ICA 2026 Pre-conference

A Causal Inference Institute in Communication Studies

Establishing a cross-disciplinary community to move beyond introductory concepts to practical applications and emerging scholarship.

Thursday, 4 June 2026 | 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Waterfront (Walking distance from ICA Hotel)

About the Event

This pre-conference builds on the momentum of the successful Blue Sky Workshop in ICA 2025 . The field of communications has demonstrated a clear demand for more structured engagement with causal inference. Our goal is to meet that need by establishing a cross-disciplinary community of scholars.

Submission Themes

Causal Inference Basics

Theory, Design, and Observational Data

Addressing methodological and conceptual challenges in drawing causal inferences from observational data and refining classic theories.

Beyond Quantitative

Qualitative, Mixed-Methods, and CBPR

Exploring causal reasoning in qualitative research and its role in community-based participatory research.

Disciplinary Readiness

Curriculum, Editorial Norms, and AI

Institutionalizing causal thinking into communication scholarship, including AI-generated data and digital trace data.

Ethics & Best Practices

Transparency and Replicability

Ethical considerations in experimentation, research transparency, and responsibly communicating causal claims.

Submit Your Proposal

We invite abstracts of max 500 words for empirical studies, conceptual frameworks, training modules, or moderated discussion proposals.

Submit via Google Forms
Deadline Feb 15, 2026
Notifications Mar 1, 2026