Submission Guidelines
Log into the new submission system. You will need to create an account if this is the first time you are submitting.
All presenters are expected to register and pay at the appropriate rate.
Registration will be open from December 2022.
1. Timelines
Authors are strongly advised to register on the on-line submission system and begin preparing their submissions well in advance of the following deadlines:
December 2022 - Submissions open
17 February 2023 5PM - Deadline for Workshops, Oral Presentations and Discussion/Panel Submissions
17 February 2023 5PM - Deadline for Poster Submissions
Week beginning 13 March 2023 - Notification of Workshops, Oral Presentation and Discussion/Panel Submission outcomes, and submission outcomes for posters
2. Theme for the Conference
The 2023 overall conference theme is Looking to the future: adapting, building, evolving. Please refer to the Call for Submissions for more information on this theme. This conference is an opportunity for us to come together and share learning on how to continually navigate, negotiate, reflect and move forward with the challenges that we are facing with our work, with the environment and with ourselves. We would like to invite delegates to reflect on this unique period in history, as we emerge from one of the most challenging periods many of us will have experienced in our lifetimes, pushing us to adapt, build and evolve. We are especially interested in contemporary perspectives on relational psychotherapy, ways to work with the mind and body, intellectual and cultural diversity and difference, creative applications and interpretations of the work we do, how advances in artificial intelligence and digital connectivity may hinder/enhance our work and work that (re)examines our relationship with our parent discipline (Psychology) and critical perspectives on its role in colluding with the status quo.
Do not be too concerned if your proposal does not fit exactly into this overall theme. All submissions are welcome.
You are invited to share your experiences and knowledge from all areas of applied psychology and to submit abstracts addressing this theme through:
You will be prompted to select one of these topics when submitting your proposal.
3. Presentation Methods
Please note: This year the conference is primarily in person. The presenters will need to present in person at York St John University, but two session rooms, one of which will be the main conference room, will be accessible to live online attendees.
There are four different methods of presentation – your first task is to decide which suits your topic best.
1. Oral Presentation
30 / 45-minute presentation with at least 5 minutes of the presentation to be interactive
2. Workshop
Interactive session of 60 or 90 minutes aimed at the development of professional skills and expertise
4. Discussion/Panel
Conference session, activity or fringe event not covered above. This could be a round table, panel discussion, debate etc. lasting up to 60 minutes
4. Poster
All posters must be available for the face-to-face conference and the presenters must be available to answer questions during the allocated poster session at York St John University in York, UK.
5. Pecha Kucha
These are oral presentations presenting innovative research or practice where the presentation time is 7-minutes per contribution and the aim is to explain the key points as if to an intelligent lay audience, thus giving a short and precise coverage of a topic. They are often very high energy and fun sessions.
Please note any submission not received via the online system will not be reviewed and therefore will not be considered for inclusion in the programme.
4. Structure for all Submissions
All submission abstracts should:
Abstracts of accepted papers will be published online for the benefit of attendees at the conference and will be available to download from the conference website.
In previous years the most frequent reasons submissions were rejected included:
Failure to meet the submission criteria (particularly by not following the required format, omitting information or details that must be evident in the submission)
Incomplete or insufficient empirical evidence reported in the abstract
Lack of a relevant theoretical background evident in the abstract
Lack of findings or results because the study has not yet been completed yet the abstract is not for a poster
Failure to be written clearly, grammatically, with correct spellings and punctuation
Abstracts must be structured according to the following format, incorporating the following headings and information:
1 Oral Presentation – single paper
Oral presentations are allocated 30 or 45 minutes. It is essential that you state the length you prefer at the bottom of your abstract. As far as possible, the conference committee will meet this request; we reserve the right not to do so if the programming requires it.
1.1 Oral Presentation Quantitative Research
Objectives: State the primary objective of the paper and the major hypothesis tested or research question posed.
Design: Describe the design of the study and the rationale for the procedures adopted.
Methods: State the selection criteria and number of participants, materials employed, and the procedures followed.
Results/ State the type of analysis employed and the main findings of the study. Numerical data may be
Analysis: included but should be kept to a minimum. Abstracts that are based on work still in progress will be rejected as papers, though they may be accepted as posters.
Conclusions: State the conclusions that can be drawn from the study, including theoretical, methodological, or applied/policy implications as appropriate and any key limitations of the study.
For research papers, data and analysis must be available for presentation.
1.2 Oral Presentation Qualitative Research
Background: Provide the background to the research.
Aims: State the primary purpose of the research and the research question to be explored.
Methodology: Describe the design of the study with rationale along with selection criteria, numbers of participants and how the data was collected and analysed.
Findings: Provide the themes/theoretical lenses that were the outcome of the analysis.
Conclusions: State the conclusions that can be drawn from the work described, including theoretical, methodological or applied/policy implications as appropriate and any key limitations of the study.
1.3 Oral Presentation –Professional Practice or Opinion Paper
Purpose: State the aim or primary objectives of the paper
Background: Provide a concise summary of information, which places the presentation in context
Methods/ Provide details of the procedures adopted and their rationale (e.g., literature search,
Key Points: inclusion/exclusion criteria and methods of analysis) and/or key arguments and theoretical positions.
Conclusions: State the conclusions that can be drawn from the work described, including theoretical, methodological or applied/policy implications as appropriate and any key limitations of the study.
2 Workshop
Workshop – Professional Practice
Workshops will be allocated 60 or 90 minute slots. All timings are subject to planning constraints, although every attempt will be made to give you the time you request.
Please use the following headings:
Background/Aims Provide a concise summary of information, which places the session in context, this includes the aims of the workshop and the expected outcomes for participants
Key elements: Provide details of key arguments or the skills and activities covered
Conclusions: State the conclusions that can be drawn from the work described, including theoretical, methodological, or applied/policy implications as appropriate.
It is essential that you state under your abstract:
The length of time you would like
Maximum number of attendees (if appropriate)
Format of the workshop
What risks there might be to participants and what safeguarding actions you will have in place
Discussion/Panel
The length of a discussion/panel/debate sessions is up to 60 minutes. Abstracts can use the following headings:
Background/Aims Provide a concise summary of information, which places the session in context, this includes the aims of the workshop and the expected outcomes for participants
Key elements: Provide details of key arguments or the skills and activities covered
Conclusions: State the conclusions that can be drawn from the work described, including theoretical, methodological, or applied/policy implications as appropriate.
and can follow one of the descriptions given below:
4.1 Roundtable discussion: Session on a focal scientific or practical CoP topic hosted by one or two experts, aimed at discussing latest developments in an area, providing a platform for networking and/or helping audience members with currently experienced problems. By arranging seats in a circle, active audience participation is encouraged. The submission must include the topic to be discussed alongside a justification of its suitability for a roundtable discussion; information on one or two experts that could serve as host(s) should also be provided. Although the host(s) may wish to make a short presentation to begin the session, the majority of time should be devoted to raising questions and opening up discussion.
4.2 Panel discussion: Session actively moderated by a chair. The chair may invite members of the panel to give short presentations. The panellists might consist of a diverse group of 3 to 5 individuals, prepared in advance for the discussion. Spontaneous interaction amongst panellists and between panellists and the audience should be encouraged. The submission must include issues or themes to be discussed, examples of questions to the panel and the session structure or format. If presentations by the panellists are to be given then the abstract should include a brief summary of those presentations.
4.3 Debate: The purpose of a debate, which can vary in format and participant composition, is to present opposing views about a selected topic. A moderator may start the debate on a controversial topic in CoP by stating a position, followed by each debating side (1 to 2 individuals each) presenting arguments for and against the proposition. The moderator may allow time for audience questions and may sum up main points at the end of the session. The submission must include a topic to be debated, information about the debaters (e.g., their expertise, general perspective on the topic) and the session format. Descriptions of major points likely to be argued by each debating side or questions for debaters should also be provided.
Posters
Poster submissions are an opportunity to present completed work and work in progress. Poster sessions will be scheduled when presenters and delegates can discuss the work and findings. The posters will be on display for the duration of the conference. The individual/individuals presenting the poster must be in attendance during the dedicated poster session slots.
Objectives: State the primary objective of the paper and the major hypothesis tested or research question posed.
Design: Describe the design of the study and the rationale for the procedures adopted.
Methods: Describe how participants were selected and number of participants (if documentary data used, state how these were selected), materials employed (if appropriate), methods of data collection and analysis.
Results: Include numerical and/or textual data. For qualitative analyses briefly describe your findings (e.g., themes, categories, discourses identified).
Conclusions: State the conclusions that can be drawn from the study, including theoretical, methodological, or applied/policy implications as appropriate and any key limitations of the study.
Unlike oral presentations, data does not have to be included. For research-based posters, ethical clearance must have been given and be stated on the poster, and data collection must have started for the poster to be meaningful.
Pecha Kucha
These are single presenter oral presentations presenting innovative research, practice, opinion or alternative ways of thinking, where the presentation time is 7-minutes per contribution and the aim is to explain the key points as if to an intelligent lay audience, thus giving a short and precise coverage of a topic. They are often very high energy and fun sessions.
Objectives: State the primary objective and the major hypothesis tested or research question posed.
Background: Provide a concise summary of information, which places the presentation in context
Methods: Provide details of the procedures adopted and their rationale (e.g., literature search, inclusion/exclusion criteria and methods of analysis) and/or key arguments and theoretical positions.
Conclusions: State the conclusions that can be drawn from the work described, including theoretical, methodological or applied/policy implications as appropriate and any key limitations of the study.
With Pecha Kucha, you can present results or outcomes obtained or expected.
5. Refereeing Procedure
Reviewers will be assessing each submission on a number of criteria:
For full reviewing criteria please visit the website.
Each submission is blind reviewed by members of the Conference Team and the division’s Executive Committee according to established criteria and standards.
Please note:
From time to time referees may feel that a particular submission lends itself to a different format to that which is proposed and in these cases authors will be invited to consider an alternative format.
In the case of Symposia submissions, the refereeing procedure will include the package as a whole and the merit and importance of any individual contributions.
Authors will be notified of the referees’ decision via email. The decision of referees is final. The conference organising committee are unable to respond to further enquiries once a decision has been made. Every effort will have been made to accommodate any timetable constraints notified at the time of submission.
6. Further Information
Registration
All presenters are expected to register and pay at the appropriate rate. Registration will be open from December 2022.
Press Office
If successful, your submission may be considered suitable for a press release, timed to coincide with the conference. If this is so, a Press Officer will contact you to ask whether you wish your submission to be press released, and to discuss the content of the press release with you. To write an accurate press release, and to provide more information for journalists attending the conference, you may be asked for additional information regarding your submission. Please note all presentations and posters are under a media embargo until the day of presentation.
Audio visual requirements
A data projector and laptop will be available in all session rooms. If you are likely to require additional equipment, please indicate this when submitting your abstract.
Code of Conduct
Authors of all material submitted must confirm adherence to the British Psychological Society’s Code of Ethics and Conduct. Particular attention should be made to the section on Integrity and the importance of sub-sections 4.1iii and 4.1vi. Copies of the Code may be obtained from the Society’s website: http://beta.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/bps-code-ethics-and-conduct
The use of non-sexist language
Submissions must not contain sexist language. The following suggestions are made about ways to avoid sexist language:
Guidelines for Psychologists Working with Animals
When submitting material, please note the guidelines for psychologists working with animals. Copies of these guidelines can be obtained online: http://www.bps.org.uk/publications/policy-and-guidelines/research-guidelines-policy-documents/research-guidelines-poli
Contact
Email: bpssubmissions@redactive.co.uk
Website: www.bps.org.uk/events