Present
Publish
Participate
Introduction
There are a number of different ways in which you can present, publish and participate in an IAFOR conference, whether in person or virtually.
IAFOR is an exceptional network of individuals and institutions around the world that is dedicated to inspiring global collaborations. We are a trusted global academic organisation and publisher that is supported by some of the world’s finest universities, and enjoys active collaborations across academia, and the public sector. When you join an IAFOR conference, you are joining more than 50,000 academics who have chosen to attend our events, and many thousands who have chosen IAFOR to publish with, whether in Conference Proceedings or in our reviewed and indexed journals.
IAFOR is an exceptional platform for the dissemination of your work, and our fully searchable Research Archive is made freely available online, attracting thousands of searches every single day, making it easier for your work to be seen and shared, and for it to have the highest possible level of impact.
Present
Whether as an oral presenter attending the conference in person, or a virtual presenter attending the conference online, and whether as a standalone presenter or as a part of a panel or roundtable, the oral presentation, testing, and dissemination of our work is integral to the iterative and community processes that allow us both to challenge and develop our ideas, discover problems and solutions, and explore new research paths. It allows our work to find new audiences, and in them potential future contributors and collaborators.
Publish
IAFOR is a trusted and exceptional platform. We understand that you need to publish your work in order to meet the requirements of professional academic development, and to maintain currency in and across the disciplines(s) in which you work. As an academic organisation, we have a duty of care to you and to your work that assures you that accepted abstracts and papers are properly published and archived in our fully searchable online database. That extends to the beautiful presentation of your work online in indexed camera-ready conference proceedings, and with offprints of your article in pdf form sent directly to your inbox, and permanently online, shareable with colleagues and students around the world, allowing for you and your funders to ensure as wide a dissemination as possible.
Participate
Before embarking on any new conference, and beyond simple logistics questions, IAFOR always asks itself the three essential questions: 1) can we add value to the local academic community through international engagement and exposure?; 2) can that local environment and centres of expertise add to the international conversation?; and 3) is this a place in which we can invest in long term collaborations and partnerships? Thus, you can be sure that when you are at an IAFOR conference, the local academic community is a part of shaping the programme, ensuring the event addresses timely issues of both global and local concern.
People engage in conferences in very different ways and with very different goals in mind: these range from the obvious – opportunities to present and publish a paper – to the opportunity to find out more about the local context in a given conference location.
Conferences offer exceptional opportunities for professional and personal networking, in helping to build and nurture the relationships that are necessary to the successful partnerships necessary for the life academic. However, while some people are social butterflies and enjoy meeting with new people, others are not.
Presentation Types
| Presentation Type | Onsite at the Venue | Online via Live-stream | Online via (Pre-Recorded) Virtual Presentation |
| Oral Presentation | |||
| Poster Presentation | |||
| Workshop Presentation | |||
| Panel Presentation | |||
| Roundtable |
Individual Presentation Types
Oral Presentations
(present in-person or online via live-stream * )
This is the most popular presentation type, and one for which most presenters opt. A 15-20 minute standalone presentation, with 5-10 minutes for Q and A, is scheduled in a session of usually two or three other presenters, who act as the main respondents to your presentation. These presentations are scheduled as parallel sessions and are advertised and open to other conference participants in the conference programme.
Poster Presentations
(present in-person or online via pre-recorded virtual presentation * )
A poster is a more informal way of presenting as it allows presenters to give a quick overview of their work, but to tailor the focus to the individual or small group in front of the poster. It is a more conversational way of presenting and particularly popular in the sciences and social sciences, where research is data-driven.
Workshop Presentations
(present in-person or online via live-stream * )
A workshop is a brief, intensive course which is led by an experienced researcher or practitioner, usually with a PhD-level qualification. It facilitates group interaction and the exchange of information between a smaller number of participants than is usual at a plenary session.
Often a workshop involves problem-solving, skills training, or the dissemination of new content or disciplinary approaches. Conference workshops are typically more instructional and interactive in nature than oral presentations and involve participants working with the workshop leader on a particular topical issue.
Group Presentation Types
Organised Panel Sessions
(present in-person presentations or a combination of in-person and online via live-stream (video conferencing)*)
This proposal type and session consist of formal paper presenters (3-5 papers maximum) within a 75 minute presentation, a chair and a moderator (discussant). This session proposal type is submitted by the session organiser as a fully organised session complete with all paper presentation abstracts, a selected chair and discussant.
The session chair briefly introduces the panelists, ensures panelists keep to their allotted presentation time, and moderates the Q and A when needed. Ensuring equal time for all presenters is essential, and chairs must be prepared to end a presentation that will clearly exceed the allotted time by several minutes. All organised panel session proposals should include a chair role. The role of the discussant is to facilitate a discussion among the panelists and attendees.
*Depending on the conference technical support and strength of wifi, video conferencing may be available for live distance video-conferencing at selected venues.
Roundtable Sessions
(present in-person presentations or a combination of in-person and online via live-stream (video conferencing)*)
A Roundtable is a session format at which no formal papers are presented. This format provides opportunities for participants with specific expertise to discuss with each other, and with members of the audience, timely issues or themes. This session type consists of a chair and 3-5 panelists that serve as discussants.
Virtual Presentations
Benefits of Virtual Presentation
Publish: The first thing is that IAFOR makes no distinction in the publishing opportunities it offers to delegates. All abstracts and papers are handled in exactly the same way, and your name will appear in the conference programme.
Present: A live presentation has the advantage of being "live" but also the same disadvantage: a pre-recorded presentation enables you to make sure you are happy with the result without the pressure and time constraints of immediate delivery. You can also incorporate different and varied audiovisual technology that are not possible in a live presentation. A distinct advantage is that the presentation once recorded is uploaded, and archived, allowing for its continued dissemination and use long after the conference, and thus increasing its long term impact.
While it may take longer to prepare, a virtual presentation is certainly quicker, easier, and more cost effective than travelling to an event, with all that entails. If you are a senior academic or administrator, you may simply not have the time to travel to a conference, and if you are junior academic, you may not have the money. If you are suffering from a health condition or a disability then travel may not be possible regardless of whether you have the time or money. If you are the parent or guardian of (young) children, then you may not be, or feel able to travel. You may be making a decision not to travel on ethical grounds relating to climate change, or you may have no choice as to whether you travel or not, being subject to political restrictions, whether from sanctions or travel bans. However, you still want/need to present and publish.
Live-Stream Presentations
Many people around the world are moving meetings, classrooms and events online, and IAFOR is now offering the option to present online, via Zoom. This is an exciting new opportunity for scholars around the world to engage with an international audience without the need to travel.
Live-Stream presentations give speakers the opportunity to avoid expenses and time required to travel, reduce their carbon footprint, and share ideas online. Additionally, many of the same benefits enjoyed by presenters at traditional in-person conferences are also available to online presenters, including presenting one’s work to an international audience and engaging in Q&A, publishing in the Conference Proceedings, and participating in discussions with other scholars around the world.