Submission Format, Types & Requirements

Conference & Presentation Formats

The AAS 2024 Annual Conference will take place in Seattle and will consist of in-person sessions only. An online component of the annual conference will take place prior to the gathering in Seattle. In the proposal application, organizers/submitters will be presented with the option to select the preferred presentation format: in-person or virtual presentation. The number of sessions for the virtual component will be limited.

In-Person Sessions

In-person sessions will take place in Seattle, Thursday, March 14-Sunday, March 17. All speakers must be present at the in-person session during the scheduled time.

We are unable to accommodate hybrid sessions. Participants on sessions that are scheduled to take place in-person may not present remotely via zoom or other technology.

Virtual Sessions and Presentations

Virtual sessions will take place online Friday, March 1. Virtual sessions may take place live online or can be pre-recorded.

Note: Virtual sessions will not take place during the in-person conference dates in Seattle.

What you should know before finalizing your presentation format.

(1) Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate hybrid sessions. All participants on a panel must agree as a group to the same format, i.e., 100% in-person or 100% virtual.

(2) We are unable to accommodate the option to move from an in-person to virtual or a virtual to in-person format. We acknowledge and appreciate the circumstances surrounding the pandemic and the continuing travel restrictions related to health, travel and financial challenges some individuals may experience. However, due the the extraordinary number of schedule changes we faced for the previous hybrid conference, and the delays in finalizing the program as well as other issues caused by these changes, format changes will not be accepted for the 2024 conference.

(3) If an accepted in-person session is unable to move forward with 100% in-person attendance, and is unable to secure replacement speakers, the session will be cancelled. You may resubmit your proposal for the 2024 Annual Conference for consideration.


Submission Types (All sessions are 90 minutes in length)

TypeDescriptionRequirementsNotes
Organized Panels
(In-person or virtual)
Pre-organized Session with three to four paper presentations and a session chair and/or discussant to facilitate a discussion of the papers presented.

The session abstract word count is 250 words maximum.
• Panel Abstract (250 words max)
• Individual Paper Abstracts (3 minimum-4 maximum)
• Each paper presentation may include a co-author
• Each paper abstract may not exceed 250-words
• Chairperson (required)
• Discussant (optional) up to 2 maximum
These sessions are submitted as pre-organized sessions which already include the names of the paper presenters, chair and discussant.
Have an individual paper presentation? See Individual Paper submission type
Roundtable Sessions
(In-person or virtual)
Discussion format centered around a particular topic. This is not a formal paper presentation session. Rather, the session should aim at stimulating interaction, debate and discussion among roundtable participants and those in attendance • Session Abstract
• Minimum of 3 discussant/Maximum 5 Discussants
• Chair (required)
The session abstract may not exceed 350 words and should describe the major topic and the themes, key concepts or points of departure discussants will address.
Workshop Sessions
(In-person or virtual)
Teaching and learning development format.  Mostly Pedogogical. Formal papers are not required. • Session Abstract
• Minimum 2/Maximum-4 Presenters
• Chair (required)
Workshop abstract may include up to a maximum of 350 words.
Individual Papers
(In-person session, Virtual Session or On-Demand pre-record)
Individual Submission of a paper proposal. These submissions are not submitted as part of a panel. If accepted, the Program Committee will form panels (Individual Paper Sessions) composed of accepted Individual Paper submissions sharing similar topics and/or thematic content. 250 word abstract Generally, preference is given to students or junior scholars.  Only 12-20 Individual Paper sessions are created each year.  The acceptance rate is very low.  Senior scholars should consider organizing or joining an organized panel proposal.

Digital Technology Sessions

Digital Technology session types aim to provide space for cross-regional and cross-disciplinary discussions on such topics as digital archiving, integrating digital research in the university curriculum, introductory and advanced digital text and image analysis, and critical engagements with the digital turn—with a clear focus on the particularities of Asian languages and Asian societies.

 To facilitate in-depth discussion and to allow for interaction with the audience, panel formats consist of workshops, roundtables, and lightning talks only. Regular research papers on Digital Asia and digital research on Asian histories and literatures should be submitted as Individual Papers or as part of Organized Panel Sessions.


TypeDescriptionRequirementsNotes
Digital Technology Workshop
(In-Person or virtual)
Workshops should focus on teaching image or text analytical methods for research on Asian source materials. • Session Abstract
• Maximum of 3 participants
Digital Technology Roundtable
(In-Person or virtual)
Discussion format centered around a particular topic. • Session Abstract
• 3-5 Discussants
• Chair (required)
Session abstract may include a maximum of 350 words and should describe the viewpoint for each of the discussants.


Two-Part Panels

Organizers may submit “two-part” or “back-to-back” session proposals on related themes or topics, however each proposal will be reviewed on its own merits. The Program Committee cannot guarantee acceptance of a series of sessions, nor can it guarantee specific scheduling requests for accepted “two-part” or “back-to-back” panels. If both parts are accepted, part 1 will be scheduled before part 2, but we cannot guarantee part 2 will be scheduled in the same room or the next time slot.

When submitting a two-part panel, please reference these format options:

Politics of Food in Global Asias-Part I: Gastronomic Grounding and Culinary Mobility
Politics of Food in Global Asias-Part II: Gastrodiplomacy and the Health of Nations

Bodies in Crisis: Imagining the Otherwise in Asia, Part 1
Bodies in Crisis: Imagining the Otherwise in Asia, Part 2


Submission Type Descriptions

 All sessions types will be 1 hour and 30 minutes in length.  

Click the types below to view the full descriptions.

ORGANIZED PANEL SESSIONS

This proposal type consists of formal paper presentations (3-4 papers) of 15 minutes each and a chair (moderator). Panels may also include a discussant.

This session proposal type is submitted by the session organizer as a complete session with all paper presentation abstracts and a chair to serve as the session moderator. The session chair briefly introduces the panelists, ensures panelists keep to their allotted presentation time, and moderates the Q&A when needed.  Ensuring equal time for all presenters is essential, and chairs must be prepared to end a presentation that will clearly exceed the allotted time.  All organized panel session proposals should include a chair role. Discussants are optional. The role of the discussant is to facilitate a discussion among the panelists and attendees. 

Roles Count Limit:
*Up to two (2) Organizers
*One (1) Chair
*Minimum three (3) / Maximum (4) paper presentations. Each paper may include a co-author.*
*A maximum of two (2) discussants.

♦The abstracts provided for each prospective paper presentation are very important, but the overall panel abstract is of greatest importance.♦

The exact configuration of paper presenters and discussants is left to your discretion. See the Innovative Session section for more information. It is the preference of the Program Committee to receive proposals that comply with posted participation limits and still allow a reasonable amount of time for discussion.

*Co-Authors: Co-Authors are allowed for paper presentations. The application will provide the submitter the opportunity to indicate if the co-author is presenting or not presenting. Selecting ‘not presenting’ allows the co-author to be acknowledged while also alerting the AAS whether the co-author will be in attendance and also presenting in person. A co-author may not be added AFTER the session or paper has been accepted; all names should appear on the original proposal submission.

Because co-authors are allowed, we do not list a specific number of paper presenters on a session as that number can vary depending on how many papers have co-authors. However, the maximum number of of paper titles allowed on an organized panel is limited to FOUR (4). It is very possible that all four papers could have a co-author, resulting in a total of eight paper presenters. This is allowed.


ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS

A Roundtable is a session format in which no formal papers are presented, but which engages speakers and audience in interaction and exchange. This format provides participants with specific expertise to discuss with each other, and with members of the audience issues or themes concerning a discipline, a relevant topic or an Asian regional area. 

Roundtable proposal applications should include a maximum of 350-word abstract that includes the position of each discussant on the topic being discussed. Roundtables should include one (1) chair and a minimum of three (3), and a maximum of five (5) discussants.  


WORKSHOP SESSIONS

Workshops are sessions relating to teaching and professional development, with a special emphasis on the development of new skills. Workshops might focus on a number of issues: language pedagogy, the use of instructional technology in the classroom, new tools for research, tips on publishing a first book, or the exchange of syllabi. Sessions may contain paper presentations or follow a more informal roundtable format, but in all cases should allow considerable time for discussion and exchange of ideas. We encourage affiliated groups and committees that have previously conducted workshops or seminar-type presentations as “Meetings-in-Conjunction” to submit formal proposals within the Workshop category.


INDIVIDUAL PAPERS (click here to view full details)

THE AAS DOES NOT POST A LIST OF SESSIONS/TOPICS FOR INDIVIDUAL PAPER APPLICANTS TO APPLY TO FOR CONSIDERATION.

Individuals who have not connected with colleagues to organize or join a panel, roundtable or workshop proposal but have a paper they would like to present may submit an individual paper abstract proposal on any topic or subject matter relevant to the study of Asia for consideration, may submit a paper abstract for consideration.

Individuals should be prepared to enter the following information with the Individual Paper proposal:

A 250-word (maximum) abstract of the paper is required when submitting an Individual Paper Proposal.  Please note: The AAS does not require an upload or submission of the completed paper at the time of the proposal submission. 

While any person may submit a proposal for an Individual Paper presentation, strong preference is given to those submitted by advanced graduate students or those who have completed their PhDs in the last two or three years. The intellectual quality of the abstract is the prime selection criterion for proposals. Those who present an individual paper one year are not eligible to submit in the Individual Paper category in the following year. Once assigned to a session, individual paper presenters may not change to another session.

The AAS Program Committee adheres to the following format in reviewing Individual Paper proposals:

(1) Each individual paper proposal is reviewed and scored.

(2) Individual paper proposals receiving a high score are then further reviewed as a group to determine if there are sufficient highly ranked papers centered around a specific topic (these may be cross-disciplinary or cross-cultural) to form a cohesive session. 

(3) If the Program Committee is able to successfully form cohesive sessions with individual paper proposal submissions, these selected papers will be accepted to appear on the formal program.  

(4) The panel chair, typically a Program Committee member, will request copies of the papers to be presented in advance of the conference and will contact each Individual Paper presenter with the information regarding the panel format (i.e., presentation order, presentation time length, etc.).  Panel members will also be required to exchange papers ahead of time, so that they can read and develop linking comments or questions about each other’s work.

There are only 10-13 Individual Paper sessions slots available and created for the annual conference; each session will have 4-6 papers. 

The above process can result in a highly-scored paper ultimately being rejected due to a lack of fit within the formal program.  We do not add Individual Papers to accepted Organized Panel sessions. 

UPDATE for 2024 Conference:

For IN PERSON Individual Paper presentations: The above selection process for Individual Papers will remain the same for individual paper proposal submitters.

For VIRTUAL Individual Paper presentations: High-scoring paper proposals that also indicated an option for virtual presentation will be presented individually on the virtual platform. These individual paper presentations will be pre-recorded and available for viewing through the Annual Conference time frame and beyond.

Individual Paper Proposal participants are not eligible to apply to the AAS International Exchange Travel Grant program.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING INDIVIDUAL PAPER ACCEPTANCE RATES (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS)

There are a limited number of Individual Papers accepted (less than 10%).  The Program Committee considers the AAS annual conference to be primarily a session-based conference, and thus, the acceptance rate for individual paper abstract proposals is much lower than that for Organized, Roundtable, or Workshop session proposals (approx. 70%).  For example, the 2018 conference had 443 sessions – only 15 of which were made up of Individual Papers submissions (approximately 65 papers).  We strongly encourage working with colleagues to join or form an organized session for consideration.

To help increase your odds of acceptance to present at the AAS Annual Conference, we have established a forum for Individuals interested in connecting with others to form an organized panel session or to join a session that is currently in the development stages.  Click here to Join the Community to post your interest in joining or organizing a session.

The committee would like to remind junior scholars that AAS Regional Conferences are the ideal place to submit individual paper proposals and to meet like-minded scholars who might be interested in collaborating on organized panel proposals for the following year’s national AAS meeting. For a list of AAS Regional Conferences, visit:   https://www.asianstudies.org/conferences/regional-conferences/