Conference Registration & Membership Information

Our 14th annual conference will be held at the University of North Alabama, in Florence, AL, on July 27, 2024.

Call for Papers

The Alabama Communication Association invites submissions of scholarly papers, practitioner and student projects, and panel presentations for its 14th Annual Convention, which will be hosted by the Department of Communication at the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama on Saturday, July 27, 2024.

We especially welcome original research by undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty/professional members and practitioners from Alabama and the surrounding area. We invite individuals to submit a variety of projects from Communication centered disciplines such as communication studies, journalism, media studies, advertising, public relations, mass communication, etc. Disciplines intersecting with Communication (such as sociology, marketing, English, etc.) are also welcome.

Submission deadline: May 1, 2024 (midnight CDT)

This conference is committed to focusing on the following submission types:

Completed Papers: Research papers (no more than 25 pages including tables, figures, and other material, but not including references) will be competitively evaluated. Papers that exceed this page limit will not be reviewed. We will recognize the top faculty/professional paper, top graduate student paper, and two top undergraduate papers.

Research-in-Progress: Faculty and student authors are encouraged to submit 500 to 700-word abstracts of research that will not be completed before the conference. Participants in Research-in-Progress panels will not give a paper presentation, but an overview of the work in progress and receive feedback from attendees. Research-in-Progress abstracts should include a clear purpose statement, an overview of the literature driving the research and the method or approach being taken. Research-in-Progress submissions are not eligible for ACA Awards.     

Great Ideas for Teaching Students (G.I.F.T.S): Instructors may submit teacher and student tested ideas for effectively teaching a wide variety of communication concepts and contexts (e.g., health communication, research methods, theory, gender, organizational communication, PR). We encourage presenters to bring handouts of the activity for the audience.

Project Panels: Creative panel ideas that explore applied and scholarly experiences are encouraged from multiple perspectives. Topical roundtable discussions from scholars and/or practitioners who have collaborated and applied communication practices in communities or the classroom are ideal. Individuals from a variety of institutions and backgrounds may submit ideas. We also encourage students to submit capstone course work and other class projects.

Submission Guidelines: Papers and panel submissions should be prepared for anonymous review; please remove all identifying information with only the title on the title page. Put title, name, and complete contact information in the body of the email. Please indicate whether you are FACULTY, GRADUATE STUDENT, or UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT on the title page. Panel submissions should include a brief abstract of the activity and up to two pages of supporting materials that articulate the goal, rationale, directions, and explanation of how the activity connects to/with communication concepts, theories, and/or various skills. Please limit paper submissions to two per individual. Send all submissions to twang@montevallo.edu by May 1, 2024.

Call for Respondents, Chairs, and Reviewers: We invite faculty members who would like to serve as respondents and graduate students who would like to serve as chairs to contact Dr. Tiffany R. Wang, ACA vice president and 2024 conference planner with their areas of interest and expertise. Faculty who are willing to serve as paper reviewers should also contact the conference planner at twang@montevallo.edu no later than May 1, 2024.

Conference Timeline:

Submission deadline: May 1, 2024 (midnight CST)

Notification of Acceptance/Non-Acceptance: late May/early June

Conference: July 27, 2024

Registration and Other Information:

Online registration will begin in early 2024. Information on the campus, parking, hotels, etc. will also be posted in early 2024.