Call for Papers

Human-Machine Communication Interest Group
International Communication Association (ICA)
75th Anniversary Conference
June 12-16, 2025
Denver, Colorado, USA
HMC Interest Group: https://www.icahdq.org/mpage/HMC_CFP
ICA: https://www.icahdq.org/mpage/ICA25-theme

Deadline for submissions: November 1, 2024 (at 12:00 noon EDT)

The Human-Machine Communication (HMC) Interest Group supports and promotes scholarship regarding communication between people and technologies designed to enact the role of communicator. Such technologies include, but are not limited to, artificial intelligence (AI) software and devices, robots, digital and home assistants, automated-writing software, Large Language Models and smart agents. HMC research focuses on the meaning-making that unfolds when people engage directly with technology as a communicative subject rather than as an object used to communicate with other people. HMC encompasses the aspects of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Human-Agent Interaction (HAI), and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) pertaining to technologies that function as communicators. It includes the empirical, philosophical and critical examination of these technologies and their integration into daily life.

The HMC Interest Group welcomes submissions focused on the many aspects of the creation of meaning between humans and technologies designed to enact the role of communicator and the implications of people’s interactions with these technologies for individuals, organizations, and society. Relevant topics also include the study of technologies as communicative subjects; the integration and relation of these technologies into and within society (e.g., the role of big tech companies), institutions (e.g., automated journalism) and daily life (e.g., virtual assistants); the augmentation of the body with technology (e.g., human augmentics); cultural discourse surrounding technologies that function as communicators; and the historical, philosophical, theoretical, and methodological development of HMC as a distinct subfield of communication. Papers regarding topics not specified here but directly related to the focus of the Interest Group are also welcome. Authors are encouraged, but not required, to engage with the conference theme of “Disrupting and Consolidating Communication Research.“

Submissions are welcome from the various theoretical and methodological approaches to communication research. Authors are encouraged to clearly state the aims/goals of the paper and how they will be achieved; to articulate how their work relates and contributes to HMC and communication research; and to clearly and completely explain theoretical and methodological aspects of their work.

We highly encourage submissions from diverse regions and backgrounds. We also encourage submissions to include contributions from different countries, faculties, departments or schools and feature as much gender and ethnic diversity as possible.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HMC INTEREST GROUP:

Authors should review ICA’s General Guidelines for All Submissions and Ethical Considerations found within the General Call for Papers. Additionally, we would like to underscore several guidelines that are particularly important for the HMC Interest Group:

• Each manuscript/proposal may be submitted to only one Division, Interest Group, or theme session. Submission of the same manuscript/proposal to more than one division is not permitted and will disqualify the paper.
• In keeping with the HMC Interest Group’s goal of fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in research in all its forms, individual scholars can be listed as first author on a maximum of two submissions. No more than two submissions will be reviewed from any given first author.
• For the HMC Interest Group, manuscripts cannot be under consideration for publication or presentation or have been accepted for publication or presentation at the time of their submission to the ICA conference.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• All papers/abstracts must be properly anonymized. This includes removing all author names and affiliations from the manuscript and from the name of the file and metadata. Authors should be careful that in-text and reference citations do not disclose aspects of author identity (particularly references to works “in print” or “in review”). Failure to adequately anonymize a manuscript will disqualify the submission.
• Use APA 7th edition format.
• Authors are required to select keywords that best approximate the type of manuscript being submitted, the subject of the manuscript, and the approach and method used. You will find the updated list of keywords for IG HMC at the bottom of this call.
• Please use the notes sections to inform us of any scheduling/religious conflicts or accessibility needs so that if accepted, your paper can be scheduled appropriately. Those reviewing your paper will not see the comments you enter in the notes section; they are only seen by the planner (post-review) and ICA headquarters.

SUBMISSION TYPES:

• Full paper: Maximum length is 25 pages (double-spaced), not including title page, tables/figures, and references. If the manuscript is longer than the page limit, a reviewer has a right to stop reading it at the end of the page 25 and make the assessment. Accepted papers will be presented as part of regular paper sessions, high-density sessions, and/or interactive poster sessions.
• Extended Abstracts: Maximum length is 10 pages (double-spaced), not including title page, tables, and references. The extended abstract format is intended for works in progress. Submissions should clearly state the focus of the research, provide a general sense of the literature and theories, explain the key aspects of the approach and method (when appropriate), highlight any preliminary findings or provide a preview of a theoretical argument or critique, and clearly state what aspects of the research still have to be completed. If the manuscript is longer than the page limit, a reviewer has a right to stop reading it at the end of the page 10 and make the assessment. Extended abstracts will be presented as part of high-density sessions and/or interactive poster sessions. Extended abstracts are not eligible for top paper awards.
• Interactive Paper – (Poster) Presentations: Authors who think their research is better presented in an interactive format are encouraged to note this when submitting their manuscript. Submissions should follow guidelines for papers (full- paper or extended abstract). If the submission is accepted as a poster, authors will be expected to prepare a poster display of the research for presentation at the conference. Please note that poster sessions will be available as an in-person format only.

AWARDS:

The Interest Group will present Top paper awards, including a Top student paper. To be considered for the Top Student Paper Award, 1) all authors must be students and 2) the paper must be designated as a student paper within the submission system.

REVIEWERS:

Reviewing is a critical part of conference experiences. We aim to ensure that the contributions are reviewed by a diverse pool of qualified reviewers. To support us in this, please register as a reviewer for the IG HMC. Please see the following for information on the procedure and criteria.

• Eligibility: To qualify as reviewer scholars should have a PhD, or the rank of PhD candidate, or are advanced PhD students.
• If you are an author you are required to review other submissions: All authors who are listed in the manuscript submitted to the HMC Interest Group and who meet the eligibility for reviewing are required to sign up as a reviewer for our Interest Group.
• Please sign up as a reviewer on the submission page:  You can register as a reviewer in the course of the submission process or independently of the submission. Please fill in your areas of expertise and check the keywords (regarding subjects, approaches, and methods) that best describe your expertise.

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about the ICA 2025 HMC submission, please email the HMC 2025 program planner and Vice-Chair, Katrin Etzrodt (katrin.etzrodt@tu-dresden.de) with “ICA 2025 HMC submission” in the subject line.