2021/Submissions

WikiConference North America 2021 takes place October 8-10 online.

This year's theme is global & local and we invite submissions that explore how to extend Wikimedia platforms to both global and local concerns, and solutions in that space. We will foster a variety of formats in broadcast, large-group, and small-group sessions over three successive days.

We also have several focus areas listed to the right. While the theme and these focus areas will be particular topics the conference will revolve around, we welcome all submissions that are relevant to the Wikimedia movement - do not feel confined to the conference theme or focus areas if you have something great to share!

We invite Academic Submissions from June through August 2021. These will receive an Academic Peer Review on a rolling basis, so acceptances can be determined on academic timelines. We welcome submissions in general through September 20.

If you're interested in giving a lightning talk or creating an unconference session, feel free to place ideas on the Unconference page.

Submit a Session Proposal

Note: You must create an account first.

Existing proposals may be viewed at Category:Submissions/2021.

Proposal Review Process
Proposals will be reviewed by a Programming Committee. Each submission is rated on a variety of factors including the likely level of impact and expected outcomes; expected community interest; and how well-connect the submission is to the theme or a focus area. Committee scores are averaged, and the top portion of submissions will be accepted as they fit into the schedule.

You will be notified about the Program Committee's decision regarding your submission via email. If your submission is not added to the preliminary schedule, please do not be discouraged. WikiConference North America will have time set aside in the schedule for participants and attendees to participate in self-organized talks and working groups during our lightning talks and unconference sessions.

Terms of Participation
By submitting a proposal, you agree that the text of your proposal, your presentation slides, and any video recordings can be distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License or a similar license. (Note that NC and ND licenses are generally incompatible with Wikimedia projects.)

You also agree that, under the terms of the license, recordings of your presentation may be broadcast live, recorded, and made available for download later. If you prefer not to be recorded, please contact one of the conference organizers, we are happy to accommodate your request.

By submitting a proposal, you agree to abide by the terms of the Safe Space Policy.

Academic Peer Review Option
We are seeking presentations addressing topics related to teaching with Wikipedia and/or the intersection between higher education and Wikipedia generally. Presenters have the option of submitting their proposals under Academic Peer Review, which will be evaluated by a subset of academics serving on the Program Committee. This option is entirely voluntary, and is intended primarily for academic-type presenters who require a peer review process for travel support through their home institutions.

Unlike previous years, this year there is no separate scholarship process for academic submitters. Any academic submitters who wish to apply for a scholarship can apply through the normal scholarship process when it opens.

The soft launch for the Academic Submissions is in June 2021, with a renewed launch for submissions from the general public in August 2021, although anyone is welcome to make a submission at any time.

Unconference
In additional to traditional programming, we have set aside time for Unconference sessions. These sessions give time for anyone to propose or spontaneously organize a mini-presentation, discussion, or workshop on a wiki-related topic. We'll have lightning talk sessions will for short (typically 3-5 min) presentations.

Visit our Unconference page to brainstorm ideas.

Proposal Themes
We invite attendees to submit proposals for panels, workshops, seminars, and other presentations in topics that fall under topics related to Wikipedia or free culture.

Our theme this year is global & local, and will be the biggest portion and focus of our program. We also have five other focus areas the community has expressed interest in. Don't worry if your proposal does not exactly fit in one of the below categories; you are welcome to submit proposals on any relevant topic!