Please see below for some of our frequently asked questions about submissions for the conference programme. We will add additional information here in due course about registering for the conference.
What is the deadline for proposing a session, paper or poster for the conference programme?
The final deadline for all submissions is Friday 12 March 2021.
If you are proposing a session for the conference, please complete the session expression of interest form by Friday 5 March 2021 at very latest please so that we can provide you with a session code in plenty of time for you to submit your full session details.
What formats are supported at the conference?
Sessions can be online OR in-person.
-
Those proposing sessions will be asked to indicate whether they plan to take place as online OR in-person sessions.
-
Those submitting individual papers to the open call for papers will be asked to indicate whether they would prefer to present in an online OR in-person session.
-
All poster sessions will be online.
We will make a decision by early May 2021 as to whether it is safe and appropriate to proceed with planning for in-person sessions. Should it become impossible to hold in-person sessions, all sessions will be asked to change to online-only. We will contact all delegates ahead of making such a change and delegates can opt out at that stage. Registration for the conference will not open until we have made this decision.
More information about conference session formats
Can I propose a hybrid session i.e. with online and in-person presenters?
No. Unfortunately, we are unable to support ‘hybrid’ sessions at the 2021 conference (i.e., remote presenters cannot take part in an in-person session). That means all papers must be online or in-person.
Why do I need to resubmit my proposal for the 2021 conference?
As part of our planning to deliver the 2021 conference, we are introducing a new online event platform to support the online sessions. This is integrated with a new online abstract management system. It has not been possible for us to transfer across previous submissions to the new system.
We have also received many emails from prospective contributors asking either to revise their existing submissions, or to propose new ones, as their work has evolved and developed over the last year.
For these two reasons, we took the decision to ask delegates to resubmit materials the programme for 2021.
But, you do not have to revise your proposal unless you want to take the opportunity to do so. We very much hope that many previous contributors will resubmit their existing session and paper proposals, but there is the chance to rework should you wish. We also recognise circumstances, unfortunately, will have changed for some and attendance in 2021 will not be possible.
I had submitted a session proposal for the 2020 conference. What do I need to do?
If you would like your session proposal to be considered for the 2021 conference, you will need to resubmit it using the online portal. Submissions will not be automatically rolled over. There are detailed instructions below for what you need to do.
If you no longer wish to have your session considered for 2021, you do not need to do anything.
1. Contact all your programme contributors to ask them:
-
To confirm that they would still like to participate.
-
Draw their attention to the revised contribution limits for presenters (contributors may present one paper and take part in one panel/workshop).
-
If they had proposed multiple papers for the conference programme, they will need to decide now which paper they would like to present. For any other papers, they should also decide whether to nominate an alternative presenter (in the case of multi-authored papers) or not to resubmit that paper.
-
Ask whether they would prefer to take part in an online OR in-person session. The final decision on whether a session is online or in-person (they cannot be combined) ultimately rests with you as session convenor.
2. Complete the session expression of interest form.
-
Please complete this by Friday 5 March at very latest so that we can issue a session code in plenty of time for you to submit your full session details. We expect to provide these within two working days.
-
This asks for the session details only – you do not need to include details of any papers here.
-
If you are seeking additional contributions, you can include contact details and other instructions for prospective authors.
-
Session details will be published on the conference website, along with instructions for authors where relevant.
Access expression of interest form
3. We will contact you with a session code and additional instructions for using the online portal to submit final details of your session.
I had submitted a paper or other contribution to an organised session for the 2020 conference. What do I need to do?
Your session organiser will be in touch to confirm plans for the session(s), and whether it is being resubmitted for 2021. If you have not heard from them, please do contact them directly.
If your session organisers do not want to resubmit their session for the 2021 conference, you can still resubmit your paper for consideration separately.
Details of any calls for papers accepting new abstracts will be posted on the conference website. You can also submit your paper proposal to our open call for papers. There is more information in our guidance for presenters under ‘Ways to Participate’.
I had submitted a paper or poster proposal to the open call for papers for the 2020 conference. What do I need to do?
If you would like your session proposal to be considered for the 2021 conference, you will need to resubmit it using the online portal. Submissions will not be automatically rolled over. There are detailed instructions below for what you need to do.
If you no longer wish to have your paper or poster considered for 2021, you do not need to do anything.
1. Please review our revised contribution limits for presenters
-
Contributors may present one paper and take part in one panel/workshop.
-
If you had proposed multiple papers for the conference programme, you need to decide now which paper you would like to present. For any other papers, you should also decide whether to nominate an alternative presenter (in the case of multi-authored papers) or not to resubmit that paper.
-
Decide whether you would prefer to take part in an online OR in-person session. Please note that all poster sessions will take place online.
2. If you are not part of an organised session, use our online portal to submit details of your abstract.
-
You will need to set up an account on the conference platform. You will then be able to submit details of your abstract.
-
You will be asked to indicate whether you would prefer to present in an online OR in-person session. Please note that we reserve the right to move individual papers to an online format to ensure session viability. In 2021, we will be unable to facilitate ‘hybrid’ sessions (i.e. remote presenters cannot take part in an in-person session). Should it become impossible to hold in-person sessions, all sessions will be given the option to change to online-only. We will contact all delegates ahead of making such a change.
Are you accepting new submissions for the 2021 conference?
Yes, we are accepting new submissions for the 2021 conference. There is more information in our guidance for presenters, and in our guidance for session organisers. You can find out more about the chair's theme from Professor Uma Kothari, in the new video here and on our chair's theme page.
How many papers can I present at the conference?
Delegates will be limited to ONE paper presentation and ONE panel contribution, OR, TWO panel contributions. A single paper may only be presented once at the conference. Please see our guidance for presenters.
How can I apply for Research Group sponsorship for my session?
If you had received Research Group sponsorship for an existing 2020 session proposal, please contact the Research Group in question to confirm this is still the case.
Several of the Research Groups are also inviting new proposals for session sponsorship. You can see a list of these, with deadlines, in our guidance for session organisers.
If in doubt, contact the Research Group.
Do I need to register for the conference before submitting an abstract?
No, you do not need to register for the conference before you can submit a proposal for the programme. We will not open registration until April 2021, once we have made a decision about whether it is appropriate to proceed with planning for in-person participation.
I am an organiser of a session, how do I get a session code to submit my session details?
You need to complete the session expression of interest form.
- Please complete this by Friday 5 March at very latest so that we can issue a session code in plenty of time for you to submit your full session details. We expect to provide these within two working days.
-
This asks for the session details only – you do not need to include details of any papers here.
-
If you are seeking additional contributions, you can include instructions for prospective authors.
-
Session details will be published on the conference website, along with instructions for authors where relevant.
Access session expression of interest form
We will then contact you with a session code and additional instructions for using the online portal to submit final details of your session. It is important that only session convenors upload their session details – please do not ask individual paper authors to do this.
The online portal is asking for details of individual papers only. How do I submit my full session details?
As above, please ensure you have completed the session expression of interest form before accessing the online portal. This will collect information about your session, and allow us to allocate you a session code for grouping your papers together.