(Click here to go straight to the official EPIC Call for Papers)
EPIC2015 will cross the equator to celebrate our 10th anniversary, and our theme Building Bridges reflects this crossing and the diverse connections among people, places, industries, and disciplines at the heart of ethnographic praxis. São Paulo is a setting that invites us to examine the ways in which ethnography and design have affected and been affected by complicated dynamics of social, economic, political, and cultural flux. It highlights the needs and opportunities to build bridges—north-south, east-west, poor-rich, developed-developing, large-small, fast-slow, traditional-transcendent, all together.
The EPIC 2015 program committee welcomes submissions of Paper Abstracts, Pecha-Kucha Abstracts, and Tutorial Proposals in English or Portuguese that present and discuss original work and/or research experiences in the areas of ethnography and design in industry that evoke bridge building in various forms. Submissions may focus on methodological, theoretical, and business challenges, and opportunities offered in empirical studies; for example:
- Heterogeneities in our ethnographic and design research and practices;
- Emerging practices and discourses from unexpected places;
- Placing ethnography and design in business flows and agendas;
- Ethnography in flux: the values of ethnographic expertise and practices in uncharted territories;
- The relationships between core and periphery (at various scales) in affecting ethnographic and design practices;
- Ethnography and design researchers and practitioners as agents of transformation in industry, organizations, and academia;
- Reflections and projections on ethnographic praxis in recognition of EPIC’s 10th anniversary.
Please note: you may submit only one paper or Pecha Kucha of which you are the first author. Please do not submit a paper and PK or submit more than one paper.
Important Dates
- Papers & Pecha Kucha submission deadline – March 17, 2015
- Papers & Pecha Kucha acceptance notification – April 20, 2015
- Tutorials submission deadline – May 15, 2015
- Papers full-length draft – June 5
- Tutorials acceptance notification – June 15, 2015
- Final Submission, all content – September 15, 2015
PAPERS
Papers should report original research, reflect on theoretical concerns, present methodological advances, or offer other insights that contribute to and broaden our understanding of ethnographic praxis. Papers should present new perspectives, developments, and work within our practice while demonstrating the links between these new perspectives and existing literatures and debates. We encourage perspectives from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, such as, anthropology, informatics, design, and business. This year, the length of final papers may be 2500–6000 words (including notes and references, due September 15). We place a strong emphasis on presentation of the papers at the conference: the key ideas in the papers should be communicated in the most compelling and effective ways possible. Photographs and illustrations are welcome (authors are responsible for clearing permissions).
Key Deadlines for Paper Submission
- Abstracts (see requirements below) – March 17
- Full-length draft papers – June 5
- Final papers ready for publication – September 15
Guidelines for Paper Abstract Submissions
By March 17th, you should submit an extended-abstract (not the final paper) for review:
- Abstracts may be submitted in English or Portuguese
- Include title and outline of full paper
- Include references to relevant literature or other types of previous work
- Include abstract of 500–750 words, excluding references
- All materials must be included in one PDF or Word document
- Include NO references to the author’s identity (to facilitate blind peer review)
- Submit on https://precisionconference.com/~epic
Full style and formatting guidelines will be provided to authors of accepted papers. Full length papers will be reviewed by a Curator and published in the EPIC Proceedings.
PECHA KUCHA
Pecha Kucha (pronounced: “peh-cha-ku-cha”) presentations are a rapid-fire, engaging performance of 20 image-rich slides. Each slide shows for exactly 20 seconds before automatically moving to the next. Total presentation time is a speedy 6 minutes, 40 seconds. They are poetry delivered with a punch.
When reviewing your abstracts, we look for the visual and verbal promise to surprise, provoke, evoke or simply take a stand. All submissions are blind-reviewed for originality, passion, point of view and relevance to the 2015 conference theme: building bridges.
Guidelines for Submission
- Abstracts may be submitted in English or Portuguese
- Include abstract of up to 250 words that briefly describes your overall concept as well as how your visual and verbal narratives will unfold
- Include at least 5 images that you intend (and have the right permissions) to use in your presentation
- Include NO references to the author’s identity (to facilitate blind peer review)
- All materials must be included in one, two-page PDF or Word document. Do not submit additional files.
- Submit on https://precisionconference.com/~epic/
Any questions? Email: [email protected]
TUTORIALS
EPIC2015 is pleased to invite you to submit proposals for tutorials, which will occur within our main conference program. Tutorials allow EPIC attendees to expand their knowledge, skills and techniques beyond their current area(s) of expertise, and can be designed for novices, general interest audiences and/or experts. They will occupy either one or two 90-minute sessions; may embody a variety of formats ranging from panel discussions to group projects; and should reflect specific expertise rather than general debates and issues. Ideally, tutorials are taught by two or more instructors.
Instructors will have the opportunity to publish a paper about the tutorial in the conference proceedings (750 words). Video recordings of tutorials will be available on epicpeople.org after the conference.
EPIC02015 tutorials can cover topics such as:
- Foundational theories of ethnographic practice
- Emerging topics relevant to EPIC (e.g., sustainability, IoT, data analytics, smart transportation, policy impact)
- All stages of product development and strategy (e.g., user needs, ecosystem analysis, market signals, UX requirements, prototyping, evaluation, and message effectiveness)
- Practical and technical methods (e.g., storyboarding, role playing and improvisation methods, prototyping tools and methods, experimental design and analysis, data analytics, field methods, persona development, film making, online ethnography)
Checklist for Tutorial Proposal Submissions
- 300-word Advance Description (see below for details)
- 750-word Course Description (see below for details)
- Sample of course materials
All materials must be included in one PDF or Word document.
Click Here for Detailed Instructions for Proposal Submissions
Submit proposals & questions to: [email protected]
- Submit on https://precisionconference.com/~epic
Full style and formatting guidelines will be provided to authors of accepted papers. Full length papers will be reviewed by a Curator and published in the EPIC Proceedings.
Anthropologizing 