Call for Papers

Short Years, Long Years, and Round Years: Anniversaries in the History of Science

The organizers invite papers on any aspect of the history of science, technology or medicine and particularly welcome papers engaging with the issue of anniversaries, broadly defined.

Historians can be ambivalent about anniversaries. On one hand, they offer an opportunity to reassess and mobilize interest in topics that otherwise would not receive widespread attention. Anniversaries are an occasion to reflect on the enduring importance of history to the contemporary world and are frequently used to argue for funding specific projects. On the other hand, not all topics of historical interest have anniversaries; anniversaries may isolate topics from their historical context or facilitate an arbitrary juxtaposition of past and present; and they may foster expectations that the past must be celebrated rather than critically analyzed. Such topics are fundamental to historical inquiry, prompting reflection on the relationships between scholars and audiences, between research and social context – including teaching – and between events of the past and the imperatives of the present.

We welcome submissions from scholars at all career stages and based in all parts of the world, and especially from early career researchers. Proposals for sessions may take the form of individual paper submissions, panels consisting of multiple contributions, or roundtable discussions. We also invite submissions for more practically oriented workshop sessions aimed at sharing experiences and best practices related to teaching and dissemination of history of science. To encourage discussion, individual papers should not exceed twenty minutes in length. The language of the conference is English.

Deadline for submissions June 1.