Call for Papers

Key Information
  • Conference Dates: Tuesday, July 09, 2019 to Wednesday, July 10, 2019
  • Conference Theme: "Independence & Interdependence"
  • Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline: February 22, 2019*
  • Final Abstract Submission Deadline: April 23, 2019
  • Results of abstract review returned to authors: Generally within four weeks
  • Full conference registration fees due for all presenters: May 24, 2019
  • Full conference paper submission (after the event): August 10, 2019

*Submit early to take advantage of the discounted registration rates. Learn more about our registration options.

The Organising Committee of The European Conference on the Social Sciences (ECSS) is calling for abstract submissions. To present your research at the conference your abstract must first pass double-blind peer review. Upon payment of registration fees, your attendance at the conference will be confirmed.


Conference Theme & Streams

Conference Theme: "Independence & Interdependence"

The conference theme for ECSS is "Independence & Interdependence", and the organisers encourage submissions that approach this theme from a variety of perspectives. However, the submission of other topics for consideration is welcome and we also encourage sessions across a variety of interdisciplinary and theoretical perspectives.

Submissions are organised into the following thematic streams:

  • Anthropology, Archaeology, Cultural Studies and Humanities
  • Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences
  • Computational Social Science
  • Cultural and Media Studies
  • Economics and Management
  • Education and Social Welfare
  • Demography, Human Geography & Population Studies
  • Ethnicity, Difference, Identity
  • Globalization and Internationalization
  • Immigration, Refugees, Race, Nation
  • Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Gender
  • International Relations & Human Rights
  • Journalism and Communications
  • Linguistics
  • Natural, Environmental and Health Sciences
  • Politics, Philosophy, Ethics, Consciousness
  • Politics, Public Policy, Law & Criminology
  • Psychology & Social Psychology
  • Research Methodologies, Quantitative and Qualitative
  • Social History
  • Social Work
  • Sociology
  • Sustainability
  • Teaching and Learning
  • Technology and Applied Sciences
  • Urban Studies
  • Other

How to Submit Your Abstract

  • To submit, go to IAFOR's online submission system.
  • Create your account. Your email address will be used as your username and you will be asked to ​create a password. Please be aware that the information you enter when creating your account will be used for official Letters of Acceptance, Letters of Invitation, and Conference Programmes, so please ensure correct spelling of names, affiliated institutions, and so forth.
  • Submit your abstract (maximum 250 words), choosing from the presentation formats listed below (Oral, Poster​, Symposium, Workshop ​or Virtual).
  • Submit well before the submission deadline in order to benefit from Early Bird or Advanced Registration rates.
  • Your abstract will undergo double-blind peer review and the results will be returned to you generally within four weeks.
  • If your abstract is accepted you will be invited to register for the conference.
  • Upon payment of the registration fee, you will receive a confirmation email containing your official receipt.


Submission Status

Check on the status of your abstract submission by logging in to the online submission system. The status is displayed in the "Your Submissions" area. Your personal information may be edited at any time.

If your paper is accepted for presentation at the conference, a notification email will be sent to your registered email address. If you do not receive this email, please contact us at ecss@iafor.org.


Presentation Formats

Oral Presentation (25 minutes)

This is the standard presentation format. In an oral presentation the presenter delivers their research to their audience verbally, often accompanied by a PowerPoint slideshow. Oral presentations are generally organised by stream into parallel sessions comprising three or four presentations.

Poster Presentation (60 minutes)

A poster presentation provides a relaxed presentation atmosphere in which the presenter uses a poster pinned to a poster board (1800mm high by 900mm wide) to illustrate their research. Presenters will often engage with interested participants on a one-to-one basis, providing excellent opportunities for networking, discussion and relationship building.

Virtual Presentation

Virtual presentations afford authors the opportunity to present their research to IAFOR’s far-reaching and international online audience, without time restrictions, distractions or the need to travel. Presenters are invited to create a video of their presentation, which is then uploaded to the official IAFOR Vimeo channel and remains online indefinitely. This is a valuable and impactful way of presenting in its own right, but also an alternative means for those delegates who may be unable to travel to the conference due to financial or political restrictions. The same publishing opportunities apply to virtual presenters, with final papers being included in the Conference Proceedings.

  • Following the conference, virtual presenters will be mailed a conference pack, including an official payment receipt, certificate of participation and a printed copy of the Conference Programme.
  • The Vimeo channel will be referenced on all conference materials.
  • There is no limit to length or style but certain restrictions apply to file size and music selection. Guidelines and further information on creating the video will be sent following registration.
  • Please note that video presentations are to be created by the author. IAFOR does not permit live videoconferencing.
Workshop Presentation (60 to 90 minutes)

A workshop is a brief, intensive course, lasting 60 to 90 minutes, which is led by an experienced researcher or practitioner, usually with a PhD-level qualification. It facilitates group interaction and the exchange of information between a smaller number of participants than is usual at a plenary session.

Often a workshop involves problem-solving, skills training, or the dissemination of new content or disciplinary approaches. Conference workshops are typically more instructional and interactive in nature than oral presentations and involve participants working with the workshop leader on a particular topical issue.

Symposium Presentation (90 minutes)

Symposium presentations are conceived and organised by individuals who recruit speakers to present papers or participate in panel discussions on a specific topic. Symposium presentations last for 90 minutes and are typically organised as follows:

  • Introduction
  • 3 or 4 oral presentations based on submitted abstracts
  • Discussion

As the organiser of a proposed symposium, submit your proposal through the online system. Presenters may either submit a joint paper or separate papers to the Conference Proceedings.


Review System

Authors as Reviewers: A Reciprocal System

Our academic events would not be what they are without a commitment to ensuring adherence to international norms of abstract peer review. IAFOR relies on a large number of international scholars from around the world to contribute to a shared vision of promoting and engaging in international, intercultural and interdisciplinary dialogue, and if you are taking part in an IAFOR event, then that would mean you. Authors may be asked to review up to five abstracts for the conference. You are under no obligation to participate in this reciprocal system, but if you are selected to review, and undertake this task of grading abstracts for the conference, you will be credited in the conference programme.


Scheduling Requests

Because of the complexity of putting the Conference Programme together and the large numbers of participants involved, it is not usually possible to accommodate requests for specific presentation days or times. We ask that you reserve requests for religious reasons or other exceptional and unavoidable circumstances.

We encourage participants to attend the conference each day in order to benefit fully from the experience. While requests for specific presentation days or times are not accepted other than under exceptional circumstances, you may request one blackout day – a day on which you will not be scheduled to present at the conference.

Scheduling requests will not be accepted after the registration deadline.


Conference Proceedings

If you wish your paper to be published in the Conference Proceedings, once you have registered please ensure that you upload your full paper through the online system by August 10, 2019.

Final papers are only accepted in Microsoft Word format. Before submitting your paper please ensure that you have read the Final Paper Guidelines and formatted your paper correctly.

The official Conference Proceedings will be published online in a PDF format under an ISSN issued by the National Diet Library of Japan on September 10, 2019.


Publication & Licensing Issues

IAFOR believes in “Open Access” publishing, and since 2009, has been committed to maintaining an online searchable research archive that offers free access to anyone, anywhere, where there is Internet access, regardless of institutional affiliation or scholarly rank. IAFOR publications are accessible on the website (Open Access) to researchers all over the world, completely free of charge and without delay or embargo. Authors and contributors are not required to pay charges of any sort towards the publication of IAFOR journals.

Abstracts, research papers, and video footage are published under an IAFOR user license and are protected by copyright. Users may access, download, copy, translate, text and data mine, redistribute, display or adapt the articles for non-commercial purposes provided that users follow the guidelines set out in the IAFOR User License.

Journals and other forms of print and digital media will be made available by IAFOR to the general public on an online, Open Access basis. By publishing their work with IAFOR, authors enter into an exclusive License Agreement, where they have copyright but license exclusive rights in their article to IAFOR as the publisher.