There can be some concern among students applying to conferences for the first time. This guide will help you navigate the initial steps of conference participation.

First, study the Call for Papers and ask if this is the right conference for you. Then, read the CFP carefully and ask what aspect of it your paper will address. Scan it for the essential information. How long does the abstract need to be? When is the deadline? When and where is the actual conference and are you available on those dates? Can you budget the trip or is online participation available? How do you submit? What material have they asked for at the initial stage?

Conferences often decide your participation based on the abstracts you send in, in response to the CFP. This is also true of some academic publications. The abstract can often be accompanied by an author bio and even a CV.

Author Bio:

• Include your name, pronouns, and affiliation in the first line. Thereafter, you may include your educational qualifications, any publications or talks you’ve done, or even a brief list of your research interests. Some people choose to provide their website/professional social media, but this is entirely optional.
• For academic events, casual information like hobbies, interests and so on are best avoided. This is the first time the other participants will know about you as a scholar before they meet you at the conference or hear you talk. Keep it formal and professional.

CV:

• Send only if requested

Abstracts:

Abstract (noun): a summary of points (as of a writing) usually presented in skeletal form; also: something that summarizes or concentrates the essentials of a larger thing or several things. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online)

The key aspects of an abstract are its clarity, coherence and concision.

Start each abstract with a title!

• Titles can be catchy and memorable. But it is more important that they indicate what the paper is going to be about.
• Ensure that you include the name of the author(s)/text(s) you’re working on and the key critical concern(s). Your audience/selection committee should know what to expect from your paper.
• Keep in mind that it should connect to the theme of the conference or special edition of the publication. If there is no particular theme, you still need to be clear about yours.
• You may try using a key word from the conference CFP

Stick to the word count

• If the organizers have asked for a 200- or 300-word abstract, do not exceed this. This is also true for author bios.

Have a bold opening sentence.

• You have a limited word count to make your impact. State your agenda outright. What is your topic? And what do you want to say about it? Do so confidently.

Provide only the essential background and do so briefly.

• You may focus on indicating what work has been done or in what methodology your paper will be grounded. However, you do not need to refer in-depth to other work at this stage and you don’t need a works cited list.

Consider what your paper does that is new/additional/different.

• What are you adding to the conversation? What new dimensions of inquiry are you identifying? This is a solid way to end your abstract and leave you audience wanting to attend your panel and hear you speak.

Do not miss the deadline for abstract submissions.

What to avoid:

• It can be useful to pose a question in your abstract but ensure that you do address the question or at least its significance. Raising too many questions will deny you room to develop your argument with proper methodology and evidence.
• You are not expected to have a paper ready when you submit the abstract, but you should have done enough research to be prepared to write on a specific topic adequately.
• Avoid making too many/ too grand promises in the abstract. Conference papers tend to be 15-20 minutes long. Ensure what you offer is within the scope. Your paper length can vary based on how you speak and how well you use the slides
• Avoid too much jargon. Conferences are verbal and you may have audiences from all levels of higher education. Your paper should reach everyone.
• Avoid writing too broadly about a topic. Keep it specific.
• Avoid repeating your claims

Remember that conferences may be working with their own conventions for abstracts and papers, and you should follow these if they are set out. Also remember that rejections from conferences are often about their logistics and capacity and a lot of other issues that the organizers must contend with. You can always submit to other conferences with adjustments to your abstract as needed.

Additional Resources for writing conference papers and abstracts:

“Writing an abstract for a conference paper”, Wayne State University

“Writing Conference Abstracts”, Dr Laura Varnam