Information, Medium & Society: The Publishing Studies Research Network was founded in 2003 with the inaugural International Conference on the Future of the Book. Since then, the Research Network has expanded its scope in two phases. The first was in 2009 when it became the Books, Publishing, and Libraries Research. In this iteration, the Research Network began to look beyond the book as the primary site of investigation. In 2019 the network underwent another change, to become Information, Medium & Society – The Publishing Studies Research Network.

The Information, Medium & Society: Twenty-Third International Conference on Publishing Studies features research addressing the following annual themes and special focus:

• 2025 Special Focus—Oceanic Journeys: Multicultural Approaches in Publishing Practices
• Theme 1: Informational Foundations
• Theme 2: Mediums of Disruptions
• Theme 3: Social History and Impacts