Published on September 7, 2018

February 25-26, 2019

Louisiana Tech University/Shreveport-Bossier City, LA

Paper and panel proposals due Friday, 26 October 2018
Poster proposals due Monday, 15 January 2019

Call for Proposals

The organizers of the Symposium on Communicating Complex Information (SCCI) invite proposals for the 2019 Symposium to be held in Shreveport-Bossier City, LA on 25-26 February 2019.

SCCI examines the relationships between humans, technologies and information by exploring how design and content choices influence our behavior when we interact with complex information in different contexts. The goal of the Symposium is to exchange ideas and share information on how to address the communication, deign, and usability challenges associated with using complex information.

Types of Presentations


The organizers invite proposals for the following kinds of presentations:

  1. Individual Presentations: 15-20 minute presentations with 20-25 minutes of discussion
  2. Panel Presentations:  Groups of 3-6 presenters who share a 20-minute block to examine different aspects of a topic and followed by 20 minutes of discussion
  3. Poster Presentations: Used to convey in-progress or recently completed research or preliminary research results during a dedicated poster-presentation session

Possible Topics

Possible topics for a Symposium presentation could include but are not limited to the following:

  • Methods to better visualize complex information to support decision making or better understanding by non-professionals.
  • Examinations of how user experience can address improving the interactions within complex information spaces.
  • Methods required for testing and evaluating complex systems (e.g., health care situations, resources allocated among many projects, intelligence analysis of multiple sources of data, customer service working across multiple technologies and/or cultures).
  • Methods of designing to maximize the user experience and enhance user interaction within complex information.
  • Methods of designing to improve decision-making within complex environments.
  • Methods of measuring users’ comprehension of complex material and ensuring maximal comprehension.
  • Examinations of domain experts’ retrieval and use of information on the web and best practices for designing and testing for this audience.
  • Discussions of new usability approaches for examining the design of complex web sites.
  • Descriptions and analyses of the ways experts in an area perceive complexity and simplicity in unique production environments, such as health care.

Williamson Health and Medical Communication Track

SCCI 2019 will also include a half-day program tack focusing on sharing research results, theoretical models, and best practices for conveying complex information associated with health and medical contexts. This track is sponsored by the Eunice C. Williamson Endowment fund at Louisiana Tech University, and individuals interested in submitting a proposal for this track should include the words “Health and Medical Communication Track” in their proposal.

Submission Guidelines and Schedule

Individuals should submit proposals for SCCI according to the following guidelines:

  1. Individual Presentations:  Submit a 250-300 word position paper about your ongoing work, new interaction designs, opinions or approaches to the problem, or conceptual frameworks or theories.  Proposals due by Friday, 26 Oct. 2018.
  2. Panel Presentations: A panel organizer should submit a 200-300 word summary of the panel topic, a list of the panelists, and a 100-200 word position statement from each panelist on how they will address the topic. Proposals due by Friday, 26 Oct. 2018.
  3. Poster Presentations: Individuals should submit a 200-300 word statement describing the topic of the poster. Proposals due by Monday, 15 January 2019.

All proposals must include

  • The kind of presentation (e.g., individual, panel, or poster)
  • The title of the presentation (Include titles of all presentations for panel proposals)
  • The submitter’s name, affiliation, and email (Include for all members of panel proposals)

Submit all proposals as .doc, .docx, or .pdf files emailed to kirk.stamant@gmail.com

Include the words “SCCI Proposal” in the subject line of the message.

Questions and Details

For questions on or requests for additional details on the Symposium, email the Symposium Chair (Kirk St.Amant) at kirk.stamant@gmail.com

Symposium Sponsors

This Symposium for Communicating Complex Information is sponsored in part by

  1. Rosenfeld Media
  2. Louisiana Tech University
  3. The Eunice C. Williamson Endowment Fund in Technical Communication