2026 SAA Research Forum

Call for Participants and Presentations

Society of American Archivists 

2026 SAA Research Forum

hosted by the Committee on Research, Data, and Assessment

July 8 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm CT RSVP here

July 15 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm CT RSVP here

Virtual Meetings

MAY 1 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS FOR THE SAA RESEARCH FORUM 

On behalf of the 2026 Research Forum Committee, we invite you to submit abstracts (of 300 words or fewer) for either 10-minute platform presentations or 5-minute lightning talks. Topics may address research on, or innovations in, any aspect of archives practice or records management in government, corporate, academic, scientific, or other settings.

The 2026 Research Forum will be conducted as two Zoom-based virtual sessions, each four hours long, on July 8 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm CT and July 15, 12:00 – 4:00 pm CT.

The 2026 Research Forum will be made up of 10-minute platform presentations and 5-minute lightning talks. A limited number of presentations will be accepted to allow for longer presentation times, extended Q&A periods, and opportunities for discussion between attendees. An abstract submission rubric will be used by the Committee to evaluate submissions. Before submitting, please review and adhere to the Norms and Recommendations of the American Archivist Generative AI Statement. The Research Forum webpage provides additional information about the schedule and links to past Forum proceedings.

The Research Forum Committee and CORDA encourage submissions on a range of topics, including:

  • Rethinking archival training
  • Demonstrating the value of archives
  • Collaborating with communities
  • Making archives more accessible
  • Engaging with technology
  • Responding to the climate crisis

These themes can be found in the SAA Research Agenda (first draft available here).

Abstracts will be evaluated by the 2026 Research Forum Committee convened by Emily Lapworth (University of Massachusetts Boston) and Jane Fiegel (Tulane University).

Deadline for submission of abstracts: May 1, 2026.

Proposals should be submitted here*

 *On the submission form, please indicate whether you intend a platform presentation or a lightning talk.

SAA Code of Conduct

We value and respect our diverse guests, volunteers, service providers, and staff members. We expect all of our attendees to do the same. Read the SAA Code of Conduct.