The Carleton University, a public institution based in Ottawa, Canada, is inviting paper submissions for the 9th Global Conference on Transparency Research (GCTR), scheduled to hold between June 24 and 26, 2026, under the theme “Transparency Under Pressure.” The conference seeks to examine how transparency operates and evolves when confronted with political, technological, organisational, and ideological tensions.
Transparency has long been celebrated as a cornerstone of accountable governance, ethical institutions, and informed citizenship. Yet, in recent years, the very concept of transparency has come under increasing strain. From political polarisation and democratic backsliding to the complexities of armed conflict, digital surveillance, algorithmic governance, and global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, transparency is being both demanded and contested with new intensity.
The conference, therefore, invites contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following topics: Transparency and crises; Transparency and governance; Transparency, secrecy, and privacy; Open government and e-government; Freedom of Information and access to data; Transparency and artificial intelligence; Transparency and digital surveillance; Transparency in political institutions; and Transparency and corruption.
The conference welcomes both individual paper submissions and proposals for organised panels. However, all submissions must be made using the Open Conference platform at https://www.openconf.org/GCTR2026/.
Please note that paper abstracts should not exceed 400 words. Panel proposals should include: a panel title and an abstract (up to 500 words), titles and abstracts (200 words each) for 3–4 papers, names and affiliations of all contributors, and a designated moderator.
The deadline for paper and panel submissions is January 20, 2026. Notification of acceptance will be sent on February 29, 2026, while the final paper submission (maximum of 7,000 words) will be from January 21 to April 20, 2026. The deadline for conference registration is April 20, 2026.
Please direct any questions to the conference chair: Mary Francoli, Associate Professor, Communication and Media Studies, Carleton University: mary.francoli@carleton.ca.
