Conference Guidelines

Program Participation

To be included in the APL program, an individual must have an active membership. Only the original author can present the paper at the APL conference, with exceptions made for authors with disabilities who have requested accommodations. Papers are not to be read remotely or presented by others unless specified under extraordinary circumstances by the Executive Committee.

If for any reason a paper is not presented at the APL conference, it cannot be submitted for the edited volume derived from the conference. Under most circumstances, an individual should not appear on the APL program more than once.

Graduate Student Participation

Graduate students have the opportunity to submit abstracts for inclusion in the APL program.

Moderating

Moderators have a critical role in the sessions since they ensure the smooth operation of the session, each presenter is introduced to the audience, the sequence of presenters is followed as listed in the APL program, each presenter is given the same opportunities for discussion, and facilitating discussion so so that everyone who wishes to ask a question in the audience may do so.

Submissions

The APL Executive Committee welcomes submissions for papers and panels for the bi-annual APL meetings.

Proposals are accepted for individual papers, panels (of 3-4 participants), or roundtables (of 4-6 participants). For individual submissions, abstracts are restricted to no more than 300 words. For panels or roundtables, members submit a single proposal, consisting of a 300-word panel abstract along with the titles for all included papers. If accepted, each participant is asked for a short biography.

Proposals must be submitted via the link provided in the bi-annual call for papers and on the APL website.

Sessions

The APL program includes six types of sessions: 

  1. Regular Sessions:

    Regular Sessions are devoted to specific topics or thinkers and have been created by the executive committee and the local coordinator from single-paper submissions from APL members. Each paper in the session is to take 15 to 20 minutes.

  2. Submitted Sessions:

    Submitted Sessions are those submitted as panels (3-4 participants) for inclusion in the regular program by APL members. Each paper in the session is 15 to 20 minutes.

  3. Roundtables:

    Roundtables (4-6 participants) are submitted as such for inclusion in the program by APL members. Each speaker establishes a brief position, thesis, or question, and the bulk of time is reserved for discussion.  

  4. Keynote Sessions

    Plenary Sessions are devoted to persons who in their distinctive ways have significantly contributed to or defined issues of importance to members of SPEP. There are two Plenary Sessions. 

  5. Close Encounters

    The Close Encounters Session concentrates on the work of a thinker important to the membership. Any member can suggest the subject of a Close Encounter to the Executive Committee. Speakers for Close Encounters should provide their completed text to the respondent three weeks before the APL meeting. 

  6. Executive Committee Member Invited Sessions

    Each Executive Committee member is responsible for coordinating one session, which can be either a two- or three-person panel, or a roundtable.