WAC-8 is fast approaching and this post from the WACSC gives advice for students thinking of presenting at the congress. Please note the Call for Papers deadline for WAC-8 has now closed*
Should I present my research at WAC-8?
Yes! Student participation in the academic activities of WAC is extremely important and we encourage students to present their research at WAC-8. WAC is a large international conference and presenting your research at WAC-8 is a fantastic way to showcase your work to, get feedback from, and network with a diverse range of peers from across the globe.
There are three main options for presenting at WAC-8: paper presentation, poster presentation, and forum/workshop/debate participant (the first 2 are most common). In order to present at WAC-8 (like any conference), you first need to submit an individual contribution proposal (aka an abstract), which will then be reviewed by the Scientific Committee. The deadline for submitting your proposal is 30 April 31 May 2016 (note the deadline has now closed). Please go here for comprehensive instructions from the WAC-8 organizing committee on how to submit a proposal.
How do I decide between presenting a paper and a poster?
This is an important decision and it very much depends on the individual and their research. Some students say they prefer to present a poster because they are nervous about public speaking and feel that a poster is a less intimidating way of presenting their research. This may be the case for you, but keep in mind that presenting a poster is not the ‘easy option’ and a poster can also be a very effective way to communicate your research at a conference. Preparing a poster has its own challenges and they also take time and careful consideration to get right (just like a paper presentation). We would encourage students who have this particular question to also discuss their options with their supervisor or relevant professor.
Don’t forget, the deadline for submitting individual contributions for WAC-8 is 30 April 31 May 2016! (Deadline closed) Click here for directions on how to submit.
How do I pick a session to present in?
We would encourage students to seek out sessions that suit their research and there are many to choose from at WAC-8! Click here for the full list of accepted sessions. If you are interested in a particular session but unsure whether your research would ‘fit’ in it or not, you can email the session organiser to seek their opinion on this (a contact email address is available at the top of each session abstract). If you cannot find any session that fits your research, then you can select the category of ‘undecided’ when you submit your abstract and the experienced WAC Scientific Committee will assign your paper to session – but it is always best if you nominate the session yourself.
Poster presenters need to select a ‘Theme number’ (not ‘Session code’) when submitting their contribution through the WAC-8 website. The themes are much broader and define a framework for the academic program at WAC-8. Click here to read the abstract for each WAC-8 theme.
Did we mention the deadline for submitting abstracts for WAC-8 is 30 April 31 May 2016 closed? Please make sure you don’t miss the deadline. The conference organisers have detailed guidelines on how to make a submission.
Do you have any further questions on this topic? Let us know by filling in the contact form below or by emailing us. If we don’t know the answer we can help you find someone who does!
[contact-form to=’wacstudentcommittee@gmail.com’ subject=’Question about presenting at WAC8′][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Question’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]
*Please note that the WACSC does not represent the official conference organizing committee or any other entity of the broader WAC organization. This post is based on the best information we currently have available and we will make sure to update it if the answers change.
* This post has been updated since the Call for Papers deadline for WAC-8 was extended from 30 April to 31 May 2016. The deadline has now closed.