Now in its 13th year, the Boston University Platform Symposium is the premier conference devoted to platform research. 

Submission Guidelines

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. The following paper categories are welcome:

• Full papers are preferred. The format should be targeted for an "A" journal, not more than 32 pages. Put figures in the paper (not at the end). These will be judged on the basis of fit, originality, and quality of results.
• Abstracts will be considered. These should not exceed 5 pages.  Abstracts will be judged on the basis of fit, originality, and quality of results as well as the likelihood of completion in time for the event.

One format will be 8-10 regular presentations (roughly 45 minutes each, including discussion).  A second format will feature 8-10 short presentations (5-8 minutes each, no discussion).  The short presentations are best suited for early-stage papers or nascent research. The submitting author should be the one who intends to present the paper.

PhD students interested in the Doctoral Consortium should submit to that track specifically.

List of Platform Topics (non-exclusive)

• Platform Strategy
• Governance
• Policy, Antitrust, Data Rights
• Design & Architecture
• Internal Organization
• Transformation, Product to Platform
• Partner Roles, Ecosystems
• Data & Analytics on Platforms
• Fake News & Misinformation
• Network Effects & Externalities 
• Metrics & Valuation
• Decentralized Autonomous Organizations
• Generative AI & Platforms

Best Paper Prize

Full paper submissions will be eligible for the $1,000 Alessandro di Fiore Best Paper Prize awarded to the paper deemed by the organizing committees to have made the most significant contributions to academic theory or business practice. Di Fiore was an influential voice in strategy and innovation, recognized for developing the concept of the insight-driven organization and a leading thinker on the power of democratization. This prize is generously sponsored by CapGemini.

PhD Consortium

The day before the main event, PhD students are invited to an in-person seminar for instruction by top platform scholars as well as a top editor at Management Science. Learn the best research approaches as well as the means to get published in the top journals.

PhD students interested in the Consortium should specifically choose that track when submitting a paper.

Key Dates

1. Submission Deadline -- April 11
2. Notifications -- May 11
3. Doctoral Consortium -- July 14
4. BU Platform Summit -- July 15
5. BU Platform Dinner -- July 15

Program Committee

• Liz Altman
• Gordon Burtch
• Bin Gu
• Andrei Hagiu
• Dokyun Lee
• Avi Siedmann
• Geoffrey Parker
• Marshall Van Alstyne
• Meizi Zhou
• Feng Zhu

Venue

The conference will be held as a hybrid conference with events live at the fantastic new Center for Data Science at Boston University and online via teleconferencing.

Conference Website: platforms.bu.edu

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to Sandra Z. Keldsen (zarotney@bu.edu)

Sponsors

We are grateful for sponsorship from Capgemini and the Digital Business Institute at Boston University.