Research on protests and social movements is characterised by recurring puzzles – open questions that arise repeatedly across cases, methods and theoretical traditions. While we have accumulated rich empirical knowledge, many core issues remain contested, conceptually unsettled or dependent on context. Rather than viewing these disputes as a shortcoming, this conference invites participants to recognise them as productive starting points for collective thinking.
The Institute for the Study of Protest and Social Movements (ipb) will organize its 2026 annual conference in an experimental format. Instead of conventional panels that bring together several but often unconnected papers under a shared theme, each session will be organized around one clear-cut question. Each speaker is expected to provide a concise answer, i.e. a brief contribution based on their own research, literature review, empirical case studies, data or methodological expertise.
Read our Call for Answers to join the discussion.
Visit the conference site.
