To be published by Edward Elgar Publishing
Proposal submission deadline: 31st October 2026
Notification of acceptance: 15th November 2026
First draft to editors (in case of acceptance): 17th January 2027
Editors: Anne Tjønndal (Nord University) and Daniele Canini (Nord University)
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The Handbook on Sport and Innovation offers a systematic and multidisciplinary examination of innovation in sport, aimed at the academics, sport professionals and university students. The volume integrates perspectives from sport science, sociology, innovation studies, gender studies, sport management, sport psychology, sport history and sport philosophy to show how innovations develop, spread, and produce effects at multiple scales in sport at local, national and international levels.
With this call, the editors want to open the conversation to scholars and practitioners across the international sport research community who feel they have something to contribute to it. The Handbook already draws on contributors from more than twenty institutions in Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania, and this is an invitation to widen that group further. Proposals are welcome on any of the topics outlined below, provided they focus their analysis on how innovation develops, spreads or is challenged within sport:
- Sport Innovation, Theory and Conceptualizations
- Social Innovation in Sport
- Technological Innovation in Sport
- Organizational Innovation in Sport
- Innovation and commercialization in Sport
- Governing Sport Innovation
- Critical Perspectives on Innovation in Sport
- Impact and Innovation Futures in Sport
Authors interested in contributing are invited to propose chapters that fit within these topics.
Chapter Guidelines for Authors
- Chapter length: chapters should not exceed 6.500 words including references, tables and figures.
- Innovation theory and literature: all chapters should actively utilise innovation theory and/or research literature on innovation and sport.
- Chapter abstract: each chapter should be accompanied by an abstract of up to 150 words and up to six keywords, placed at the head of the chapter file underneath the chapter title.
- Referencing style: please follow APA 7th Edition
- Tables and figures: tables and figures should be numbered consecutively and provided with a title and source. Any diagrams, charts, illustrations or maps must be supplied in grayscale or black and white, in a form and resolution suitable for reproduction. For the purpose of the word count, each figure or illustration is equivalent to 500 words.
- Alternative text (“alt text”): each figure, diagram, chart, illustration or map must be accompanied by alternative text (a short description of its appearance or function) placed in the chapter file beneath the figure heading/source.
- Copyright materials: authors must ensure that all materials used in their chapter are copyright free or properly licensed. It is the responsibility of the authors to seek written permission for the reproduction of any third-party material. Any previously published material, including material previously published by the authors themselves, must be fully referenced.
Submission deadlines
| Proposal submission deadline | 31st October 2026 |
| Notification of acceptance | 15th November 2026 |
| First draft to editors | 17th January 2027 |
| Peer review and feedback to authors | 21st February 2027 |
| Final chapter to editors | 4th April 2027 |
| Manuscript submission to publisher | 9th May 2027 |
How to submit
Interested authors are invited to submit chapter proposal consisting of an abstract of up to 300 words, together with the names, affiliations and email addresses of all authors (up to a maximum of four per chapter). Proposals should be sent to Anne Tjønndal (anne.tjonndal@nord.no) and Daniele Canini (daniele.canini@nord.no) by 31st October 2026.
The editors will evaluate all proposals and notify authors of the outcome, whether or not their chapter has been included in the volume, by 15th November 2026.
We encourage colleagues working on innovation in sport, in any of its social, technological, organisational or critical dimensions, to get in touch, including those whose work does not fit perfectly into the outline above: the editors are happy to discuss how a contribution might be shaped for the volume.