Step-by-Step Guidelines for Submitting All Proposals

Step 1: Note that all proposals must be submitted electronically via our website link (opening soon) by midnight EST on March 1, 2010.  Late submissions will not be considered.

Step 2: Indicate whether you are submitting your proposal for the General Conference Session and identify the appropriate theme (see About the Theme above) or the Program Administration and Development or Women’s Centers Pre-Conferences.  

Step 3: The National Women's Studies Association especially encourages complete panel/session submissions.  Note that full panels must include at least three presenters with complete contact information and affiliation for ALL panel participants as well as a non-presenting moderator who will be charged with introducing speakers, keeping time, and coordinating discussion.  Moderators will be listed in the conference program and must register for the conference.  NWSA will assist with assigning moderators for individual proposals.

The Proposal Review Committee encourages members to use NWSA electronic resources and other listserves to network and find colleagues with whom to develop a complete panel.  NWSA bulletin boards and/or its web site will also serve as resources for those soliciting potential panelists on topics of mutual interest.

Step 4: Note the option to submit poster session proposals; selecting this option increases the likelihood of acceptance due to limited breakout session space. 

Step 5: Please note that NWSA will provide limited audiovisual equipment for General Conference Sessions and encourages presenters to consider using alternative formats such as handouts to convey visual information.  Presenters will know if they have received audiovisual-equipped rooms when the online schedule becomes available in mid-June.  

Step 6: Identify the appropriate session format for your proposal.  Full details on session types are listed below. 

GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION FORMATS
Panel vs. Individual Paper and Other Session Formats

Panels provide an opportunity for examining specific problems or topics from a variety of perspectives given that they include 3-4 participants. Panels may present alternative solutions, interpretations, or contrasting points of view on a specified subject or in relation to a common theme.  Panel members are expected to prepare papers addressing central questions described in the proposal.  The National Women's Studies Association and the Proposal Review Committee especially encourage complete panel submissions.

Individual Paper proposals are submitted individually and arranged into sessions by the Proposal Review Committee.  In paper sessions, authors present 10-12 minute papers followed by audience discussion. A typical structure for a session with four papers allows approximately 5 minutes for the moderator to introduce the session, 10 minutes for each presenter, and 30 minutes for discussion. 

IMPORTANT: Due to meeting room space constraints, individual paper submissions are frequently converted into poster sessions.  NWSA strongly encourages presenters who wish to deliver traditional papers to organize complete panels with colleagues.

Sponsored Sessions may be submitted by NWSA Caucuses on topics of particular interest to caucus members and NWSA members as a whole.  One sponsored session per caucus will be offered space in the Conference Program if submissions are received by the proposal deadline and proposals meet review criteria.  Task forces and interest groups may also submit proposals for sponsored sessions, but please note that these slots are not guaranteed.

Roundtables typically include a moderator and 4-6 presenters who make brief, informal remarks about a specific idea or project.  They allow for extensive discussion and audience participation.

Poster Sessions present research or analysis on a topic by combining graphics and text on a 4’x8’ board.  The poster session presenter is available during an assigned session time in order to interact on a one-on-one basis with the attendees viewing the poster.  A well-planned poster communicates its message in a visually and textually powerful way, allowing the attendee to grasp the information quickly.  Detailed instructions on the preparation of posters are available.

Workshops provide an opportunity to exchange information or work on a common problem, project, or shared interest.  Workshops are typically experientially oriented, grounded in some sort of women’s and gender studies research agenda, and include brief presentations that allow adequate time for reflective discussion and interaction.

IMPORTANT: All panel proposals must include complete contact information for AT LEAST THREE participants PLUS a non-presenting moderator.  Incomplete panels with fewer than three participants will not be considered for review.  Workshops and roundtable proposals that feature multiple participants must include all participants’ names and contact information at the time of proposal submission.   In rare cases a one-person workshop may be considered, but the proposal should indicate why the presenter is uniquely suited to address the topic independently.

FIND OTHERS FOR YOUR PANEL Visit the forum board for proposal discussion and collaboration OPEN TO EVERYONE (NWSA membership NOT required)

Proposal Submission Requirements
Different session formats carry different submission requirements.  We recommend reviewing the requirements below and assembling your proposal in a Word document from which you cut and paste before logging in to the submission system.

Panels

• Panel title
• Panel rationale (75-150 words) that describes the logic by which the papers are grouped
• Individual paper titles and individual paper abstracts (50-100 words) for each of the 3-4 papers that comprise the panel

Individual Papers and Poster Sessions

• Paper or poster title
• Paper or poster abstract (50-100 words)
• Paper or poster rationale (100-250 words)

Roundtables and Workshops

• Roundtable or workshop title
• Roundtable or workshop abstract (50-100 words)
• Roundtable or workshop rationale (100-250 words)

Sponsored Sessions are typically panel proposals and must comply with the guidelines above, whatever form they take.

Abstracts explain to conference attendees the proposal’s topic, foci, and/or goals in a clear and succinct manner in the program.  Abstracts may be revised or edited for the printed program. 

Proposal rationales and abstracts serve as the basis for evaluation by the Proposal Review Committee and should include some or all of the following, as appropriate:

• Objective or purpose of the paper, panel, workshop, etc.
• Perspective and/or theoretical framework and/or references to relevant texts, research, or on-going debates in women’s and gender studies or related fields
• Results and/or conclusions and point of view
• Relevance to the conference theme or subtheme
• Discussion of how the session will be structured

IMPORTANT: All proposal rationales MUST be explicit about how the proposed poster, panel, paper, roundtable, or workshop is grounded in specific texts, authors, or research relevant to contemporary women’s and gender studies, queer studies, ethnic studies, or other related fields. Remember to remove any IDENTIFYING INFORMATION (individual or institution names, for example) that would compromise NWSA’s commitment to anonymous review. Proposal rationales assist proposal reviewers with evaluating the session or paper’s appropriateness for inclusion in the conference program. Abstracts and proposal rationale may not exceed word limits above. Incomplete proposals will not be considered.