2017 SAA Research Forum

Call for Participants and Presentations

Society of American Archivists 
2017 Research Forum

“Foundations and Innovations”
Tuesday, July 25, 9:00 am–5:00 pm 
Oregon Convention Center  *  Portland, Oregon


Archivists from around the country and the world will convene at ARCHIVES 2017, SAA’s Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon, July 23-29. If you’re engaged in research…seeking to identify research-based solutions for your institution…willing to participate in the research cycle by serving as a beta site for research trials…or simply interested in what’s happening in research and innovation…then join us in Portland for the 11th annual SAA Research Forum: “Foundations and Innovations”!

Researchers, practitioners, educators, students, and the curious across all sectors of archives and records management are invited to participate. Use the Forum to discuss, debate, plan, organize, evaluate, or motivate research projects and initiatives. Here’s your chance to find collaborators or to help inform researchers about what questions and problems need to be tackled. The Forum features the full spectrum of research activities—from “pure” research to applied research to innovative practice—all of interest and value to the archives community.

Special topic for 2017!  Diversity, inclusion, and community engagement are central to SAA’s Strategic Plan, and in 2017 that is reflected in both the Annual Meeting theme--“alike/different”—and in a new full-day event on Saturday of the conference entitled “The Liberated Archive: A Forum for Envisioning and Implementing a Community-Based Approach to Archives.” The organizers encourage submissions for the Research Forum that align with diversity, inclusion, and community engagement issues and concerns.

For ideas or to learn more about past Forums, see the 2007-2016 proceedings at http://archivists.org/proceedings/research-forum. Questions? Contact the organizers at researchforum@archivists.org – and watch for updates on the Forum’s webpage at http://archivists.org/proceedings/research-forum.
The 2017 Research Forum will once again feature a full day of presentations. The following events are planned:

  • Research Presentations and Posters (Tuesday, July 25, 9:00 am–5:00 pm): Here’s your chance to present, discuss, listen to, or view research reports and results on a variety of topics. The final thirty minutes of this session will seek input for SAA’s 2018 Research Forum.
  • Poster Sessions: Be sure to make time to visit the poster sessions, which will include practice innovation and research topics.

Call for Platform and Poster Presentations

SAA invites submission of abstracts (of 250 words or fewer) for either 10-minute platform presentations or poster presentations. Topics may address research on, or innovations in, any aspect of archives practice or records management in government, corporate, academic, scientific, or other setting. Presentations on research results that may have emerged since the 2017 Annual Meeting Call for Proposals deadline are welcome, as are reports on research completed within the past three years that you think is relevant and valuable for discussion. Please indicate whether you intend a platform or poster presentation.

Abstracts will be evaluated by a review committee co-chaired by Nancy McGovern (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Helen Tibbo (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill).

Deadline for submission of abstracts: May 16, 2017. You will be notified of the review committee’s decision by July 1 (in advance of the Early-Bird registration deadline).

Submit your 250-word abstract no later than May 16 via email to researchforum@archivists.org.

Please be sure to include:  Presentation title, your name, affiliation, email address, and whether your proposal is for a platform or poster presentation.

SAA thanks the following Sponsors for their generous support!