DIAGRAMS 2026: 15th International Conference on the Theory and Application of Diagrams TalTech – Talllinn University of Technology Tallinn, Estonia, August 24-28, 2026 |
| Conference website | https://diagrams-conference.org/2026/ |
| Submission link | https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=diagrams2026 |
| Abstract registration deadline | February 22, 2026 |
| Submission deadline | March 1, 2026 |
Submission Guidelines
The Diagrams conference offers a collective platform for researchers interested in diagrams. It promotes interdisciplinary collaboration by uniting specialists from diverse fields—such as computer science, mathematics, psychology, philosophy, history (including the histories of science and art), education research, and more—to share insights on both the theory and practical uses of diagrams.
Diagrams 2026 will feature three dedicated special tracks: Main, Philosophy and Psychology and Education. Submissions whose primary research contribution aligns with these themes are encouraged to be directed to the relevant track, each overseen by its own program committee. Details of the theme and program committees will be provided in the call for each track.
The conference program will include presentations of accepted papers, posters, and abstracts, as well as a graduate symposium, workshops, and tutorials. At least one author of every accepted submission is expected to attend the conference to present their work and engage with questions from participants.
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Submission Categories
We invite submissions for peer review that focus on any aspect of diagram research for each track, as follows:
- Long Papers (16 pages)
- Short Papers (8 pages)
- Posters (4 pages – this is both a maximum and minimum requirement)
- Abstracts, i.e. non-archival contributions (3 pages)
Long and Short Papers should present original research contributions.
Submissions in the Abstracts category should describe significant research findings that have either been published elsewhere (with clear citations) or are intended for future publication.
Posters may showcase original early-stage research or previously published work that is relevant to the Diagrams community, provided prior publications are properly cited.
Long Papers, Short Papers, and Posters will be included in the conference proceedings. Abstracts, however, will not appear in the published proceedings but will be made available on the conference website. The Abstracts category is designed for presenting research at the conference without publishing a paper and is not intended for work-in-progress; such work should be submitted as a Poster.
All accepted submissions, regardless of category, are expected to be presented at the conference. Abstract submissions accepted for presentation will receive the same time allocation in the program as Long Papers. Exceptional Abstract submissions that do not meet the full acceptance criteria may be offered a short presentation slot.
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Submission deadlines
Important dates for Papers, Abstracts and Posters for all the three tracks:
- For all submission categories pre-submission of title and descriptive abstract: 22 February 2026
- For all submission categories: 1st March 2026
- Rebuttal phase: 27th April – 3rd May 2026
- Notification: 11th May 2026
- Camera-ready version: 24th May 2026
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Main Track
For 2026, topics of the main track include, but are not limited to:
- applications of diagrams,
- computational models of reasoning with, and interpretation of, diagrams,
- design of diagrammatic notations,
- diagram understanding by humans or machines,
- diagram aesthetics and layout,
- evaluation of diagrammatic notations,
- graphical communication and literacy,
- heterogeneous notations involving diagrams,
- history of diagrams,
- information visualization using diagrams,
- nature of diagrams and diagramming,
- novel technologies for diagram use,
- reasoning with diagrams,
- semiotics of diagrams,
- diagrams in multimodal communication,
- software to support the use of diagrams, and
- usability and human-computer interaction issues concerning diagrams.
Track Chair: Atsushi Shimojima (Doshisha University)
Program Committee
TBA
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Philosophy of Diagrams
For 2026, we will have a special track devoted to philosophical issues pertaining to diagrams. Special theme topics include any research on the philosophy of diagrams, such as:
- aesthetic properties of diagrams,
- cultural, metaphysical, epistemological aspects of diagrams,
- diagrams for syllogisms,
- diagrams in formal logic,
- diagrams in mathematical practice,
- diagrams in the mind,
- historical aspects of diagrams,
- iconicity and ‘naturalness’ of diagrams,
- imagination,
- philosophy of notation,
- reasoning and argumentation with diagrams,
- semantics and/or pragmatics of diagrams,
- semiotics of diagrams,
- square of opposition, trees and graphs,
- the nature and definition of diagrams and diagramming,
- the work of philosophers such as Plato and C. S. Peirce
- visualization and intuition.
Track Chair: Dave Beisecker (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
Program Committee
TBA
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Psychology and Education
For 2026, we will have a special track devoted to psychological and educational issues pertaining to diagrams. Special theme topics include any research dealing with psychological and/or educational aspects of diagrams, such as:
- cognitive aspects of diagrams and diagrammatic thinking,
- comprehension of diagrams,
- construction and use of diagrams,
- diagrams and wayfinding,
- diagrams as learning and pedagogical tools,
- diagrams in the mind,
- diagrams in communication,
- human perception and the design of diagrams,
- individual differences in diagram use,
- mental imagery and mental animation,
- problem solving with diagrams,
- reasoning with diagrams from a psychological or educational perspective,
- sociocultural interpretations of diagrams,
- spatial structure of diagrams,
- students’ use or misuse of diagrams.
Track Chair: Erica De Vries (Université Grenoble Alpes)
Organizing committee
General Chair: Pawel Sobocinski (Tallinn University of Technology)
Local Chair: Amirouche Moktefi (Tallinn University of Technology)
Senior Program Chair: Francesco Bellucci (University of Bologna)
Main Track Chair: Atsushi Shimojima (Doshisha University)
Philosophy Track Chair: Dave Beisecker (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
Psychology and Eduction Track Chair: Erica De Vries (Université Grenoble Alpes)
Publicity and Proceedings Chair: Reetu Bhattacharje (Muenster University)
Publication
The proceedings will be published by Springer in a Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI) proceedings volume. Authors must consult and follow Springer’s formatting requirements (see formatting guidelines below).
Previous editions of Diagrams were also published by Springer.
The proceedings are expected to be published on the first day of the conference.
There is no charge for publication via the standard route. However, some authors may be interested in Open Access or Open Choice publication routes, and they should refer to Springer’s webpage for details. Authors need to inform the Diagrams 2026 organisers as soon as possible, and no later than one week after final notification, if they wish to pay to publish openly. This publication route is available only at cost to the authors’ and they must supply the invoice address and the CC-BY Consent-to-Publish form (instead of the standard Consent-To-Publish form) with their files for the publication.
Venue
The conference will be held in Tallinn, Estonia, at Tallinn University of Technology: https://taltech.ee/en
Contact
All questions about submissions should be emailed to francesco.bellucci4@unibo.it