Proposal Submission FAQs
When are proposals due?
Proposals for presenting at the Student Research Conference are due January 7, 2008 at 5 PM. Proposals must be submitted on-line at http://www.hgse-src2008.org/SubmitAbstract.php.
Will you accept late proposals?
Unfortunately, we are not able to accept late proposals for this conference. Please make sure that you complete and submit your proposal before the deadline.
I couldn't make it to the proposal writing training session. Where can I get a copy of the presentation?
You can get the power point for the proposal writing session at http://www.hgse-src2008.org/proposal_training.html.
Can I submit more than one proposal?
Yes, you are welcome to submit more than one proposal for this conference.
Can I submit a proposal jointly with another person?
Yes, proposals can be authored by more than one person. If you have written research with another student, you may present with them, but you will be given one presentation slot for each research proposal you submit. If you are applying for a roundtable discussion and are part of a pre-formed group of three, each group member must send in a separate proposal and then indicate the other members of the group.
Will you consider a proposal outside the field of education?
We will consider a proposal outside the field of education if that proposal outlines clear implications for educational practice, research or policy. For the purposes of this conference, "education" is understood in a broad sense. In addition to formal education within the classroom, proposals could focus on issues such as education within the family, youth development, community organizing, or health issues affecting learning, among other topics. If you are concerned that your topic may not seem relevant to the field of education, please make the connections that you perceive explicit. If your topic does not relate to education directly or indirectly, this conference may not be the best fit for your work.
I'm having trouble deciding between formats. What should I take into consideration?
Please review the proposal submission guidelines in the call for proposals at http://www.hgse-src2008.org/proposal_call.html. Irrespective of the format in which you choose to present your work, all proposals should include the same elements, namely: 1) a title of no more than 100 characters; 2) a 100 - 150 word summary (to be used in the conference program), and 3) the proposal itself, which should be of about 500-750 words in length.
If you are specifically interested in a poster presentation, submit the text of your proposal by the deadline, and come to the training session on poster presentations that we will hold in February to learn how to turn that information into a poster.
If you still have further questions, please email trichairs@hgse-src2008.org.
What information should I include in my proposal?
A complete proposal should include the following elements: 1) a title of no more than 100 characters; 2) a 100 - 150 word summary (to be used in the conference program), and 3) the proposal itself, which should be of about 500-750 words in length.
In addition, proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria, so make sure these elements are present in your proposal:
- Presents a clear research question(s) or clear position statement
- Makes connections to existing educational research with citations of published references
- Includes an original thesis, expands an existing theory or addresses an unexplored area of research
- Describes research design and methods, and the plan for collecting and analyzing data (Note: Proposals presenting a literature review, theoretical argument or other non-empirical presentation are not expected to meet this criterion)
- Makes a logical argument or presents findings/conclusions
- Includes implications for educational research, policy or practice
- Is clearly written, with logical organization
I did a project in my class this semester, but it wasn't a research project. Can I submit a proposal to present my project?
Yes. There are two presentation formats that might be the most interesting to you: 1. You could do a poster presentation, which is a more informal way (than the paper presentations) to share your work with a wide audience. 2. If there are ideas that you came across in your project that you would like to discuss with other people who share your interests, you could propose to participate in a round table. This format allows you to bring your developing ideas to a group so you can engage in discussion with other students about future directions for your work.
Three of my colleagues and I have similar interests, can I create my own paper discussion panel?
At this time, the programming committee is responsible for putting together the proposals for panel discussions. If you would like to request being placed in a panel with other students, please email trichairs@hgse-src2008.org. We cannot however guarantee that you will be placed on a panel with students that you request. If you are committed to presenting with others, the roundtable may be a good option, as this has a less structured format.
How likely am I to get the discussant that I request?
Regrettably, we cannot guarantee that you will get the discussant of your choice. This depends entirely on demand and availability, and we cannot commit to a likelihood until we have received all proposal applications. We do commit however to doing our best to match paper presenters with a faculty member appropriate to their area of research.
What should I do if I have technical difficulties while I'm completing my application on-line?
If you have difficulties that impair your ability to complete your application please email trichairs@hgse-src2008.org.
How will I know that my proposal was received?
Once you submit your proposal on-line, you will receive a confirmation email from us. If you do not receive an email within a week of submitting your proposal, please contact trichairs@hgse-src2008.org.
How does the review process work? How will my proposal be evaluated?
Your (anonymous) proposal will be given to two reviewers, who will evaluate it using a rubric designed specifically for this process. If these two reviews are substantially different, the proposal will be read by a third reviewer. Once the reviewers have filled out their rubrics and written individual feedback, these will be compiled and sent to you with a decision. Your proposal could be accepted without revision; returned to you with a recommendation for some changes and a request that you revise and resubmit; or your submission could be declined. If you are asked to revise and resubmit, you will have about a week to make the changes and resubmit your proposal.
When will I find out if my proposal has been accepted?
We will be notifying proposals that have been accepted in early February, 2008. We will also notify people whose proposals need to be revised and those that were not accepted at this time.
If my proposal is accepted, will I still need to register for the conference?
Yes. In order to make sure that we can accommodate everybody, we expect all participants to register for the conference at http://www.hgse-src2008.org/registration.html.
Do you offer any offset of costs if I decide to attend the conference?
Regrettably, we are unable to offset costs (travel expenses, hotels, printing costs, etc.) for attending this conference.