International Congress of HSTM 2013: call for individual papers

The 24th International Congress of History of Science, Technology and Medicine now invites proposals for stand-alone (individual) paper presentations. The deadline for submission of abstracts is Friday 30 November 2012.

General information

The International Congress is the largest event in the field, and takes place every four years. Recent meetings have been held in Mexico City (2001), Beijing (2005) and Budapest (2009).

In 2013, the 24th Congress will take place in Manchester, the chief city of Northwest England, and the original "shock city" of the Industrial Revolution. Congress facilities will be provided by The University of Manchester, with tours and displays on local scientific, technological and medical heritage co-ordinated by members of the University's Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine.

Subject coverage

Abstract submissions should indicate how they relate to the theme of the Congress, which is 'Knowledge at Work'. We construe this theme broadly, and encourage studies of the creation, dissemination and deployment of knowledge and practice across all periods, and from a variety of methodological and historiographical approaches. Possible areas of investigation may include, but are not limited to

* case studies of knowledge-making and knowledge-use in particular scientific, technological and medical communities

* the use and adaptation of scientific knowledge in the workplace, the home, and the wider world

* how facts, and other knowledge-claims, travel between disciplines, countries and communities

* relationships between those knowledge-making enterprises which are described as 'science' and those which are not, and the dynamics of the boundaries between them

* definitions and meanings of 'pure', 'fundamental' and 'applied' research

* how scientists, engineers and healthcare professionals (and their historical antecedents) work, and whom they work for

* the status relations of knowledge and work, including the roles of 'artists', 'artisans', 'professionals', 'amateurs', 'devotees', 'operatives', 'philosophers', 'adepts', 'scientists' and 'workers'

* sites and geographies of knowledge-production and knowledge-exchange: laboratory, field, factory, hospital, ocean...

* communication about science: forms and genres, advocacy and dissent, authorship and audience in print, manuscript, broadcasting, digital media and performance

Presentation format

Stand-alone submissions will normally be assembled thematically into groups of 4 presentations per 90-minute session. You should prepare a presentation of around 15 to 17 minutes’ duration, to be followed by 5 minutes of audience questions. Please plan carefully: the very high volume of activity at the Congress means it will be necessary to run strictly to time.

Each stand-alone paper session will be chaired by a Congress participant chosen by the organising committee, who will co-ordinate questions at the end of each presentation. The stand-alone sessions will not normally feature commentaries or group question time.

All the Congress presentation rooms are equipped as standard with a Windows PC running Powerpoint, Media Player, etc; LCD projector (beamer); projection screen; and audio speakers. Microphones will be available in the largest rooms. Requests for additional equipment may be made via the abstract submission form, but cannot be guaranteed.

Further information

Please note that we expect the Congress to be heavily subscribed, and the Programme Committee will need to be selective.  Because of the limitations of the timetable, offering space to discuss absent speakers’ papers would mean denying important opportunities to others. For this reason, all presenters are expected to deliver their papers in person.  Full details of the Congress policy on co-presentation, attendance, multiple contributions, and other information may be found at the Congress website: www.ichstm2013.com/call/

Please submit your proposal via the online form provided at this website. The form will be taken down at midnight (Greenwich Mean Time) on Friday 30 November 2012, and no proposals can be considered after this point.

The Programme Committee will send confirmations of all accepted proposals to the corresponding authors, via the contact details given, in February 2013. Registration for the Congress will then open in March.