The Conference
Interpretive policy analysis engenders and embraces research which extends across the social sciences and which is applied to a vast range of policy topics. The common interest of interpretive approaches to policy analysis is the recognition of the importance of discourse, meaning making, interpretation and the performance of social practices both in devising and in enacting policy.

Though the conference is not holding to a specific theme this year, the keynote speakers will each discuss energy, social practices and climate change from their respective perspectives.

Keynote 1: Isabela Fairclough (University of Central Lancashire) and Norman Fairclough (Emeritus Professor, Lancaster University) Policy debate and decision-making over shale gas in the UK

Keynote 2: Elizabeth Shove (Lancaster University) on social practice theory and energy consumption

Call for Panel Proposals
The organisers of the 11th international conference on Interpretive Policy Analysis invite proposals for panels. We encourage panels which enable researchers to present their work and engage in critical cross- and inter- disciplinary dialogue and discussion.

An aim of the Hull conference is to build on the diverse range of topics and methods which interpretivism encompasses. Proposals for traditional and alternative format panels which engage with any area of policy and which take a broadly interpretivist approach to research are, therefore, welcome.

The conference call has two steps. In the first step proposals for paper panels and alternative format panels should be emailed to ipa2016@hull.ac.uk<mailto:ipa2016@hull.ac.uk> by 30th November 2015 - see below for instructions.

The list of accepted panels and convenors will be published on the conference - website www.hull.ac.uk/ipa2016<http://www.hull.ac.uk/ipa2016> - in mid-December.

In the second step, a call for papers will be made in mid-December - details will be on the website in due course. Panel convenors will assess and select papers for their panel.

Instructions for Paper Panel Proposals
Paper panels follow a traditional conference format and consist of 3-4 papers per session, discussion and questions from the floor. Panel proposals may address theoretical, empirical, methodological or practical issues in any area of interpretive policy analysis.  Approaches to interpretive policy analysis may include, but are not limited to:


  *   critical discourse analysis
  *   discourse analysis
  *   discourse theory
  *   narrative analysis
  *   frame analysis
  *   political economy
  *   cultural political economy
  *   governance
  *   social practice theory
  *   STS
  *   ethnography
  *   participatory action research
  *   grounded theory
  *   hermeneutics
  *   poststructuralism
  *   critical realism
  *   feminism


Paper panel proposals should be emailed to ipa2016@hull.ac.uk<mailto:ipa2016@hull.ac.uk> in the body of an email by 30th November 2015.  They should include:
- Title of Panel
- Name, institutional affiliation and email of the panel convenor(s)
- Topic overview (250-300 words)

At this stage no paper abstracts are required. The call for papers will be made in mid-December.

Instructions for Alternative Panel Proposals
In the spirit of enabling and developing new takes on the academic conference, IPA continues to foster alternative conference formats. These may include, but are not limited to:

- Author meets critics
- Practitioner panels
- Mentoring panels
- Professional practice panels (teaching, using software or hardware, careers in interpretivism)

Alternative format panel proposals should be emailed to ipa2016@hull.ac.uk<mailto:ipa2016@hull.ac.uk> by 30th November 2015. They should include a panel title, an overview of the panel and its rationale, and include the names, role and institutional affiliation of proposed participants in the panel.


web: www.hull.ac.uk/ipa2016<http://www.hull.ac.uk/ipa2016>

email: ipa2016@hull.ac.uk<mailto:ipa2016@hull.ac.uk>