ISIC: The Information Behaviour Conference
1-4 June 2026, Montréal, Canada
As ISIC 2026 is the sixteenth ISIC conference and the conference’s 30th anniversary, we especially encourage authors to reflect on the history and future of our field. However, all theoretical and empirical work that falls within the broad scope of the conference is welcome.
Important Dates:
- ISIC Information Session: 13 May 2025
- Reviewer Workshop: September 2025 (date TBA)
- Paper submission: 8 October 2025
- Notification: December 2025
- Registration: Starting in December 2025
- Revised submissions: 15 January 2026
- Final notification and acceptance: Beginning of February 2026
- Final submission – camera ready: 27 February 2026
- Conference dates: 1-4 June 2026
ISIC Information Session
An introduction to the ISIC community and conference will be offered online on 13 May 2025 at 17:00 CEST / 11:00 EDT.
Everyone considering submitting work to ISIC is welcome. The session will discuss the types of research suitable for the conference, the conference themes, and any logistic questions people may have.
The session will be held on Zoom: https://mcgill.zoom.us/j/81352217046
Reviewer Workshop
A workshop will be offered in September 2025 for early career academics or doctoral students who might be new to reviewing.
It will be a hands-on workshop that will include reviewing a brief piece of work, as well as discussing the principles of reviewing and how to write a review. Those who have taken the workshop will receive an invitation to serve as a reviewer for ISIC 2026.
Conference themes include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Theoretical conceptualisations of the cultural, social, cognitive, affective, and situational aspects of information creation, needs, seeking, searching, use, and sharing.
- Research approaches and methodologies employing and developing qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches.
- Specific contexts: e.g., in different sectors and organisations (health care, education, cultural heritage, libraries, business, industry, public services and government, emergency services, and others); in everyday life, and in social networks, including social media, gaming, or virtual worlds.
- Collaborative information practices: communities, boundary spanning, and innovation practices.
- Information use and value: meanings of information and how information is used to help solve problems, aid or support decision-making.
- The role of information in building and enhancing the adaptive capacity of organisations: strategy and information absorption, transformation, and integration.
- Cross-disciplinary contributions: integrating studies on information seeking and interactive retrieval; integrating information science and management science.
- Critical investigations of information activities in contemporary society. Research and actions related to the distribution of false and misleading information threatening social, community, and economic development.
- Research and actions related to the distribution of false and misleading information threatening social, community and economic development.
- Application of information behaviour research to practice-based settings to enhance decision making and problem solving.
Submission Categories
Authors can submit their work in the following categories (full details will be available soon):
Full Papers
Overview
We invite proposals for papers relevant to the ISIC 2026 conference themes presented in the Call for Papers above. Accepted papers will be published in Information Research.
All authors agree that their articles will be published as conference proceedings in the Information Research journal. A signed Consent-To-Publish form is required for all final accepted papers.
If your work is accepted for presentation at the conference, at least one co-author will need to register during the Early Bird Registration period and present the work at ISIC 2026 in Montréal, Canada. The organisers reserve the right to withhold publications if these conditions are not met.
Guidelines
The maximum length for full papers is 5,500 words (excluding references, figures and tables).
The Information Research submission guidelines apply to all ISIC submissions. Please view the guidelines. Please submit your paper using the template (the template will be provided soon). The paper should be submitted in pdf format.
We urge authors to submit their data collection instruments as supplementary digital materials, such as questionnaires, codebooks, interview guides, and informed consent forms. Since ISIC 2026 is a scholarly conference, appropriate references are important; the state of the field should be reflected by references to the most recent literature.
Submitting your paper
Paper submission through ConfTool Pro will open early September.
Contact
Final decisions on acceptance in the conference programme will be made by the ISIC 2026 Paper Chairs together with the General Chairs:
pam.mckenzie [at] uwo.ca (Pam McKenzie), University of Western Ontario, Paper Co-Chair ISIC 2026
sarah.polkinghorne [at] ualberta.ca (Sarah Polkinghorne), University of Alberta, Paper Co-Chair ISIC 2026
rebekah.willson [at] mcgill.ca (Rebekah Willson), McGill University, Conference Chair ISIC 2026
owen.stewart-robertson [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Owen Stewart-Robertson), McGill University, Conference Chair ISIC 2026
Short Papers
Overview
We invite proposals for papers relevant to the ISIC 2026 conference themes presented in the Call for Papers above. Accepted papers will be published in Information Research.
All authors agree that their articles will be published as conference proceedings in the Information Research journal. A signed Consent-To-Publish form is required for all final accepted papers.
If your work is accepted for presentation at the conference, at least one co-author will need to register during the Early Bird Registration period and present the work at ISIC 2026 in Montréal, Canada. The organisers reserve the right to withhold publications if these conditions are not met.
Guidelines
The maximum length for full papers is 2,000 words (excluding references, figures and tables).
The Information Research submission guidelines apply to all ISIC submissions. Please view the guidelines. Please submit your paper using the template (the template will be provided soon). The paper should be submitted in pdf format.
We urge authors to submit their data collection instruments as supplementary digital materials, such as questionnaires, codebooks, interview guides, and informed consent forms. Since ISIC 2026 is a scholarly conference, appropriate references are important; the state of the field should be reflected by references to the most recent literature.
Submitting your paper
Paper submission through ConfTool Pro will open early September.
Contact
Final decisions on acceptance in the conference programme will be made by the ISIC 2026 Paper Chairs together with the General Chairs:
pam.mckenzie [at] uwo.ca (Pam McKenzie), University of Western Ontario, Paper Co-Chair ISIC 2026
sarah.polkinghorne [at] ualberta.ca (Sarah Polkinghorne), University of Alberta, Paper Co-Chair ISIC 2026
rebekah.willson [at] mcgill.ca (Rebekah Willson), McGill University, Conference Chair ISIC 2026
owen.stewart-robertson [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Owen Stewart-Robertson), McGill University, Conference Chair ISIC 2026
Posters
Overview
Poster submissions are an opportunity to present early-stage research or work that is more suited to an interactive, informal, graphical presentation to conference attendees. Presenting a poster is also a good way to discuss and receive feedback on a work in progress that has not been fully developed into a paper.
If your proposal is accepted, your poster will be displayed in a poster session during the conference. At least one author for each accepted poster must register for and attend the conference since you will be expected to present your poster at the time set aside for poster presentations. A list of the poster titles and authors will be included in the conference program; however, poster proposals are not published in Information Research.
If your work is accepted for presentation at the conference, at least one co-author will need to register during the Early Bird Registration period and present the work at the ISIC 2026.The organisers reserve the right to withhold a publication if these conditions are not met.
Guidelines
The Information Research submission guidelines apply to all ISIC submissions. Please view the guidelines. Please submit your poster using the template (
template_poster_isic2026_final.docx). Please limit your proposal for the poster to two pages. The poster proposal should be submitted as a pdf.
Proposals should include the following information; please use these as subtitles in your submission:
- Poster title
- Abstract – a short description of your poster (max. 200 words)
- Problem statement/research questions
- Significance/relevance of the topic
- Content – a clear description of the expected content of the poster
- Recommendations (if applicable)
- Conclusion
Submitting your proposal
Paper submission through ConfTool Pro will open early September.
Contact
Final decisions on acceptance in the conference programme will be made by the ISIC 2026 Poster Chairs:
africaha [at] buffalo.edu (Africa Hands), University at Buffalo, Poster Co-Chair ISIC 2026
Rebecca.Noone [at] glasgow.ac.uk (Rebecca Noone), University of Glasgow, Poster Co-Chair ISIC 2026
If you have any questions or comments concerning the poster submission, please feel free to contact the poster chairs or for administrative issues Rebekah Willson (rebekah.willson [at] mcgill.ca).
Panels
Overview
ISIC 2026 invites proposals for panels that engage critically with dimensions of the conference themes and bring together participants with a diverse range of voices to collectively offer debate and new insights. A panel should have at least three, but not more than five participants. Note that panels are expected to involve the active exchange of ideas, rather than sessions consisting of a series of paper presentations. To that end, in addition to panel discussions, ISIC 2026 also welcomes other forms of interactive scholarly events. Please contact the track chairs if you are unsure if your planned submission fits within the scope of this track. Panels are scheduled for 90 minutes.
If panels are accepted for presentation at the conference, at least two panel members must register during the Early Bird Registration period and present the work at the ISIC 2026. All panel members must register for and attend the conference. It is not possible to have hybrid panels where some panel members participate virtually. The organizers reserve the right to cancel panels if these conditions are not met.
A shortened version of the panel proposals will be available in the conference program; however, panel proposals are not published in the official conference proceedings.
Guidelines
The Information Research submission guidelines apply to all ISIC submissions. Please view the guidelines. Please submit your poster using the template ( template_panel_isic2026_final.docx). Please limit your proposal for panels to a maximum of 3-5 pages. The poster proposal should be submitted as a pdf. Panels are scheduled for 90 minutes.
Proposals should include the following information; please use these as subtitles in your submission:
- Title of panel
- Names, affiliations, and email addresses of the panel organisers
- Proposed format: draft schedule, explanation of how it will engage with the audience
- Purpose and contribution to the conference theme
- Summary of content
- References
- Special requests/equipment needs
Submitting your proposal
Paper submission through ConfTool Pro will open early September.
Contact
Final decisions on acceptance in the conference programme will be made by the ISIC 2026 Panel Chairs:
anna.mierzecka [at] uw.edu.pl (Anna Mierzecka), University of Warsaw, Workshop & Panel Co-Chair ISIC 2026
vanscoy [at] buffalo.edu (Amy VanScoy), University at Buffalo, Workshop & Panel Co-Chair ISIC 2026
If you have any questions or comments concerning the panel submission, please feel free to contact the panel chairs or for administrative issues Rebekah Willson (rebekah.willson [at] mcgill.ca).
Workshops
Overview
We invite half-day workshop proposals related to the conference themes. We are especially interested in workshops on innovative research methods for information behaviour studies, theories and methodological issues and workshops relevant to practice theory. Note that workshops are expected to involve the active exchange of ideas, rather than sessions consisting of a series of paper presentations. To that end, in addition to workshops, ISIC 2026 also welcomes other forms of interactive scholarly events. Please contact the track chairs if you are unsure if your planned submission fits within the scope of this track.
If a workshop is accepted for presentation at the conference, at least one (co-)presenter will need to register during the Early Bird Registration period. The organisers reserve the right to cancel workshops if these conditions are not met.
A shortened version of the workshop proposals will be available in the conference program; however, workshop proposals are not published in the official conference proceedings.
Guidelines
The Information Research submission guidelines apply to all ISIC submissions. Please view the guidelines. Please submit your poster using the template ( template_workshop_isic2026_final.docx). Please limit your proposal for workshops to a maximum of 3 pages. The poster proposal should be submitted as a pdf. Workshops are scheduled for half a day (approximately 4 hours).
Proposals should include the following information; please use these as subtitles in your submission:
- Workshop title
- Names, affiliations, and e-mail addresses of the workshop organisers
- Key issues addressed by the workshop (maximum one page)
- Proposed workshop format: draft schedule, explanation of how it will engage with the audience
- Discussion of:
- Relevance of the workshop to ISIC 2026 themes
- Significance of the topic of the workshop
- Number of attendees that can be accommodated
- Requirements for participation (e.g., prior knowledge, skills)
- Special needs: venue layout, equipment
- Confirmation that the workshop can be covered in half-a-day
Submitting your proposal
Paper submission through ConfTool Pro will open early September.
Contact
Final decisions on acceptance in the conference programme will be made by the ISIC 2026 Workshop Chairs:
anna.mierzecka [at] uw.edu.pl (Anna Mierzecka), University of Warsaw, Workshop & Panel Co-Chair ISIC 2026
vanscoy [at] buffalo.edu (Amy VanScoy), University at Buffalo, Workshop & Panel Co-Chair ISIC 2026
If you have any questions or comments concerning the workshop submission, please feel free to contact the workshop chairs or for administrative issues Rebekah Willson (rebekah.willson [at] mcgill.ca).
Doctoral Consortium
Overview
The doctoral workshop offers PhD students the opportunity to receive feedback on their research.
More information on how to apply will be available in July.
Contact
For additional information, contact the Conference Chair (Rebekah Willson, rebekah.willson [at] mcgill.ca) or the Workshop Chairs:
lisa.given2 [at] rmit.edu.au (Lisa Given), RMIT University, Doctoral Workshop Co-Chair ISIC 2026
heidijul [at] buffalo.edu (Heidi Julien), University at Buffalo, Doctoral Workshop Co-Chair ISIC 2026
For inquiries and additional information, please contact Rebekah Willson: rebekah.willson [at] mcgill.ca
We look forward to seeing you at ISIC 2026!
Rebekah Willson and Owen Stewart-Robertson, ISIC 2026 Conference Chairs