Panel Proposal Submission Checklist

Panels consist of either three 11-minute papers, a chair, and a respondent; OR three 15-minute papers and a chair; OR four 11-minute papers and a chair.

The chair is responsible for starting the panel on time, briefly introducing the panelists (no more than one minute each), keeping them to their allotted time, and moderating the Q and A. The respondent provides no more than ten minutes of reflection on the papers. This leaves fifteen minutes for Q and A and conversation with the audience. All panel proposals must include a chairperson (who may also serve as respondent); paper presenters may not chair the session in which they are presenting.

All panel organizers must submit a 350-word-maximum session abstract that describes the overall questions and goals of the session, as well as 350-word-maximum abstracts for each paper in the session. The paper abstracts, written by the individual scholars but submitted by the session organizer, should explain the presentation’s purpose, methodology, sources, argument and specific contribution to scholarship in the field. Please be advised that should the session be accepted, the abstracts are made available to the public in the fall.

Any audiovisual equipment (eg., LCD projector) must be requested in the online proposal submission.

PLEASE NOTE: The Program Committee reserves the right to make adjustments to pre-arranged sessions (e.g., add or remove a paper, change the chair, discussant, or respondent) in response to program needs. The Committee will make every effort to notify the session organizer regarding such changes.

Seminar Proposal Proposal Submission Checklist

The seminar format brings together a maximum of eight scholars for two 90–minute meetings over the course of the conference. The goal of this format is to allow for sustained discussion/workshop of a question or problem, and to take advantage of the presence of a diverse range of scholars at the meeting. Participants will not read papers in the seminars; rather, the AJS will post papers on its website in advance, for discussion. Only AJS members will have access to the papers through our password-protected site, and papers will be taken down immediately after the conference. Prior to submission, seminar organizers may invite individuals personally to participate in the seminar, as well as issue a call for participants through the Organizing Session Submissions Form. The call for participants should state the issue to be explored in the seminar, and examples of questions that seminar papers may address. The seminar proposal should include a 350-word-maximum session abstract that describes the question or problem to be explored, as well as a brief, one-sentence description of the topic each participant will address. All seminar proposals must also include a chairperson. Please be advised that should the session be accepted, the abstracts are made available to the public in the fall.

Any audiovisual equipment (eg., LCD projector) must be requested during the online proposal submission.

Please note that by submitting a seminar proposal, the organizer and all participants agree to the following:

Each participant will prepare a paper in advance (10–20 pages in length) and agrees for that paper to be submitted to the AJS by November 20, to be posted on the AJS website in early December. The papers will be housed on a password-protected, members-only section of the MyAJS website. If an author is not willing to post their paper in advance, they should not be part of the seminar proposal.

All seminar participants are expected to read the papers of their fellow participants IN ADVANCE of the conference.

The first 75 minutes of each seminar meeting will be dedicated to presentations and discussion among the seminar participants. In general, each presenter scheduled for the session should present a five-minute synopsis of their work, to be followed by either a respondent among the seminar participants or discussion among the seminar participants. The last 15 minutes of each seminar meeting should be dedicated to comments/questions from the general audience (ie. those not part of the seminar, but attending the session).

Seminar organizers will ensure that physical copies of each abstract are on-hand in each meeting room for distribution to non-participating attendees.

Seminar organizers play a critical role in the success of their seminar. They are the seminar’s representative to the AJS office, and it is their responsibility to ensure the communication of information from the AJS staff to the seminar participants regarding deadlines, procedures, etc. Please take on this role only if you are willing to dedicate the time and attention necessary to ensure a successful and well-organized series of meetings.

PLEASE NOTE: The Program Committee reserves the right to make adjustments to pre-arranged sessions (e.g., add or remove a paper, change the chair, discussant, or respondent) in response to program needs. The Committee will make every effort to notify the session organizer regarding such changes.

Roundtable Proposal Submission Checklist

Roundtables are structured discussions around pre-circulated questions and/or texts  with the option to share materials publicly to encourage more robust session audience participation. The session consists of 3–5 discussants and a moderator, who takes a more active role in the session than a traditional panel chair. Discussants may not serve as moderators. A Zoom moderator is required for Hybrid and Conversation Series proposals.

The roundtable is not a forum for the presentation of short papers; discussants may not read papers and may prepare no more than 3–5 minute responses to the questions being discussed. The purpose of this format is discussion and interchange among a group of scholars about a debate, question, or issue in the field. Participants will be seated in a semi-circle, and will speak to each other rather than from a podium. The moderator will pose the questions and control the time given to each discussant to respond. In order to make for an informed and lively dialogue, moderators should email questions to discussants at least two weeks before the conference, and ask discussants to prepare short responses for each. While the best roundtables incorporate spontaneity and unexpected exchanges, they also benefit from advance preparation and reflection.

Those submitting a roundtable proposal must submit a 350-word-maximum session abstract that describes the overall goals of the session; the questions (usually three or four) that the discussants will address; and the perspective that each discussant will represent (i.e., a two-three sentence description of each participant’s role, including that of the moderator). Roundtable proposals that do not adequately detail the session’s guiding questions, and each participant’s role/contribution, will not be accepted. All roundtable proposals must include a moderator. Please be advised that should the session be accepted, the abstracts are made available to the public in the fall.

Any audiovisual equipment (eg., LCD projector) must be requested in the online proposal submission.

PLEASE NOTE: The Program Committee reserves the right to make adjustments to pre-arranged sessions (e.g., add or remove a paper, change the chair, discussant, or respondent) in response to program needs. The Committee will make every effort to notify the session organizer regarding such changes.

Lightning Session Proposal Submission Checklist

Lightning Sessions consist of a short presentations by 5–7 presenters and a chair. Each panelist presents for approximately 5–8 minutes, followed by general discussion. A Zoom moderator is required for Hybrid and Conversation Series proposals.

The chair is responsible for starting the panel on time, briefly introducing the panelists (no more than one minute each), keeping them to their allotted time, and moderating the Q and A.

All panel organizers must submit a 350-word-maximum session abstract that describes the overall questions and goals of the session, as well as 350-word-maximum abstracts for each paper in the session. The paper abstracts, written by the individual scholars but submitted by the session organizer, should explain the presentation’s purpose, methodology, sources, argument and specific contribution to scholarship in the field. Please be advised that should the session be accepted, the abstracts are made available to the public in the fall.

Any audiovisual equipment (eg., LCD projector) must be requested in the online proposal submission.

PLEASE NOTE: The Program Committee reserves the right to make adjustments to pre-arranged sessions (e.g., add or remove a paper, change the chair, discussant, or respondent) in response to program needs. The Committee will make every effort to notify the session organizer regarding such changes.

Performance_Scholarship Session Proposal Submission Checklist

Performance/Scholarship is a presentation method available at the AJS Conference for scholars who would like to infuse live performance into their presentations. To allow for sufficient time for such presentations, this type of submission should include one to three presenters and/or performers, along with a chair and an optional respondent. A Zoom moderator is required for Hybrid and Conversation Series proposals.

Submissions should include abstracts from each presenter/performer (max. 350 words) that properly detail both the scholarly argument and the artistic performance. Please be advised that should the session be accepted, the abstracts are made available to the public in the fall.

Note: The AJS has extremely limited A/V options for performances. We highly recommend that you reach out to the AJS prior to membership renewal/enrollment and proposal submission to discuss your A/V options.

PLEASE NOTE: The Program Committee reserves the right to make adjustments to pre-arranged sessions (e.g., add or remove a paper, change the chair, discussant, or respondent) in response to program needs. The Committee will make every effort to notify the session organizer regarding such changes.

Individual Paper Proposal Submission Checklist

Those who are submitting a paper individually (not as part of pre-formed sessions) are required to submit a 350-word (maximum) abstract, in addition to their contact information, division, and A/V requests if necessary. The abstract for an individual paper must explain the presentation’s purpose, methodology, sources, argument and specific contribution to scholarship in the field. In composing your abstract, please bear in mind the time allotted for your presentation (15–18 minutes). The Program Committee will assign accepted proposals to a session based on recommendations from the Division Chairs. Please be advised that should the paper be accepted and placed into a session, the abstract will be made available to the public in the fall.