easa

1. Do panels have to be on the conference theme?

While adherence to the conference theme is NOT a criteria for panel selection, EASA encourages conveners (those proposing/organising a panel) to make an effort to address issues outlined in the theme. 

2. Conference mode

We are planning for a dual mode conference: delegates will have the option to attend in-person (f2f) (the larger portion of the event) and/or online (a separate or subsequent portion of the event), with both types of delegates able to convene, present, chair, discuss, and attend the relevant sections of the conference. Because of our strong commitment to foster a sustainable and accessible confere, we encourage online proposals.

At this stage we envisage holding:

• a face-to-face conference section hosting exclusively face-to-face content, apart from the keynote and plenaries which will be hybrid

• an online conference section consisting of panels submitted by convenors who have opted to run an online-only panel, with all their presenters, discussants, chairs also presenting online (via Zoom). The online conference portion will also include other events apart from panels/labs/roundtables.

This approach allows for a mix of f2f and online engagement within the conference, but not simultaneously. Consequently convenors are asked to specify f2f/online mode when proposing their panels, and this cannot be changed once panels have been selected and the call for papers opens.

In proposing a panel, EASA considers convenors to have agreed to these conditions. The full and equitable running of the panel is a convenor responsibility.

Online registration fees will be lower than f2f fees.

3. Panel format

Convenors must also select a panel format at the beginning of the submission process. EASA encourages the submission of various panel formats: 

• Panel: ‘traditional’ panel with five papers per 105-minute session (up to a maximum of two sessions).

• Roundtable: a group of scholars (no more than five) discuss themes/issues of general scholarly interest in front of (and subsequently with) an audience. While a roundtable can include short (5-10 min) provocations/presentations, the main idea is to create a lively debate, not to focus on any one presenter. You do not need to list participants in your abstract; known participants should add themselves during the Call for Papers, or you may take in unknown 'provocation/presentation' proposals during the Call for Papers and subsequently choose five of those to be on the roundtable.

• Lightning panel: fast-paced presentation panel using Pecha Kucha, Ignite or Lightning Talks type formats.

4. The rules

• Panels should have at least two co-convenors (panel organisers) from different institutions, and ideally from different countries

• Panels must be either f2f mode (only f2f participants) or online mode (only online participants), and this must be specified at the proposal stage and cannot be changed later.

• At least one of the convenors must have a PhD degree.

• ‘Each conference role only once per person’: delegates (those attending the conference either online or in person) may only make one presentation each. It is allowed to be a co-author on additional papers if you are not the one presenting them. In addition, a delegate may also convene once (be that a plenary, panel, lab or roundtable) and be a discussant or a chair in one plenary session, panel, or roundtable. Roundtable participation counts as being a discussant, not a presenter.

• All convenors and presenters (but not film-makers, discussants or chairs) must be members of EASA (during 2024), and pay their subscription before the conference. You need not conform to this rule when making your proposal, but must address it after your proposal has been accepted.

• EASA requires all accepted panels to be open to paper proposals through the website: panels should NOT be organised as 'closed' sessions, although roundtables can be.

• When proposing an EASA network panel, please inform the network convenors of your proposal before submitting it. The network name must be appended to the title of the proposed panel. e.g. Latest research in soul kitchens [Anthropology of Food Network].

• All attending the conference (whether online/f2f), including panel convenors, paper presenters, discussants and chairs, as well as listeners, will need to register and pay to attend. Please see the likely registration fees here. 

• Panel convenors will need to select which papers they wish to accept to their panel during the period 15 January to 26 January 2024 - please make sure you have time during that fortnight to dedicate to this task! Please do not mark any papers before the call for papers has closed on 15 January 2024.

• Panels can be in Spanish, Catalan, French or English language, but not mixed - this means that the language of the panel proposal should also be the language of the papers it accepts. 

5. Network Panels

If you wish to propose a panel related to an EASA network, please contact the network convenors to show them your proposal before submitting it with the network’s name attached to your panel title (e.g. Latest research in soul kitchens [Anthropology of Food Network]). Most networks expect panels to come from their network members.

Networks please note: Each network will be guaranteed one accepted panel, as has been the case in previous biennials. Collaborative panels between two or more EASA networks will also be given precedence in the selection process.

6. The process

• All proposals must be made via the online form. 

• Proposals should consist of a panel title, a short description of <300 characters, and an abstract of 250 words. 

• The proposal may also include the names of any chairs or discussants, although these can be added subsequently using the login environment, Cocoa.

• The proposer should select the panel’s mode: either face-to-face or online. 

• On submission of the proposal, the convenors will receive an automated email confirming receipt. If you do not receive this email, please first check the login environment (click login above) to see if your proposal is there. If it is, it simply means your confirmation email got spammed/lost; and if it is not, it means you need to re-submit.

Proposals will be marked as pending until Scientific Committee decisions are published. On that date proposals will be marked as accepted/rejected and the conference administrators will inform you of the decision.

Panel selection criteria

We can host a maximum of 2000 delegates in person, which suggests ~250 panels. This may be about half of the number of proposals received. The Scientific Committee will decide which proposals to accept based on:

• compliance with 'the rules' (see above)

• on clarity, cohesion, reliability and academic rigour (quality)

The Scientific Committee will pay attention to different anthropological traditions and topics. Because of the Scientific Committee’s strong commitment to foster a sustainable and accessible conference, we encourage online proposals.

7. Instructions to convenors of accepted panels (for later in the process)

Length of panels

As per previous practice EASA2024 will continue to have panel sessions of 105 minutes and panels will be limited to a maximum of TWO consecutive 105-minute sessions, each of which can hold a maximum of five papers. The conference can thus accept more, shorter panels giving more choice to both paper proposers and delegates. Consequently panel convenors may accept a maximum of ten papers in their panel. However, accepting four papers per session is acceptable.

Convenor responsibilities

It is the convenors' responsibility to ensure that all panel participants are well briefed and that the panel continues to meet EASA's requirements. To that end, convenors should not only communicate their decisions over paper proposals as detailed below, but also later in the process, email the panelists to: inform them of the speaking order (albeit this is displayed on the public panel page), inform them as to how much time they have been allocated, remind them to register (each author’s registration status can be seen in the convenor’s login environment), inform them of any late changes or additional chairs/discussants, and give any other information related to the panel. If panelists withdraw convenors should mark these withdrawals in the login environment to inform the organisers.

About the Call for Papers process

Later, when papers have been accepted/rejected, convenors are requested to administer their panels via EASA’s login environment (note the Login link in the menu above). Convenors should login to insert any specific timing requests to do with their panel into the ‘Requested timing’ field, add the names of chairs/discussants and to manage paper proposals. Co-convenors cannot be removed nor can panels be withdrawn through this environment - please email conference(at)easaonline.org to do this.

When papers are proposed via the website, they will be proposed to specific panels. Convenors will receive a summary email of the proposal. Convenors are welcome to acknowledge proposals by email, and even ask contributors to edit their abstracts by logging in themselves. When the call for papers is over, convenors must indicate their decisions over whether to accept/reject proposals through the login environment. If an author later emails to withdraw their paper, the paper should be marked as 'Withdrawn' in the login environment. The papers can be placed in order via the login environment.

Paper proposals will NOT state delivery mode (online/f2f) as this will be assumed from the panel format: online panels will have online papers, and f2f panels will have f2f papers.

Panel proposers can use the login link in the toolbar above to edit their proposals.

The call for labs and individual papers will go out along with the Call for Papers 4 December 2023; more information on these formats will follow soon.

Timing of presentations

How you allocate the time of your sessions is largely your decision. The EASA norm is to allot each presenter a maximum of 25 minutes (for presentation and questions/discussion). The key is to respect the fact that many presenters have travelled a long way in order to be able to contribute and clearly need time to set out their argument. The division of a panel into sessions will be indicated in the programme, and the papers ordered within these sessions. While convenors may wish to amalgamate discussion time, where possible they should try to stick to the published distribution.

Pre-circulation of papers

EASA has no rule about this; however many convenors are keen to pre-circulate either completed papers or pre-recorded presentations. To facilitate this authors can upload PDFs of their papers within Cocoa, which will then show as a downloadable file beneath their abstract on the public panel page on this site; alternatively they can insert a link to their pre-recording (on their own YouTube/Vimeo channel) and this can be made visible just to delegates. It is your choice whether you instruct your presenters to make use of this.

Online contributions

Contributors to online (only) panels must ensure that they have a strong enough connection to present online. If this is not the case, it is possible to ask them to send a recording of their presentation; this can also be done as “in case” the internet connection has problems on the day, or any other tech issues they may be having from home. They can either share this directly with you, or get in touch with the conference admins on conference@easaonline.org to organise transfer.

Communication between authors/convenors

While convenor/author email addresses are not displayed on the panel pages for privacy reasons, the in-built secure email messaging system allows site visitors to email convenors with queries.

Call for Panels ended on 13 November 2023. We will communicate the results of the Call for Panels in the beginning of the December.