The Immersive Experience Alliance (IXA), in partnership with Agog, is proud to announce the launch of the Immersive Impact Review, a new open-access publication dedicated to advancing knowledge at the intersection of immersive technologies and social good. We invite submissions for our inaugural issue exploring the theme of “Value(s) in Practice.”

About the Theme
XR experiences generally require significant resources to produce and can be challenging to distribute.  This is especially true for XR projects focused on social good.  Even for well-funded projects, distribution and sustainability can be daunting.  How should these factors be brought in when we consider the “value” of social impact XR?  How can we measure and demonstrate that impact? What frameworks help us understand the value of immersive interventions alongside other social good initiatives? What current practices are being used to assess the effectiveness of impact projects? How are these methods biased, evolving, and shaping the industry themselves?This inaugural issue asks: How do we measure value? How do we measure impact? How do we measure sustainability?  We seek contributions that examine:

• Historical perspectives on XR and location-based entertainment

• Long-term impacts of XR interventions (measured months or years later)

• Technologies and approaches that were "ahead of their time"

• XR projects that went virtually unnoticed but inspired larger, more recognized projects

• The lifecycle of XR projects—from conception through distribution to legacy

• Case studies of XR impact projects:  beyond the hype, who did these projects actually impact?  How did they calculate impact?  What lessons can be learned from these projects? 

• A modest proposal for how we should be measuring the social impact of XR projects.

• Has empathy been oversold as an impact goal in and of itself?

• Cyclical patterns in the evolution of immersive technology for impact

Types of Writing We Love

• Work that draws readers in through a strong central character or ongoing process
• Writing that reveals new, surprising, or even contrarian positions

• Stories that take us into places, cultures, and communities we don’t often get to visit

• Work that features humor and brings the writer in as a participant in the story

Who Should Submit
This journal welcomes voices from across the immersive ecosystem. You don't need a Ph.D. to contribute meaningful knowledge. We actively encourage submissions from:

• Researchers and academics studying XR

• Creators, producers, and designers working in immersive media

• Nonprofit leaders integrating XR into social change work

• Artists exploring immersive storytelling

• Technologists building XR platforms and tools

• Educators developing XR pedagogy

• Archivists and preservationists

• Journalists who cover XR and immersive technologies 

• Students interested in writing about productions or the field more broadly

• Field observers with documented insights about XR's social impact

Submission Categories

1. RESEARCH ARTICLES (3,000-7,000 words)
Peer-reviewed empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, or systematic analyses. We prioritize work with measured outcomes, clear methodologies, and relevance to social impact. While rigorous, articles should be accessible to non-specialist readers.

Possible topics: Long-term retention studies of XR experiences; comparative analyses of presence and embodiment across platforms; effectiveness of XR for empathy-building or behavior change; historical analysis of trends in XR storytelling; embedded studies of XR impact conferences and producer communities.

2. CASE STUDIES (2,500-5,000 words)
In-depth examinations of specific XR projects with documented outcomes. What worked? What didn't? What would you do differently? Case studies should offer practical insights for others in the field and include concrete data about reach, impact, or lessons learned.

Possible topics: Post-mortems of landmark projects (Carne y Arena, The Enemy, etc.); location-based entertainment ventures (The VOID, etc.); XR interventions in education, healthcare, or social justice; longitudinal analyses of specific conferences (Sundance New Frontier, Venice Immersive, etc.); business case studies of specific XR organizations; distribution experiments and their results.

3. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES (2,000-4,000 words)
Retrospective analyses that help us understand where we've been and where we're going. These pieces should illuminate patterns, recover overlooked contributions, or provide context for current developments in XR for social impact.

Possible topics: The evolution of location-based entertainment; XR projects from the 1990s-2000s that helped define what we consider impact projects today; oral histories from XR pioneers; comparative looks at technology cycles.

4. PRACTICE & PROCESS (1,500-3,500 words)
Practitioner-focused pieces sharing production insights, workflow innovations, or creative problem-solving. These articles should be grounded in real project experience and offer actionable knowledge for others.

Possible topics: "How we got this project off the ground"; AR glasses for public-facing projects; moving from academic to business-driven XR; archiving strategies for XR work; navigating interdisciplinary collaboration; distribution challenges and solutions; funding and sustainability models.

5. PROVOCATIONS (1,000-2,500 words)
Opinion pieces and critical commentary that challenge assumptions, reframe debates, or pose important questions for the field. These should be intellectually rigorous but can be more essayistic in style.

Possible topics: What counts as "immersive"?; The role of AI in XR futures; The interdisciplinarity problem in XR research and practice.

6. CONVERSATIONS (2,000-4,000 words)
Edited interviews or dialogues with thought leaders, innovators, or practitioners. These should offer substantive insights, not promotional content. Include context and framing for readers.

7. CREATIVE SUBMISSIONS & DOCUMENTATION
Visual essays, photo documentation of ephemeral works, interactive timelines, or short-form XR experiences that engage with the theme. Proposals should include descriptions of the work, its connection to social impact, and technical requirements. Selected works will be featured in our VRChat virtual library.

Submission Guidelines

Format: Submit editable link via this Google Form. Include a 150-250 word abstract, 5 keywords, and author bio(s) of 100 words or fewer per contributor.

Style: Write for an intelligent, curious reader who may not be an expert in your specific domain. Define technical terms. Use active voice. Include visuals where helpful (images, diagrams, screenshots). Citations should follow APA or Chicago style.  

NB: Each accepted submission will be supported by an honorarium.

Questions?

Contact the editorial team: 

Michael Epstein, michael@walkingcinema.org

Dr. Amy Carleton, amymarie@mit.edu