CFP: Misinformation and Missing Information as a Global Challenge (edited collection)

Misinformation and Missing Information as a Global Challenge
-Explorations, Definitions, and Theoretical Perspectives Across Disciplines-

Editors:
Michaela Vogt (Bielefeld University, Germany)
Amelie Labusch (Bielefeld University, Germany)
Eleonor Kristoffersson (Örebro University, Sweden)
Magnus Kristoffersson (Örebro University, Sweden)
Christoph Teschers (University of Canterbury, New Zealand)

Background and Rationale
The spread of misinformation — including misleading, false, or incomplete information — and the existence of systematic information gaps (missing information) pose major challenges for societies worldwide. Both phenomena may influence how individuals and societies perceive reality, form opinions, and participate in public discourse.
While misinformation, such as fake news or disinformation, has gained increasing attention in public and academic debates, missing information remains less explored. Yet, the absence, invisibility, or deliberate omission of information can significantly shape public perception and societal developments — sometimes more subtly, but no less effectively than misinformation.
A systematic academic examination of these phenomena is still at an early stage. To advance this field, diverse disciplinary perspectives are needed to sharpen concepts, explore theoretical foundations, and identify methodological approaches. The editors' collection is closely related to other research initiatives that emerge within the European University Alliance NEOLAiA. The editors’ collection will be published with BieUP as open access and additionally as a printed book.

Goal of the Editors' Collection
This Editors' Collection invites scholars from all academic fields to contribute conceptual articles that engage with the ideas of misinformation and/or missing information from their respective disciplinary perspectives. Contributions may adopt an interdisciplinary lens. Likewise, resilience can be one possible point of reference but it is not a required framing for contributions.

Suggested Structure for Contributions
• State of Research / Current Debates (approx. 2 pages)
• Own Working Definition of Misinformation and/or Missing Information (approx. 1 page)
• Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations (approx. 2 pages)
• Methodological Approaches and Challenges (approx. 2 pages)
• Research Gaps and Future Research Questions in the Author's Field (approx. 1 page)
• Bibliography (1-2 pages)

Timeline and Formalities
September 30, 2025: Deadline for abstracts (max. 300 words), please send them to: missing@uni-bielefeld.de
October 2025: Editorial feedback
January 15, 2026: Full paper submission, 15,000–20,000 characters (including spaces and bibliography)
February 2026: Review and editorial process
July/August 2026: Planned publication

Conference on Mis(sing) Information
This Editors’ Collection forms part of the broader Mis(sing) Information initiative, supported by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, which investigates how selective information, through omission or emphasis, shapes public understanding and challenges trust. With digital technologies accelerating the spread of information, the initiative focuses in particular on the educational sphere, exploring how skewed narratives influence critical thinking and democratic values. Drawing on multiple disciplinary perspectives, it seeks to address the educational and legal challenges posed by Mis(sing) Information, promoting accurate knowledge dissemination and democratic engagement.
The initiative will culminate in an interdisciplinary conference hosted by Örebro University on 9-10 December 2025. Researchers whose contributions to the Editors’ Collection, Misinformation and Missing Information as a Global Challenge are accepted may be invited to present their work at the conference. For invited speakers, the Mis(sing) Information consortium will cover travel and accommodation expenses.