Paper, Lightning Talk and Poster Submission Guidelines

TPRC will not accept papers already unconditionally accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal or conference proceeding, in a law review, or as a chapter in a published book. 

Authors may present only one paper, lightning talk, or poster at the conference, although they may also participate in a panel or be a coauthor of papers or posters presented by others. An author may submit multiple abstracts for consideration, but at most one will be accepted for the program. 

Papers not submitted in final form by August 1, 2026 will be removed from the program.  

TPRC is a research conference; therefore, any paper or proposal must meet academic standards of research. 

Paper, Lightning Talk, and Poster Proposal Criteria

Proposals are extended abstracts of the research. Review is of extended abstracts only. Authors should not submit completed papers as part of their submission. Extended abstracts should:

• Convey the paper’s contributions and approach. This includes explanations of: 

a.  The research question of the paper or poster; 

b.  The research methodology employed by the paper or poster, including types of modeling, formal reasoning, and data utilized (empirical methods not required);

c.   The disciplinary field(s) to be used in reaching conclusions; 

d.  Why the research is novel and relevant to contemporary communications policy;

e.  Expected results or conclusions.

• Be 500-750 words for papers or 300-500 words for a poster proposal or lightning talk..

• Exclude author’s name or other identifying information.

Proposals may include up to 10 references.

Paper, Lightning Talk, and Poster Review Process:

All abstracts will be evaluated through double-blind peer review and assessed on the merits of the proposed contribution. Each submission will be reviewed by at least three members of the TPRC Program Committee. The chair of the Program Committee is ultimately responsible for final decisions, which are made in consultation with the committee. The Program Committee aspires to provide written feedback to submitters along with notifications.

Please note that while funding disclosures should be submitted with proposals, they will not be considered in the review process and instead support transparency in the program.

Important Dates for Paper and Poster Proposals: 

• Submission of Abstracts: from February 15 through March 15, 2026

• Notice of decisions: May 31, 2026

• Final accepted papers in full form: August 1, 2026

*TPRC is considered a non-archival workshop. For purposes of journal submissions, the SSRN archive is considered non-published workshop proceedings.