Makes Plans to Be in Boston!

Public Relations Division

The Public Relations Division calls for online research and teaching paper submissions from both faculty and students for the AEJMC Boston Convention. Submitters should carefully review the specific details and directions for the Public Relations Division as well as the general requirements contained in AEJMCs Uniform Paper Call.

Papers should test, refine or expand public relations theory or practice; critically review issues relevant to public relations theory and research; or explore methods of effective public relations practice. Teaching papers should test, refine or expand principles or practices associated with public relations pedagogy.

Papers can be no longer than 25 double-spaced pages of text, plus references and figures. Any recognized research method and citation style may be used. Works previously presented, published or under consideration for publication, or papers submitted to another AEJMC division, are not eligible.

Papers employing all methods of inquiry are invited. Papers should include appropriate literature reviews, methodology, findings and discussion. All authors and co-authors and their institutional affiliations and contact information MUST be included with the original submission ONLY when registering with the online system; e.g. if there are three co-authors on the paper, all three authors and their institutional identification/affiliation must be registered when submitting. Identifying information must not then appear anywhere else in your electronic paper file. Student papers must be authored or co-authored by students ONLY, and all student papers must have the word Student on the title page and in the running head. The same identifying student information, name and institutional affiliation, for all authors and co-authors applies when the author(s) register the paper on the original submission page.

SUBMISSION LIMIT: No more than two papers may be submitted by any one author or co-author across the three PRD paper categories: (1) open, (2) student papers and (3) teaching. Paper submissions will be carefully monitored to avert violations. If it is found that one person is author and/or co-author of more than two submissions, all of the submissions WILL BE disqualified. Authors will NOT be allowed to withdraw any papers, but will have all of their papers disqualified. It should also be noted that a paper should not be submitted to more than one division. Some violations of this rule have been detected subsequent to previous conventions.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: At least one author of an accepted faculty paper must attend the convention to present the paper. If student authors cannot be present, they must make arrangements for the paper to be presented by someone else. Failure to provide a presenter for any paper will result in a one-year ban on presenting at the next (August 2010) conference.

QUESTIONS: Questions should be directed to either of the research co-chairs Barbara DeSanto, Washburn University; phone: 785-670-1804, or Pamela Bourland-Davis; Georgia Southern University; phone: 912-681-5138. For questions about teaching papers, contact Bojinka Bishop, Ohio University; phone: 740-593-2675 or Tricia Farwell, Middle Tennessee State University; phone: 615-898-2987.

Call for Panel Proposals

Interested? Ask committee chairs for help by October 1 (see list below). Then, submit your proposal to Division Vice Head Patricia Swann (pswann@utica.edu) by October 20.

Here are some valuable tips (from PRD Fall 2008 Newsletter, page 3):

FIRST GET AN IDEA

The wider the appeal of the proposed panel topic, the better its chances. Committee chairs (above) will help develop teaching and PF&R topics.

SECOND GET A CO-SPONSOR

Each division or interest group has a limited number of slots for the conference. To increase the number of programs PRD can offer, it is important that we work with other groups to jointly sponsor panels of interest to members of both groups. Thus, your proposal has a greater chance of making it to the winter meeting and into the final program if you identify a co-sponsor. Further, the co-sponsor should agree to be listed and to cooperate in the production of the panel. To find the programming chairs for different divisions, go to www.aejmc.org. Pull down About to Groups and then to Divisions or Interest Groups. For each division or interest group, click on current officers and look for the programming chair. If the proposal is submitted to both PRD and the co-sponsor, it is more likely to make the cut.

THIRD BE FLEXIBLE

Given the importance of co-sponsors, dont pack the panel proposal with PRD members. The co-sponsor will likely want to have some of their members on the panel. Remember that it is often necessary to modify and merge proposals.

FOURTH SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY A proposal should be submitted to pswann@utica.edu by October 20 and include the following: (1) contact information for the person(s) proposing the panel, (2) contact information for the proposed co-sponsoring division or interest group, (3) a title for the session, (4) a description of 500-1,000 words, and (5) names and institutional affiliations of proposed panelists.

Members who propose panels will be notified in December about panels that have been programmed.

For guidance, contact these committee chairs:

RESEARCH CO-CHAIRS

Pamela Bourland-Davis.
pamelagb@georgiasouthern.edu
Georgia Southern University
912/478.5138

Barbara DeSanto
barbdesanto@gmail.com
Washburn University - Kansas
785/670.1804

PROFESSIONAL FREEDOM AND RESPONSBILITY CHAIR

Cathy Rogers
crogers@loyno.edu
Loyola University - New Orleans
504/865.3297

Associate Chairs
Jim Bright
brightj@indiana.edu
Indiana University
812/855.8697

Emily Kinsky
Emily.Kinsky@Pepperdine.edu
Pepperdine University
310/506.6868

TEACHING CO-CHAIRS

Bojinka Bishop
bishopb@ohio.edu
Ohio University - Athens
740/593.2675

Tricia Farwell
Btfarwell@mtsu.edu
Middle Tennessee State University
800/931.4940 res.

Deadline for submission: October 20, 2008.

Questions or comments about the program?

Send an e-mail to Patricia Swann, PRD Vice Head and convention program chair.