call for papers

Measurement holds value and importance in nearly every aspect of modern society, including engineering and technology, commerce, medicine, education, and the physical and social sciences. Measurement is commonly considered a privileged means of acquiring information, and is associated with precision, accuracy, and objectivity.

However, it is not always obvious that all practices referred to as measurement activities have fully earned this trust.

Over the years, the International Objective Measurement Workshop has served as a gathering place for scholars interested in advancing the science and practice of measurement, particularly in the human sciences. Much of the discussion has revolved around the class of models and accompanying conceptual schemas for measurement first articulated by Georg Rasch and Benjamin Wright.

The IOMW solicits papers relevant to the theory and practice of measurement.

Submission Deadline

The submissions are now closed.

Themes

The IOMW is interested in well-written papers and thought-provoking presentations relevant to the theory and practice of measurement. We invite both theoretically-focused and applied papers. Examples of themes of particular urgency follow:

Foundations of measurement. IOMW scholars are committed to examining foundational measurement concepts, including the conditions that maximize the validity, reliability, and utility of measures. We welcome conceptual, theoretical, historical and/or comparative papers that help us to better understand what is at stake in the development, use, and discussion of measures.

Applications and modeling. The IOMW provides opportunities to share evolving and ongoing work relevant to the practice of objective measurement, broadly defined. We invite papers that allow you to share work (including work in progress) and get feedback from colleagues in the IOMW community. Our goal is to keep up to date with the latest advances in the application of objective measurement.

Measurement in the information age. Sources and types of data have expanded beyond traditional responses to fixed survey questions. With advances in technology have come dramatic increases in the size and scope of data, and in access to it. We invite papers that incorporate data from novel sources, that advance measurement methodology for such data, or that reflect critically on measurement theory and practice in the era of big data.

Conversations across disciplines and traditions. Objective measurement is a critical component of scientific inquiry in many areas, including but not limited to the areas of public health, the medical sciences, counseling, the biological sciences, psychology, education, economics, and sociology. Papers likely to stimulate cross-disciplinary perspectives on measurement are especially welcome.

Change over time, place, and context. On the one hand, invariance is a critical concept in objective measurement; on the other hand, measures are often applied to highly dynamic systems (e.g., human beings) that change over time and context. This is particularly visible in contemporary debates about the assessment of learning and "growth". We welcome papers on related topics including but not limited to vertical scaling, measurement invariance (of any form), and longitudinal models.

Presentation Formats

We invite submissions in two basic formats: paper presentations and posters. Symposia of 3-4 paper presentations grouped around a common theme are especially welcome. Proposals for alternative session formats are also invited.

Submitting Proposals

The submission system is now closed.

To submit a proposal, fill out the submission form prior to the submission due date, January 5, 2018. Proposals should include a title, an abstract of no more than 150 words, and a narrative description of no more than 1000 words. Proposals should be formatted as a pdf file with all identifying information (e.g., authors names) removed, to facilitate blind review. The maximum file size is 15 MB.

Criteria for acceptance are:

Perspective. What is your theoretical framework? Is it likely to be interesting and relevant to IOMW attendees?
Clarity. Can we figure out what you're talking about?
Support. How strong is the evidence for your claims?
Importance. Are you saying something significant to the theory and practice of measurement?