How to Organize a Call for Papers – Step by Step

• ℹ️What is a call for papers and why is it crucial for conferences?
• 😓Challenges when organizing a call for papers
  • Lots of manual work
  • Time pressure
  • Lack of overview
  • Communicating with submitters and reviewers
  • Unclear guidelines
  • Data protection & compliance
  • Complex review processes
• ✔️Checklist: How to prepare your call for papers
• ✔️Checklist: Starting a call for papers
• ✔️Checklist: Announcing the call for papers
• ✔️Checklist: Important information for authors prior to submitting papers
• ❓FAQ
  • How long is an ideal call for papers?
  • When is the best time to publish a call for papers?
  • How much time do authors need in advance?
  • How many reviewers do you need per paper?
  • Should you aim for an international call for papers?
  • How do you handle lots of abstract submissions?
  • What happens when you only receive a handful of paper submissions?
  • How do you keep authors in the loop regarding the state of their abstract?
• ⏩What's next after the call for papers?

ℹ️What is a call for papers and why is it crucial for conferences?

The call for papers is a call for submitting academic papers to a scientific conference. It is sometimes also referred to as a call for abstracts.

The organizer of the call for papers is the conference president or the institution behind the president. This can be an academic society, an association, or an institution. The call for papers is aimed at anyone who has something to contribute to the conference in terms of subject matter and who would like to help shape the program.

😓Challenges when organizing a call for papers

Lots of manual work

Many organizers still rely on emails for their calls for papers. They even receive the paper submissions by email. The organization team has to sort through them, forward them, convert the files into a single format, and perhaps ask authors for further information. The more submissions arrive, the more work there is to do.

Time pressure

Deadlines are tight. Time and again, submissions arrive at the last minute, putting extra pressure on the review team. Without a buffer and clear processes, schedules can easily be thrown off track. Realistic scheduling and automatic reminders can help avoid stress.

Lack of overview

As soon as several people are involved in the call for papers, things start to get confusing: Which submissions are still with the reviewers? Who has yet to revise their abstract? Without any kind of central management, information gets lost bewtween emails, spreadsheets, and to-do lists. And sometimes these different sources even contradict each other.

Communicating with submitters and reviewers

Countless emails are exchanged between submission, review, and response to the authors. Without automated processes, you have to send confirmations, reminders, and queries manually. Even if you use some templates, this takes a long time and is prone to errors (incorrect salutation, forgotten salutation, forgotten attachment – does that sound familiar?).

Unclear guidelines

Without guidelines, abstracts will come in a wide variety of formats. Some have the wrong file format, others are too short or incorrectly formatted. Means: you have to go back to square one and start all over again. More work on your part.

Data protection & compliance

Personal data of authors or reviewers often ends up in unprotected Excel lists or email attachments. This poses risks and sometimes makes it accessible to unauthorized persons. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies at universities and within the EU. This would therefore be a clear violation.

Complex review processes

Many conferences prefer multi-stage blind reviews, in which a paper is assigned to multiple reviewers. Scientifically, this is particularly thorough, but also particularly challenging, because after each round, the abstracts must be forwarded to the next person.

We have compiled practical tips on how to successfully review contributions in our article on peer review at conferences.

✔️Checklist: How to prepare your call for papers

• Who are potential reviewers?
  
  Do you recruit your reviewers from a scientific association or faculty? Or do you invite luminaries from a particular field of research? Or do the reviewers even belong to the circle of submitters?
  
• What is the maximum number of papers a reviewer should be assigned?
  Ask yourself: How many papers can you reasonably expect one person to review? Who are the reviewers and what other tasks do they have? How knowledgeable are they? What can each individual accomplish?
  
• Is the review process simple or complex?
  
  Simple means that the conference president reviews all submissions and decides whether or not they will be part of the conference. This is the time-saving option. No one else has to do anything or provide any input. There are no feedback loops between reviewers and the conference president.
  
  Complex usually refers to a multi-stage process. Each paper is reviewed by several experts. As the organizer, you need a well-timed schedule that includes a time buffer in case one of the stages takes longer than expected. In any case, work backwards from an important date, such as the release of the program.
  
• When do you have to inform the authors?
  
  Authors often wait to see if their submission is accepted before purchasing a ticket for the conference.
  
  By then, special booking periods with early bird prices are usually over. Some authors might be a bit annonyed when they are left with the expensive ticket option only. Consider whether you would like to offer special prices for authors.
  
• By when do you need feedback from authors on whether they will be attending the conference?
  
  Obviously, an abstract can only become part of the program once you know whether the author will be attending. This is quick and easy if you are only publishing your program digitally anyway. In this case, even last-minute changes are no problem.
  
  The situation is different for printed programs (if you still go with that option). You have to plan backwards then. First, choose the date on which you want to send out the program. Then calculate how long each step will take until the program is completely finished (printed, approved, proofs, creation, content completed).

✔️Checklist: Starting a call for papers

• Call or preface by the conference president
  
  This is not mandatory, but it gives your call for papers a personal touch.
  
  It shows appreciation for authors and invites them to enrich the scientific program with their papers.
• Main topics of the conference
  
  These provide guidance for potential authors and answer the most important question: “Does my work fit in with this conference?”
• Topics for which you would like submissions
  
  If these are already the main topics of the conference and you are keeping your call for papers fairly broad, you do not need to go into detail again.
  
  If you have several topics, list them here.
• Presentation formats (posters, lectures, workshops, sessions, etc.)
  
  Give the submitter the option to make a preliminary selection here.
  
  They decide how active and practical they think their submission will be. This is important for your program planning. Posters can be displayed throughout the conference. Workshops are limited to a small group of people, but are very practical. And each format has its own requirements in terms of space and technology.
  
  Present all the options you offer. It is always important to include a few details about the procedure for each. Example lecture format: total length 40 minutes, including 10 minutes for questions.
• Conference language
  
  This depends on the target audience. International conferences usually use English as the general conference language.
• Link for submitting papers or abstracts
  
  The conference website serves several purposes. It explains to authors where and how to submit their abstracts and papers. The organizing team uses it to publish the latest news.
• Deadlines
  • How long can submissions be made?
    
    It is normal for submissions to start slowly and pick up speed shortly before the deadline comes to a close. Many organizers therefore extend the deadline. Check in good time whether you have the leeway to do so.
  • When will you inform the authors of the results?
    
    This is a very important date for the submitters. For many authors, the decision whether or not to take part in a conference depends on whether their paper gets accepted.
  • When will the program go online?
    
    Once authors can see their presentations in the program, they will decide whether to attend the entire conference or only the day on which they are scheduled to present. Always work with the designation “provisional program.” Experience shows that you will have to reschedule a few program items. This is often because authors are unable to present on the originally planned day.
• General information about the conference (website URL, dates, location)
  
  Submitters will likely also attend the conference. Therefore, they primarily need more information about the event and at least a link to the conference website.
• Any special conditions and registration periods for authors
  
  Authors of independent contributions provide a large proportion of the content for a conference. Show your appreciation to these individuals by offering them special registration fees and periods.
• If known: submission of manuscripts or presentations
  
  If authors know this, they also know what they still need to prepare and how much work they will have to do when submitting their research.
• Information on poster and/or presentation prizes, if applicable
  
  Prizes create incentives and will likely result in more submissions.

✔️Checklist: Announcing the call for papers

• Direct emails to potential participants
  
  This is the most direct form of communication. You may still have the addresses from previous conferences, or you can research them. Consider doctors for a medical conference or researchers from specific fields.
• Supplement in scientific journals
  
  There are renowned journals for every topic and every field. Check the publication dates in advance and consider how this fits in with your schedule for the call for papers.
• Display at universities and scientific institutes
  
  In contrast to the often rather expensive insert in professional scientific journals, this option is cost-effective. However, you will still need to research addresses. It is difficult to check whether the recipients really put up your call for papers or goes straight to the recyling bin.
• Insert in conference bags at conferences on related topics
  
  This is a great option for drawing the attention of potential participants to the conference when they are already in the mood for conferences. Perhaps you can make a deal with the other organizing team. Then your two events can promote each other.
• Information at related conferences
  
  As an alternative to the previous point. Perhaps there are no goodie bags at the other conference or the supplement is too expensive, in which case information alone may suffice.
• Member mailings from professional associations
  
  Professional associations often support each other. However, this is only possible if there is no competition on the conference topic.
  
  An example: The member addresses of the association of all general practitioners are certainly of interest to the annual conference of the German Hypertension League, as the association’s members often deal with the topic of “blood pressure.”
• Websites of related professional associations/institutes
  
  You probably won’t have direct access to member addresses. However, members often visit the website of their professional association. Ask if it would be possible to include a small nod to your call for papers. Maybe in the form of an image?
• Event calendars
  
  Some professional associations have their own event calendars. These also offer space for your call for papers.
  
• Social media
  
  News about the call for papers or your finished program is best placed where potential participants are likely to be found. This could be LinkedIn or ResearchGate.
• Free distribution
  
  This is more interesting events that address the general public. Otherwise, conventional flyers tend to get lost in the crowd. We do not recommend this for specialist conferences.

✔️Checklist: Important information for authors prior to submitting papers

• General information on the paper submission process
  
  When will the authors learn about the results of the paper review? When will the preliminary program be available on the website?
• Form of submission
  
  The decisive factor here is whether the abstracts consist solely of text or whether other data also plays a role. In the latter case, uploading would be the better option.
  
  There are several options here:
  • plain text
  • HTML form
  • file upload
  • a combination of plain text and upload
• Format specifications
  
  You decide whether to give authors freedom or to specify an outline (introduction, main section, conclusion).
  
  If you are planning to publish conference proceedings, provide a template for download. This will ensure that all papers are formatted in the same way.
• Maximum number of characters or maximum file size
  
  If you plan on printing material, let that be your guide: How many characters of continuous text fit on an A4 page, for example?
• Use of special characters, formulas, images, etc.
  
  This depends on the scientific field of the conference. A psychology conference often does not require formulas. A physics conference does. If authors have to enter text when submitting, special characters and formulas should be available. Make it as simple as possible for them to submit their work.
• If applicable, agreement to the terms of publication and/or the terms and conditions
  
  Consider the legal aspects. For instance, clearly communicate that authors also grant permission for their paper to be published later. They should learn about this during the submission process, not afterwards.
• Planned publications
  
  Of course, authors should also know where and when their paper will appear and in what form. A publication notice protects you with regard to the use of the papers.
• If limited: maximum number of papers that can be submitted and notice of paid presentations
  
  More and more organizers are charging a higher participation fee for speakers who want to give more than one presentation at the conference. However, authors should be aware of this in advance. If there’s a fee at your conference, now is the time to tell authors about it.
• If possible: Session submission
  
  At some conferences, participants can submit not only abstracts but entire sessions. Please note that you will need professional software to do this. Simple forms are often not sufficient for this purpose.
• Required data from authors and co-authors
  
  Ask submitters to pay attention to the order in which authors appear. Who is the author? Who is the co-author? Often not the alphabetical order is crucial but rather the order of importance or the extent of contribution to the paper.

❓FAQ

How long is an ideal call for papers?

A call for papers should be as short as possible and as detailed as necessary. As a rule, a few paragraphs are usually enough to clearly give people a general idea about the topic, target audience, deadlines, and submission criteria. Structure is more important than length: organize the call for papers clearly and highlight key information such as deadlines and submission guidelines.

When is the best time to publish a call for papers?

The ideal time is approximately six to twelve months before the conference starts. That’s enough to give authors time to prepare and submit their abstracts. If your conference is an annual one, try to announce the call for papers right after the current conference has ended. The community is still very much invested at this point.

How much time do authors need in advance?

Give authors at least two to three months to submit their abstracts. For larger conferences or complex topics, a longer period may be even better. Be sure to communicate the schedule clearly. If necessary, extend the submission period. Judging from what we always see with our customers’ conferences: A large number of abstracts usually arrive shortly before the deadline is over.

How many reviewers do you need per paper?

Ideally, each paper should be reviewed by two to three experts. This ensures that you receive balanced reviews. If you have a very large conferences or your pool of reviewers is quite small, two reviews per abstract might be enough – as long as the process is clearly documented and transparent.

Should you aim for an international call for papers?

That depends on your conference’s topic and target audience. If the topic is interesting for international researchers but you’re not from an English-speaking country, it makes sense to publish your call for papers in English, too. This will expand the pool of potential submissions and increase the visibility of your conference.

How do you handle lots of abstract submissions?

When you’re faced with a large number of abstract submissions, it’s especially important to have clear review guidelines and a structured process when it comes to assigning them to reviewers. Professional abstract software can manage this. If it turns out that you’ve got lots of well-received papers, convert some of them into posters or short presentations so they can all be part of the conference.

What happens when you only receive a handful of paper submissions?

If fewer authors than expected submit their abstracts, push your call for papers more heavily. Consider other ways to publish it or try publishing it over the existing channels again (and again). Extend the submission period. Or approach people who could contribute to the conference and offer them a presentation slot directly.

How do you keep authors in the loop regarding the state of their abstract?

Regular status updates are important. Your conference website should provide information about when the reviews will be completed. Are there any changes to the schedule? Put it on the website as well or send a newsletter to all authors. Build trust and reduce the number of email inquiries by centralizing your communication channels (= use a single software for all things connected to your call for papers).

⏩What’s next after the call for papers?