Abstract
“Calls-for-Papers” (CfPs) are invitations for scholars to submit original academic papers for conferences, panels, or publications. In 1995, the University of Pennsylvania launched a website in which academics could advertise CfPs in the humanities. The UPenn CfP website’s value as a CfPs repository makes it a key resource for scholars studying the formation and circulation of knowledge within academic circles. CfPs not only solicit academic contributions but also structure academic discourse by framing key questions and topics for new research. The main aim of this article is to highlight the important yet understudied role of CfPs in academic knowledge production. Little to no research has been made on CfPs as genre. In order to encourage research on this topic, this article details the collection of almost 87,000 CfPs published on the website from 1995 to 2024. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, this paper describes the general nature of CfPs and the advantages and limitations of studying the collected data. Then, it discusses the possible applications and implications of studying CfPs as a genre, such as giving insights into the turns or shifts within academic discourse, both past and future.