Call for Submissions: Deadline Thursday, 2nd April 2026.

The world feels chaotic and unpredictable. Qualitative research itself is undergoing rapid change, creating both uncertainty and opportunity.

To (mis)quote Bismarck, “We may not be able to control the current of events, but we can float with them and steer.”

Now is not the time to be bystanders. It is time for us, as a community, to actively shape the future of qual.

The AQR World Conference (June 25^th this year) is designed with this ambitious objective in mind. It offers a rare opportunity to pause, reflect on where we are, consider where we want to be, and begin to build a blueprint for the future of qualitative research — one that inspires the next generation of researchers and clients, and is agile enough to navigate change without compromising the core principles that have served us so well.

We now invite submissions that help us do exactly that, from across the broader qual world, including …researchers, partners, clients, and ad agency planners and consultants. We see exciting potential in the following themes but are open to any ideas that can challenge and inspire.

This is not a closed list  - If you have an idea, perspective, provocation that can help shape the future of qualitative research, or juts get us thinking , we would love to hear from you.