviewed using the following ICA-wide criteria:

Relevance to the Mobile Communication Division (1-5)
Theoretical/Philosophical depth and sophistication (1-5)
Clarity (1-5)
Innovation (1-5)
Overall (1-5)

Please note:

Anyone who submits an individual submission is expected to review at least one submission. We encourage reviewers to sign themselves up, instead of waiting for the Division Planner or ICA Staff to them manually.
To sign up as a reviewer: Within ICA’s ScholarOne paper management system please fill in your areas of expertise and check the keywords that best describe your expertise and interests. We will use the keywords to match submissions with reviewer interests so that each paper is reviewed appropriately.
How to sign up to review: (view PDF tutorial | view short video clip)
Reviewers are responsible for checking that submissions are within the word limits established by the division (see call above).

Important ICA Resource:

Conference Reviewer Guide

AWARDS

ICA 2027 Call for proposals

ICA 2027
Call for proposals