The FAQ below addresses some of the most common queries about submissions and reviews. If you are unable to find an answer to your question, please the ISEC2020 Administration Office by using the form below.
Abstract Submission
The first round of submissions review will close on November 30th; you will be notified by December 15th at the latest.
The second round of submissions review will begin on Dec 1st and will close on March 31st; you will be notified of acceptance by June 1st.
How do I submit a proposal for a conference?
You may submit an abstract for an individual presentation through our online submission system. Authors are limited to two submissions per conference.
Login to My IAFOR or Create an account
Your email address will be used as your username and you will be asked to create a password. Please be aware that the information you enter when creating your account will be used for official Letters of Acceptance, Letters of Invitation, and Conference Programmes, so please ensure correct spelling of names, affiliated institutions, and so forth.
Submit to a Conference
Submit your abstract (maximum 250 words), choosing from the available presentation formats.
Receive a Confirmation
After submission, you will receive an automatic confirmation that your abstract has been received.
Initial Screening
Your submission will be reviewed by staff to ensure it conforms to accepted academic norms, and to screen out incomplete submissions.
Review
Your submission will be blind reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers.
Final Review
Your submission will receive a final review by a member of the Organising Committee.
Result Notification
A result notification will be sent to you generally within four weeks of submission.
Registration
Accepted submitters will be invited to register. In order to be included in the Conference Programme, accepted submitters are required to register by the registration deadline. Upon payment of the registration fee, you will receive a confirmation email containing your official receipt.
How many papers can I propose? How many times can I present?
You may submit a maximum of two abstracts to the conference. Delegates wishing to present two papers are eligible for a 50% discount off the registration rate for their second paper. Please contact the IAFOR Administration Office
Can I present a paper that has already been, or will be, presented at another conference?
Presenting research that has already been presented elsewhere is not acceptable. It is expected that any paper presented at an IAFOR conference is the original work of the presenter and has not been presented or published elsewhere. Presenting material that has been accepted for publication in a journal or other publication, but which has not gone to print before the conference, is permitted, provided it has not already been presented elsewhere. Full details of where the material will be published should be provided on submission.
Can I co-present a paper?
Yes. However, co-presented papers are given the same 25-minute time slot (including time for Q&A) as papers presented by a single individual. Each attending author must register for the conference individually.
How can I check the status of my submission?
The status of your submission may be checked through your Account on My IAFOR.
- Processing: Your submission is being reviewed in-house to see if they conform to accepted academic norms, and to screen out incomplete or time-wasting submissions.
- For Review: Your submission is being reviewed
- For Final: Your submission has been sent to the Organising Committee for a final review
- On Hold: Your submission has been put on hold. This is usually because some information is missing.
- Rejected: Your submission has not been selected for the conference.
- Accepted: Your submission has been selected for the conference. A Letter of Acceptance is available for download on your account page.
- Withdrawn: Your submission has been withdrawn from the conference.
- Flagged: Your submission has been put on hold. This is usually because there is a problem with your submission.
I’m not sure if I’ll be able to attend the conference. Should I submit a proposal anyway?
Please submit proposals only if you plan to attend the conference. If you think you may not have time to attend, may not be able to finish a paper, or may not be able to get funding, consider waiting until next year to submit your proposal. A lot of work goes into processing, reading, evaluating and scheduling every paper, panel and workshop, so please be respectful of the time spent on this by the Organising Committee and Review Committee, as well as by the IAFOR Administration Office.
If I can’t attend the conference, can someone else present my paper?
Yes – a listed co-author may present without you. If you and your co-authors are unable to attend the conference in person, please consider registering as Virtual Presenters.
How are proposals assessed?
After your abstract is submitted online it will undergo double-blind peer review. For further details please read our review and grading guidelines.
Why was my proposal rejected?
There are a number of reasons why a submission may be rejected. Your submission may:
- be considered to contain unoriginal work;
- not be relevant to the conference in question;
- have language and comprehension difficulties;
- not be considered to meet the standards required for presentation.
Are the proposals of professors or senior academics given preference over those of graduate students and independent researchers?
No. All proposals are examined on their own merits. IAFOR welcomes appropriate contributions from a variety of backgrounds and levels of scholarship.
Can I substitute a different paper after my paper has been accepted?
No. Your proposal was assessed and accepted based on its individual merits, and may not be substituted for a different paper following acceptance. If you would like to present another paper, please submit a separate abstract.
Can I change the title of my proposal after it is submitted?
Yes – for title changes, please contact the IAFOR Administration Office. Note that while your title may change, the content of your presentation must remain consistent with your accepted abstract.
How are presentations scheduled?
The conference organisers are responsible for scheduling presentations. Time and room assignments are to some extent based on equipment needs, and efforts are made not to have too many panels or workshops on similar topics competing in a single time slot or bunched together on a single day. Because of the complexity of putting the Conference Programme together and the large numbers of participants involved, it is not usually possible to accommodate requests for specific days or times.
Can I request a day and time for my presentation?
Because of the complexity of putting the Conference Programme together and the large numbers of participants involved, it is not usually possible to accommodate requests for specific presentation days or times. We ask that you reserve requests for religious reasons or other exceptional and unavoidable circumstances.
We encourage participants to attend the conference each day in order to benefit fully from the experience. While requests for specific presentation days or times are not accepted other than under exceptional circumstances, you may request one blackout day – a day on which you will not be scheduled to present at the conference. To make a schedule request, please contact the IAFOR Administration Office.
Scheduling requests will not be accepted after the registration deadline.