PIAS 2024

Call for Papers

We are delighted that you have chosen to participate in this symposium, where academic precarity is not just a topic, but a professional career! Here is how you can join your colleagues in this exercise in academic uncertainty:

  • Submission Format: Please submit a PDF of up to 2 pages (excluding references and appendices). Your Camera-Ready version should not exceed 5 pages. Precision is key, just like navigating academic instability.
  • Formatting Requirements: Submissions must be written in LaTeX using the ACM template, in double-column format on letter size (not A4!). While we are not affiliated with ACM nor endorse their procedures, we have to admit that their template is pretty. If you are feeling really rebellious, we also allow submissions written in Microsoft Word or even Typst, provided you manage to mimic the required template for the symposium. Make sure to get the formatting right and not mess with margins. We highly recommend you use the template files found in the subsection below.
  • Language: All submissions must be in English. After all, if we’re going to endure academic instability, we might as well do it in a common tongue.
  • Acknowledgements: Avoid mentioning funding or grants. This is a labor of love (or perhaps a labor of precarity). We’re all here on our own time, fully embracing the academic spirit.
  • Anonymity: Submissions are double-blind, so please anonymize your work. Refer to your previous work in the third person to maintain that veil of anonymity.
  • Open Access: Accepted papers will be truly open access. This means no publication fees for you, and no reading fees for anyone. Because in a world where academic precarity reigns, this is the least we can do to keep things equitable.
  • Duplicate Submissions: We do not accept papers currently under review or previously accepted at other venues. However, preprints and extended/shortened versions of published articles are welcome. Your submission should be a unique experience, just not a repeated one.
  • Authorship: Ensure that all content is your own. While using generative AI tools like ChatGPT is permissible, you must acknowledge their use in the paper. Basic word processing tools like Grammarly do not need to be mentioned.
  • Presentation: If accepted, you can choose to present your work in person at the symposium, online, or not at all. It is entirely up to you, no hard feelings. However, please be advised that there is absolutely no funding for Travel Grants (we don’t even have funds to cover the coffee, let alone the venue expenses).

TL;DR: Submissions are up-to-2-page PDFs using the ACM template on letter size. English, no funding mentions, and keep it anonymous. Papers will be truly open access, and only unique submissions count (preprints and adapted articles are fine). AI tools are okay if you admit it, and presenting is optional because you have enough stress already.

Paper Templates

For your convenience (and to save you from yet another formatting headache), we've put together pre-built versions of the ACM template with all the required options. You're welcome.

Important Dates

  • Paper Submission: October 18th, 2024 at 11:59pm GMT+2
  • Notification: November 1st, 2024
  • Camera-Ready Deadline: November 15th, 2024
  • Symposium: To Be Announced, probably in late December 2024

Research Topics

Our symposium features a single track with several topics. Note your paper can address multiple topics. No matter what topic (or topics) you choose, remember: if it deals with the precarious nature of academia, it’s most surely a good fit. Below are the topics you can choose from, along with some example paper titles to inspire you:

Measurements: This topic is all about quantifying the unquantifiable. If you’ve ever wondered how to put a number on the struggles of academia, this is your space.

  • “How Much Does It Cost to Publish in Open Access? A Detailed Measurement of Journal and Conference Fees”
  • “PhD and Postdoc Salaries by Country: Adjusted for Purchasing Power Index”
  • “University Cafeteria Prices in [Your Country Here]: A Comparative Analysis between Institutions”
  • “Distance to the Workplace and Time Spent on Commuting: An Academic’s Journey”
  • “Living on a Diet: What Kind of Hotel Rooms Can Researchers Afford Based on Country and Quality Indices”
  • “Inflation vs. Researcher Per Diems in [Your Country Here]: A Historical Analysis”
  • “Rent Affordability for PhD Students: A Study of University Campus Housing Markets”

AI and Methods: Dive into the methods, models, and algorithms that can help solve the issues of academic precarity. AI can’t fix everything, but hey, it’s worth a shot.

  • “How Many Years Until Tenure? A Predictive Model from Predoc to Professor”
  • “ANECA Explained: Inferring The Secret Formula for How Many Points a Paper Is Worth”

Surveys and Sociological Studies: If you prefer to tackle academic precarity from a more human angle, this is your area. Survey the landscape and reveal the not-so-hidden truths of the academic world.

  • “Gender Differences in Academia: Comparing Ratios from PhD Students to Full Professors”
  • “The Mental Health Crisis Among PhD Students: An Urgent Issue”
  • “Weekly Time Commitment to PhD Work vs. Contractual Hours: A Reality Check”

Miscellaneous: For everything that doesn’t fit neatly into a box (or if you just want to get creative with your research) this is the place. The more eclectic, the better.

  • “How to Apply for European and National Research Grants: A Step-by-Step Guide”

We look forward to your contributions and insights into these vital areas of research! If you have any questions about whether your paper fits within the symposium, please contact the General Chairs at chairs@pias.cc.

Submission Site

Please submit your paper at this link before the aforementioned deadline. We look forward to your submissions! Or, for that matter, your quiet rebellion against the process.