Call for Proposals is Open for the SSP 44th Annual Meeting

October 20, 2021 – Mt. Laurel, NJ – The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) Annual Meeting Call for Proposals is now officially open! We are excited to begin planning the program for SSP’s 44th Annual Meeting, scheduled for June 1–3, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois. 

We are currently working toward an in-person SSP Annual Meeting in 2022 and are very much looking forward to connecting with everyone on-site in Chicago. While there may be some virtual components offered, please keep the primary focus of in-person learning in mind when planning your session for submission. In line with current expectations for the meeting, speakers should plan on attending in person.

The 2022 Annual Meeting Program Committee co-chairs, Yael Fitzpatrick, Lori Carlin, and Tim Lloyd are delighted to announce the theme for the 2022 SSP Annual Meeting:

Building a More Connected Scholarly Community

The last 19+ months have been a fascinating contradiction, making us feel both painfully disconnected and also perhaps more bonded than ever before. There have been challenges we may never have imagined, and we are a community that rises to challenges. How can we take the strengths we already possessed as a community, fold in lessons learned during the pandemic, and aim for being an even stronger, broader, and more connected community? We hope to look back, reflect, learn, adapt, evolve, and move forward even stronger and more connected.

Our aim is to present an in-person meeting in Chicago, and we are excited at the prospect of gathering together in this way once again. That said, the health and safety of our attendees is a prime concern, and we will of course monitor and be ready to modify plans as needed.

The SSP community brings together academics, funders, librarians, publishers, service providers, technologists, and countless others with a communal interest and stake in the dissemination of scholarly information. We look forward to the 44th Annual Meeting as an opportunity to reconnect and to connect anew.

Proposed Tracks

For the 44th Annual Meeting, the following is the working list of proposed tracks. When you submit your proposal, you’ll be asked to select the track(s) most closely aligned with your proposed session.

• Tools & Technology: The world of scholarly communication will always rely heavily on technology. Session proposals focused on the latest developments in the tools and infrastructure underlying the sharing of scholarship are encouraged.
• Culture of Innovation: The scholarly community and the world at large are changing in ways big and small. With the pace of change increasing every year, developing a culture of innovation within our organizations has never been more important.
• Ethics: Matters of ethics have always been a concern of the scholarly community, but they are now being discussed openly as they never were before. We aim to bring these issues further to light with thought-provoking discussion and debate.
• Publishing Models: The sharing of research content is at the heart of our community. We are in a period of significant introspection and transition about the systems through which this content is disseminated, and value the experiences and thoughts of colleagues in exploring these models.
• External Pressures: Scholarly communication has been facing major transformations, and the pandemic has only amplified matters, with more impacts anticipated. Session proposals designed to collaboratively evaluate possible solutions are especially encouraged.
• Please also note… when thinking about categories for your proposals, these additional topic areas may also be relevant: business models, change management, editorial & production issues, global challenges, librarian-focused sessions, sales & marketing, professional development, society publishers, sustainability, and university presses. Networking has always been an important part of the SSP Annual Meeting, and while we are planning for specific networking opportunities throughout the meeting, we also welcome session proposals focused on this topic.

Submission Process for 2022

SSP will again be using Ex Ordo for proposal submissions. A big and sincere THANK YOU to Ex Ordo for their sponsorship of SSP’s submission system!

There are four possible types of session proposals. Submitters must select their session type at the beginning of the submission process for each proposal. You are permitted to submit more than one proposal of one or more types.

• Educational Sessions
  Educational sessions are designed for multiple speakers to present a specific topic that will benefit SSP attendees. Successful proposals will include concrete plans for interactivity, the inclusion of new voices, a diverse panel (with respect to gender, race, background, organization type, subject area), and clear learning objectives for the audience. Educational session time slots will likely vary in length from 60 to 90 minutes. Educational session proposals are being accepted through November 19, 2021. 

• Posters
  Poster presentations will provide an opportunity for information to be displayed and available to all attendees, and for poster authors to be able to discuss their poster’s content with interested parties. Attendees will vote for their favorite posters in several categories. Poster proposals are being accepted through January 28, 2022.

• 5-minute Previews Sessions
  Brief, back-to-back presentations showcasing new products, platforms, and/or content from publishers and vendors. Attendees vote for their favorite innovation. Previews session proposals are being accepted through February 4, 2022. 

• Industry Breakout Sessions
  These 30 minute sessions offer value by means of education, information, or professional development to attendees. Organizers may share information about a product or service, but sessions will be most effective if they present case studies/use cases, customer testimonials, timely information about industry issues, best practices, innovative solutions to everyday challenges, roundtable discussions, etc. If accepted, fees will apply. Industry Breakout session proposals are being accepted through January 7, 2022. 

Tips for submitting a compelling proposal:

• Your submission should appeal to a broad range of attendees in an engaging way. SSP Annual Meeting attendees value networking opportunities, insight into new developments, and practical applications they can use to advance their careers. Attendees include executives, editors, salespeople, marketing and product managers, librarians, technologists, vendors, academics, and more.
• We will NOT consider educational session submissions that are focused on a single solution, a single organization, or material that is commercial in nature. Such content is more appropriate for the 5-minute Previews session or for Industry Breakout sessions.
• SSP deeply values diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the provision of a variety of viewpoints from an inclusive pool of speakers. Session panels should reflect diverse genders, geography, race, and cultural backgrounds as much as possible. Single-speaker educational sessions will NOT be accepted.
• The strongest proposals will include the voices of key stakeholders (researchers/academics, librarians, students), will cross formats (books, journals, etc.), and will include perspectives across STEM, social sciences, and humanities.
• For Educational sessions, your submission must be in by the November 19 deadline. Our committee will begin reviewing proposals immediately after this deadline, so we regret that we cannot accept late submissions. Please see the submission guidelines for all the important deadlines.
• Please be sure to reach out to us at tracy.mitchell@conferencedirect.com if you have any questions while submitting a session proposal.

For a more detailed set of submission guidelines, please visit the Annual Meeting site. 

About the Society for Scholarly Publishing The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), founded in 1978, is a nonprofit organization formed to promote and advance communication among all sectors of the scholarly publication community through networking, information dissemination, and facilitation of new developments in the field. SSP members represent all aspects of scholarly publishing—including publishers, printers, e-products developers, technical service providers, librarians, and editors. SSP members come from a wide range of large and small commercial and nonprofit organizations. They meet at SSP’s annual meetings, educational seminars, and regional events to hear the latest trends from respected colleagues and discuss common and mutual (and sometimes divergent) goals and viewpoints.

Contact Melanie Dolechek, Executive Director | info@sspnet.org | 303-422-3914