How to Write a Conference Proposal
Attending conferences is a great opportunity to advance your career and share your research with the wider academic community.
To access these opportunities, you need to create a proposal that catches the attention of conference organisers. By carefully reading and aligning your proposal with the conference’s call for papers (CFP), you can increase your chances of being selected to present your work and engage in valuable scholarly discussions.
WHAT ARE CALLS FOR PAPERS?
The CFP is an open invitation to submit your work for the conference. The CFP includes detailed information about what the organizers are looking for in a proposal to ensure that the right kind of proposals are submitted. It typically outlines the conference’s main themes and specific criteria that the submissions should meet. It is crucial to read the CFP thoroughly. By paying close attention to the expectations set out in the CFP, you can tailor your submission to align perfectly with the organizers’ vision.
Here are some things you must pay attention to when reading the CFP and preparing your submission:
Goals and purpose of the conference
Context and buzzwords
Delegate types
Speaker types
Submission formats
Details and deadlines
KNE CLUE: HOW TO CHOOSE A JOURNAL
When writing a proposal, it’s important to craft your submission to the organizers’ expectations. While the specific criteria of conference organizers can vary widely depending on the event’s focus, the subject matter, and the audience, there are some broad categories that almost every organizer considers when evaluating a proposal
Crafting a strong proposal involves more than just summarizing your research; it requires you to clearly articulate how your work aligns with the conference’s goals and why it deserves a spot on the program. To do this effectively, your proposal should include several key points that organizers will likely consider when evaluating submissions.
KNE CLUE: CHOOSING YOUR TOPIC
When selecting a topic for your conference proposal, it’s crucial to choose something new or approach an existing topic from a fresh perspective. By presenting new research findings, methodologies, or theories, you demonstrate your ability to contribute to your field, making your proposal stand out. Detail how your findings or arguments contribute to the discussion the conference seeks to promote and why your work will be relevant and engaging for the conference audience.
KNE CLUE: CHOOSING YOUR KEYWORDS
When choosing keywords for your conference proposal, consider how to best represent your research’s core themes, methods, and findings. Reflect on the primary research question, the theoretical framework, and the methodologies used.
Think about what search terms you would use if you were looking for similar research online. Consider the terms you would use in a Google search to find content related to your topic. If your search terms generate relevant content that aligns with your research, these are likely strong keywords for your proposal.
Additionally, reviewing published articles on your topic can provide extra ideas for keywords. Drawing inspiration from well-cited articles in reputable journals can help you refine your keyword list.
KNE CLUE: CHOOSING YOUR TITLE
When choosing a title for your paper for a conference proposal, it is important to consider several key elements that will make your title both compelling and effective:
Short
Aim for a title that is memorable and easy to understand at a glance, ideally keeping it within 10-12 words. A short title is also more likely to be remembered by conference organisers.
Interesting
Use engaging language that provokes thought. Consider what makes your research compelling or unique, and try to reflect this in your title to attract interest.
Relevance
The title should be directly related to the conference’s theme and topics. Make sure your title clearly reflects how your research fits within the event’s scope.
Include keywords
Incorporating relevant keywords into your title is essential for visibility and discoverability. Keywords help conference organisers and attendees quickly identify the main focus of your research.
Accuracy
The title must accurately represent the content of your paper. It should provide a clear and honest indication of what your research entails, avoiding misleading or overly broad statements.
KNE CLUE: STRUCTURE OF YOUR PROPOSAL
The structure of your proposal needs to be clear, logical, and well-organized to effectively communicate your research objectives, methods, findings, and relevance to the conference theme. It should ideally be split into two to three paragraphs.
In the first paragraph, provide an engaging introduction to your topic, an overview of your research field, an outline of the knowledge gap or problem your paper addresses, a summary of the theory used to address this problem, and the significance of that theory.
In the second paragraph, include a concise description of your research methodology, a summary of key findings or outcomes, and a conclusion that highlights the impact of your research on the broader field.