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Submission Guidelines
1. Timelines
2. Structure for All Submissions
3. Presentation Methods
4. Refereeing Procedure
5. Further Information
6. Contacts
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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:
16 February 2024 - Online submissions open
17 May 2024 - The extended deadline for symposia, individual paper, poster, workshop and masterclass submissions
31 May 2024 - Notification of submission outcomes for symposia, individual papers, posters, workshops and masterclasses
2. Structure for All Submissions
2.1 Symposia
The Convenor (organiser of the symposia) will submit an abstract summarising the topic of the symposia of a maximum of 250 words, not including the title. The convenor will also submit the abstracts of the people participating in the proposed Symposia. These abstracts should be of a maximum of 250 words, exclusive of the title and should not include references. Abstracts of accepted papers will be available to download on the conference website.
2.2 Abstracts
All submission should be up to 250 words, exclusive of the title. It should not include references and should be written in either the past or present tense. Abstracts of accepted papers will be available to download on the conference website.
All abstracts irrespective of the type of work they summarised, must be structured according to the following formats, incorporating the indicated headings and information:
2.2.1 Research/Work in Progress paper/poster:
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: State the type of analysis employed and the main findings of the study (when available for Work in Progress). Numerical data may be included but should be kept to a minimum.
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.
2.2.2 Review/Theoretical paper:
Purpose: State the aim or primary objectives of the paper.
Background: Give a concise summary of information, which places the present paper 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.
2.2.3 Workshops:
Background: 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 points: 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.
*Please ensure you use the above headings within your submission
In previous years the most frequent reasons submissions were rejected included;
3. Presentation Methods
The Cognitive Section Committee welcomes submissions from both academics and practitioners. The quality of the scientific programme depends on your submissions and we thank you for choosing this conference to present your work.
Symposium
A symposium is a set of papers linked by a common theme (minimum of three papers, maximum of four papers). A symposium must have a Convenor, who organises the symposium submission and acts as the responsible link person to the conference organisers and (optionally) a named Discussant. The same person can fulfil these roles. Symposia will usually be allocated up to 2 hours for four papers (20 minutes each) plus discussion (Approximately 20 minutes each).
Review/Theoretical Paper/Poster
Papers are allocated 20-minute (15-minute presentation and 5- minute questions) slots on the programme. Posters, will be timetabled into the conference programme in sessions which provide an opportunity for presenters and participants to discuss work and findings. Further information regarding the dimensions of the poster boards and suggestions of how to display poster material will be supplied to presenters who have their posters accepted.
Research/Work in Progress paper/poster
Individual or linked – are an opportunity to present work in progress and for presenters and participants to discuss work and findings. Further information regarding the dimensions of the poster boards and suggestions of how to display poster material will be supplied to presenters who have their posters accepted. There will also be a Delegates choice poster prize each day where the delegates will vote for their favourite poster. We suggest that posters are put up for the duration of the conference for maximum exposure. Papers are allocated 20-minute (15-minute presentation and 5- minute questions) slots on the programme. Posters, will be timetabled into the conference programme in sessions which provide an opportunity for presenters and participants to discuss work and findings. Further information regarding the dimensions of the poster boards and suggestions of how to display poster material will be supplied to presenters who have their posters accepted.
Workshops/Practice talks
Workshops are usually allocated 1 or 2 hours on the programme with practice talks allocated 20 minutes. The Conference Committee welcomes both workshops and practice talks which do not follow the normal pattern of formal presentations. These alternative submissions may take many different forms (i.e. tightly structured or free-flowing) and will ideally incorporate some interactive components. These workshops/talks will be judged in terms of interest and quality and so the details on the submission along with the organiser’s credentials are important. Where a workshop organiser wishes to limit attendance either by number or by any specific criteria (e.g. a participant’s level of expertise) such an intention MUST be explained and justified and notified to the Committee in the first application. If you are submitting a workshop please indicate on your submission if you wish to request a particular length of time for it.
Masterclass
We will endeavour to accommodate any type of delivery of a masterclass (please advise us of needs in initial submission). We envisage masterclasses being of a workshop style (a mix of presentations and practical group activity). Please advise us of needs and the length of workshop in initial submission.
4. Refereeing Procedure
Reviewers will be assessing each submission on a number of criteria:
Each submission is blind reviewed by at least two members of the Cognitive Section 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.
5. Further Information
Registration
All presenters are expected to register and pay at the appropriate rate. Registration is open from April and early rates expire on 12th August 2024
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 papers 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 seminar 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: www.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:
i) Avoid using sex-specific forms generically. For example, use plurals they/their rather than he/she or his/her.
ii) Delete pronouns – e.g., the participant completed his/her task becomes the participant completed the task.
iii) Avoid specifying the sex of the referent unless it is relevant – e.g., use counsellor, client or participant.
iv) Avoid making sex-stereotyped assumptions about people, their abilities, attitudes and relationships.
Person-first language
As a profession we are mindful to consider how we assign categorical labels to particular groups of service users. The use of labels such as ‘offender’ or ‘sex offender’ inadvertently suggests and supports the inaccurate public view of high recidivism risk among all persons who have sexually offended. Person-first or neutral language separates the person from a behaviour, condition or disorder (e.g. ‘persons with sexual offence histories’, ‘individual who has been adjudicated for…’, ‘child/adolescent with sexual behaviour problems’, ‘man with paedophilic sexual interests’). Further, we now use ‘person with schizophrenia’ in place of ‘schizophrenic’ and ‘person with an intellectual disability’ etc.
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
SACWAP guidelines
When submitting material, please note the SACWAP guidelines dealing with the use of animals in psychological research. Copies of these guidelines can be obtained from the Leicester Office.
Multiple submissions
The Conference Committee wishes to maximise the opportunities for delegates to present their work. However, there are often considerable constraints on time and space and inevitably this means that some strong submissions have to be rejected. In order to give every submitter a fair opportunity the committee have decided to discourage multiple submissions. Therefore only 3 submissions per person are permitted. (A submission includes any submission on which an individual is named as an author, in whatever order their name appears on the author list).
6. Contact
For technical enquiries about submissions:
Email: bpssubmissions@redactive.co.uk
Website: www.bps.org.uk/events