In Advance:

1. Presenters should circulate their work to the Chair, Discussants, and other panelists prior to the event (at least five days in advance).
2. Presenters should also upload their work to the ISA paper archive so that ISA members and fellow attendees may engage their papers and prepare for discussion.
3. Presenters should structure their talk according to Chair guidelines, paying close attention to time limits.
4. Panelists should also expect both the Chair and Discussant to communicate with them — and all panel members — prior to the event. Chairs will set procedural guidelines for the panel structure, order of presenters, time allotted per presentation, Q&A guidelines, etc. Likewise, Discussants will reach out to the panelist and the whole group will be expecting to be able to read a copy of the work to be presented before the session.
5. In the event of a status change in participation or attending the event, Panelists must inform the Convention Program Chairs (isa2023@isanet.org) at the earliest possible date, particularly if their status change or availability is likely to impinge upon participation. Failure to show without prior notification may impact your inclusion in ISA programs in future years.

During the Convention:

1. Panelists should deliver their carefully prepared research paper and presentation, with emphasis on the typical component parts of a research essay (research questions, hypotheses, and thesis; literature review; methodologies; analysis; conclusion, etc.).
2. The panelist should present their research within the allocated time frame defined by the Chair.

Notes:

1. If your paper includes co-authors, be sure to indicate to the Chair whether co-authors will be attending the session as well.
2. If the presenters fail to share their papers with their fellow panelists at least 5 days in advance of the session, the Discussant is under no obligation to read or engage the individual’s work.
3. If you are unable to attend/present, please let the Convention Program Chairs (isa2023@isanet.org) know as soon as possible. Failure to show without prior notification hurts your fellow panelists and attendees, and may impact your inclusion in ISA programs in future years.

A number of our specialty sessions have additional/different requirements for presenters. Check out more information on these specialty sessions and feel free to contact us at isa@isanet.org with questions.

1. Virtual Poster Gallery
2. On-Site Poster Gallery
3. Junior Scholar Symposium (in-person and virtual)
4. In Other Words
5. Innovative Panels
6. Structuring Inclusion

1. How to Upload Your Paper to the Paper Archive
2. Advice from ISA Pros [a Professional Resource Center article]
3. ISA 2023 Call for Proposals
4. ISA Policy: ISA Code of Conduct

In order to present your own work at the Annual ISA Convention, you'll need to submit your proposal (including title and abstract) prior to the June 1st deadline, to be reviewed by the Program Chairs and Section Program Chairs. We receive hundreds to thousands of proposals we're unable to accomodate every year and we are unable to accept late submissions. If you submitted but were not initially accepted, your proposal remains on our waitlist and may be offered a placement later. If one becomes available, we'll notify you by email.

Presenting your own research isn't the only way to participate at the Annual ISA Convention however. Attendees are welcome to register and attend sessions, and every session reserves time at the end of presentations for general discussion with the presenters and audience. Additionally, being a chair and/or discussant is a great way to network and connect with other convention attendees. If you'd like to volunteer to serve in one (or more) of these roles, contact the Program Chairs at isa2023@isanet.org and let them know your availability and areas of expertise.

In Advance:

1. The Chair communicates to panelists the structure of the panel and its specific procedures (order of presentations; how long each panelist will speak; time allotted for Question and Answer (Q&A) sessions; prompts for notifying presenters of time remaining, etc) - ideally two weeks prior or earlier.
2. The Chair should encourage all presenters to share their work with the Chair, Discussant, and other panelists, as well as with the paper archive.
3. For roundtables, the Chair should communicate in a more detailed memo the issues to be discussed in advance.
4. The Chair should also ask if there are special needs or requests, and whether new ISA members, new presenters, graduate students, or any other presenter needs additional guidance.
5. If you are unable to attend or if you receive word that any fellow panelist is unable to join, please let the Convention Program Chairs (isa2023@isanet.org) know as soon as possible so they can help make arrangements to mitigate the absence.

During the Convention:

1. The Chair convenes the event (panel, talk, session, roundtable) by introducing the title of the event and all panelists, giving specific time-management allotment guidelines to the panelists, Discussant, and audience, ensures all presenters remain within their allotted time, and closes the event on time.
2. The Chair’s role includes raising a time-prompt (a 5-minute, 2-minute card, for instance) for time left per/presenter, indicating to the audience the Discussant will make first remarks (often 10-15 minutes allocated), and opening the Q&A period.
3. In the course of the panel discussion, the Chair should direct how questions will be taken (one by one, collected from the audience, whether the Chair/Discussant will ask the first question, etc.) and ensure that no individual holds the floor excessively.
4. The Chair should conclude the event by thanking the panelists and audience for their participation.
5. If the Discussant cannot attend, we encourage the Chair to play the Discussant role, if willing.

Post Convention:

1. Post-event, the Chair indicates to panelists the Chair’s availability for contact and discussion of panelists’ work, including substantive or formal comments on the presentation itself.

A number of our specialty sessions have additional/different guidelines for chairs. Use the links to check out more information on these specialty sessions and feel free to contact us at isa@isanet.org with questions.

Flash Talk Chairs: Flash talks are specialty sessions where all presenters also act as dicussants for their fellow panelists but in a compressed time-frame. The session chair will help assign specific paper discussant duties to ensure flash talk presenters all comment on 1-2 papers of the other papers on their session. Flash Talk Session Chairs are also encouraged to provide a brief intro to the session, to provide a cohesive frame for the papers on the session as well as summarize the overall arrangement and functioning of the flash talk session.

JSS Chairs:
Check out information on the the Junior Scholar Symposium.

Distinguished Scholar Panel Chairs:
For questions regarding a Distinguished Scholar Panel, contact dmaneggia@isanet.org.

1. ISA 2023 Call for Proposals
2. ISA Policy: Chair Responsibilities
3. ISA Policy: ISA Code of Conduct

Presenting your own research isn't the only way to participate at the Annual ISA Convention - being a chair and/or discussant is a great way to network and connect with other convention attendees. If you'd like to volunteer to serve in one (or more) of these roles, contact the Program Chairs at isa2023@isanet.org and let them know your availability and areas of expertise.

In Advance:

1. The Discussant should request panelists’ send their work (papers, slides, presentations, etc.) to be presented at the upcoming session. We recommend that connecting with fellow panelists 2-4 weeks in advance of the convention, and no later than a week prior to the session.
2. Discussants should read each paper carefully and prepare comments in a constructive manner - with an eye toward promoting rich feedback and discussion during the event.

During the Convention:

1. The Discussant uses the Chair’s procedural guidelines and prompts to take the floor, typically after all the presentations are complete.
2. The Discussant engages with the research presented, typically one by one, in a professional, supportive, and civil manner.
3. The Discussant concludes their remarks, thanks each panelist and the Chair, mindful of the Chair’s allotted timeframe (or expired time).
4. Discussants should allow for time at the end for questions from the audience and further discussion with the panelists, as time permits.

Notes:

1. If the presenters fail to share their papers with their fellow panelists at least 5 days in advance of the session, the Discussant is under no obligation to read or engage the individual’s work.
2. Discussants may choose whether or not to share written feedback with each presenter in addition to the oral commentary during the panel.
3. If you are unable to attend/comment, please let the Convention Program Chairs (isa2023@isanet.org) know as soon as possible. Failure to show without prior notification hurts your fellow panelists and attendees, and may impact your inclusion in ISA programs in future years.
4. In preparing remarks for the upcoming event, the Discussant might contemplate:
   1. Reference to the panel title to identify each work’s contributions to the topical research area.
   2. Synthesize broad themes or substantive differences (in methodology, perspective, research literature, conclusions) among the works.
   3. Provide a summary of the thesis or main claims of each work, with emphasis on new contributions.
   4. Ask probing questions of each work, while giving constructive criticism and feedback.
   5. Raise potential implications from the main claims or new paths for research.

A number of our specialty sessions have additional/different guidelines for discussants. Use the links to check out more information on these specialty sessions and feel free to contact us at isa@isanet.org with questions.

Virtual Poster Gallery Discussants:
Participation in our virtual poster gallery allows participants to present their research in an asynchronous setting. Participants submit their posters in advance of the Convention, and these can be viewed by participants two weeks prior to the Convention as well as throughout. Presenters will set their own discussion hours for meeting with other attendees (which will be available through the Gallery once it's opened March 15th) and ISA2023 registrants can use the Gallery to connect with the presenters at any time. Each poster has a designated discussant and they will coordinate to find a mutually agreeable time to meet between March 28th and April 2nd.

Check out more information on the ISA Poster Gallery Program.

In-Person Poster Gallery Discussants:
Our in-person poster gallery provides participants with a combination of in-person and asynchronous participation. Presenters are scheduled for in-person sessions to present their posters to their discussant and cohort and engage in discussion, generally at the beginning of their scheduled session. Thereafter, discussants and presenters are welcome to peruse the other posters. Neither presenters nor discussant need to remain for the entire session however the room will be reserved for their use throughout the allotted session time. If the discussant and/or presenter wish to connect (during the session) at a time other than the beginning, there should be a communication between both to set up a mutually agreeable time in advance. The gallery is open to all convention participants and attendees may explore posters throughout the session. Presenters are encouraged to leave their posters on-screen when feasible.

Check out more information on the ISA Poster Gallery Program.

JSS Discussants:
The Junior Scholar Symposium provides participants with the opportunity to workshop their papers while at the same time also focusing on general professional development. As a discussant, you will facilitate a conversation with your junior scholar participants, who have been instructed to read all the papers on their panels. This will include providing consistent and useful feedback on their research paper and poster, but will also likely include broader professional development matters. Depending on the number of presenters on the panel, please spend about 10-15 minutes on each presenter’s research. We suggest that you reserve the last 15-20 minutes of the session to discuss questions such as future publication, job search, teaching, and other topics you find are needed.

Check out more information on the the Junior Scholar Symposium.

Flash Talk Discussants: A Flash Talk presenter is also expected to discuss the research of a fellow Flash Talk participant, creating an engaged and interactive group who act as discussants, audience members, and presenters at the same time. Flash Talks thereby provide the additional opportunity to hold various roles within the Convention setting. The session chair will help assign specific paper discussant duties but flash talk presenters should expect to comment on 1-2 papers on their session, offering constructive feedback and connections among the session papers as possible.

1. Tips on Being a Great Discussant [a Professional Resource Center article]
2. ISA 2023 Call for Proposals
3. ISA Policy: ISA Code of Conduct
4. ISA Policy: Discussant Responsibilities

Presenting your own research isn't the only way to participate at the Annual ISA Convention - being a chair and/or discussant is a great way to network and connect with other convention attendees. If you'd like to volunteer to serve in one (or more) of these roles, contact the Program Chairs at isa2023@isanet.org and let them know your availability and areas of expertise.