If you are considering going to graduate school, you might have heard about the importance of presenting papers at conferences. So, what exactly is an academic conference? Conferences are a place where researchers (students, professors, and practitioners) gather to present and share their scholarly work. Conferences can be in-person, virtual, or hybrid events and serve as an opportunity to learn about and discuss new developments in a specific field or subfield. Researchers at a conference are generally grouped into panels with three or four presenters and each give a twenty-minute talk about their paper followed by a question-and-answer session. There is often a special keynote speaker, as well as poster presentation sessions where scholars use large poster boards to present their research. Additionally, there may be interactive workshop sessions and structured breaks that offer an opportunity for networking with fellow researchers.
Why attend conferences? What’s the point? Attending conferences is a way to disseminate new research to other scholars and learn about the research of others in your field and adjacent fields. Conferences can serve as a way to gain feedback on research that is still in progress, helping one refine their ideas as they prepare to teach the topics in a class or submit their essay to an academic journal. I have attended several conferences as both an undergraduate and graduate student and I generally find them to be both intellectually stimulating and personally enjoyable as I get to listen to the research of my peers, ask them questions, and gain feedback on my own paper. I have learned that conferences are a great way to gain peer feedback on research that is still a work in progress, not a time to present research that is already perfected to the point that you are not open to suggestions. I generally like to use PowerPoint slides alongside my paper presentations, but during one presentation, I chose to stop and start the slides since I recognize some people love slides and some hate them with a passion and I wanted to connect with all audience members. It is truly up to the presenter if they want to add a visual element.
One of the most intimidating parts of a conference can be the Q&A portion. For anyone unfamiliar with conferences, you will generally be in a panel of about three people and once everyone has presented for around fifteen to twenty minutes, there is a Q&A session of about fifteen minutes where audience members and the moderator of the panel ask the panelists questions. Being put on the spot to answer a question can be intimidating, but it can also be a great opportunity to work in information you were not able to include in your paper. Generally, each panelist gets asked at least one question, allowing them time to expand on ideas or explore areas their paper did not touch upon. As someone who has served as a moderator, I always ensure all panelists get asked a question and one voice does not dominate the floor, a sentiment I found echoed in Linda K. Kerber’s article “Everything You Need to Know About Your Role as a Commentator or Member of the Audience.” I loved Kerber’s advice: “be a good audience member by bearing in mind the general rule that questions ought to be distributed to the panelists evenly. Address yours to a panelist who has been ignored.” I encourage those new to conferences to not dread the experience; for me, conferences are a fun social event to connect with other scholars interested in similar topics while sharing my own research. Â
I hope this article makes academic conferences seem less threatening! For a first-time conference presenter, there are conferences aimed at students, which can be a great and supportive experience. I urge you to seek out an undergraduate or graduate student conference and present that class paper you have been polishing. You might surprise yourself at how enjoyable and rewarding the experience can be!