How to increase your chances of getting panels accepted for DSA2025
Submitting a panel proposal to an academic conference can be a competitive and complex process, and the bar for panel acceptance can be high. Each year, the DSA Council and the conference host assembles an interdisciplinary Scientific Committee who review and select the panels for the conference. The DSA2024 conference received 136 submissions – of which 74 were selected by the Scientific Committee. Here are some tips to increase the likelihood of your panel being accepted at a DSA conference.
1. Craft a cohesive narrative that aligns with the conference theme
DSA2025 will have a central theme or set of subthemes, although panels may also relate to development studies more broadly. When organising a panel, it can help if your proposal aligns with the theme of the conference theme. Review the conference theme and call for panels webpages carefully and identify how your panel topic fits into the event’s goals. A successful panel proposal should have a clear, cohesive narrative around a central question or problem that all prospective panelists may address from different angles.
Tips for alignment:
- Reference the conference theme directly in your proposal.
- Use keywords from the call for panels to signal that your panel aligns with key areas of interest.
- If your panel doesn’t fit the theme perfectly, clearly explain why your topic adds value or offers a valuable and/or new perspective.
2. Diversify panelists and formats
Conferences are often looking for panels that offer a diversity of perspectives. This can mean diversity in terms of research methodology, theoretical approaches, geographic focus, or career stages. A panel that features a range of voices often stands out more than one made up of researchers with similar viewpoints.
The conference welcomes diversity in panel formats, and you don’t need to stick to the usual presentations followed by a Q&A. Past conferences have included fireside chat formats, roundtables, and participatory workshops. Think about what works best for your theme.
Ideas for diversifying your panel:
- Include both early career and established academics, and encourage practitioners (non-academics) who may bring entirely new perspectives to the theme, offering a balance of experience and emerging perspectives.
- Working collaboratively on panels strengthens and increases the possibility of success. Aim for gender, racial, and geographic diversity, ensuring that your panel represents a wide range of academic voices including those from the Global North and the Global Majority.
- Incorporate interdisciplinary approaches by inviting scholars from different fields who can contribute to the discussion in unique ways.
3. Choose an engaging and clear title
Both the title of your panel and the titles of individual presentations should be clear, concise, and engaging, with a balance between being intellectually rigorous and accessible. A catchy title that accurately reflects the substance of the panel is more likely to catch the attention of the Scientific Committee and ultimately attendees.
Title crafting tips:
- Use active verbs and avoid unnecessary complexity in phrasing.
- Consider subtitles to make the topic more specific (e.g., “Global Networks: rethinking connectivity in postcolonial studies”).
- Test your titles with colleagues to ensure they are clear and engaging.
4. Highlight the timeliness and relevance
The Scientific Committee may appreciate panels that speak to timely issues or offer new insights into ongoing academic debates. If your panel engages with contemporary topics or addresses a gap in the existing literature, be sure to emphasise this in your proposal.
Past conference programmes are available on the DSA website. It would be worth looking at the previous conference to see if there was a very similar panel and if there was, you should be explicit about what new element or direction your panel is exploring.
How to emphasise relevance:
- Mention any recent developments in your field that make your panel particularly timely.
- Highlight how your panel contributes to pressing societal, political, or academic questions.
- If applicable, reference recent publications or conferences to show your panel builds upon or challenges existing research and show engagement with recent research or publications.
5. Write a quality abstract
Panelists need to provide a short and long abstract. Both should be well-written and explain the panel’s theme and goals. Poorly written or vague abstracts can weaken an otherwise strong panel proposal. You may want to collaboratively work with your co-convenors to develop the abstract. The conference Scientific Committee will be looking for well-organised panels with clear objectives.
Steps to improve abstract quality:
- Develop a concise, well-written short and long panel abstract that introduces the topic and outlines the panel’s intentions.
- Have your abstract peer-reviewed within your network to identify potential improvements.
6. Get feedback before submitting
Before submitting your panel proposal, seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, or past conference participants. They can offer a fresh perspective and may spot weaknesses or inconsistencies that you overlooked. Ask them if this would be a panel they would be interested in attending.
Who to ask for feedback:
- Colleagues who have organised or chaired panels before
- Members of your academic network who have attended the same conference in previous years.
- Trusted peers from other disciplines who can help clarify the proposal’s relevance beyond your immediate field.
7. Submit early and carefully follow instructions
Finally, make sure to submit your panel proposal early, allowing time for any last-minute revisions or technical issues. We receive a flood of submissions just before the deadline, which means if you have any technical issues you may not have allowed yourself enough time to get support from the conference team. Make sure to follow all the submission guidelines carefully, from formatting to word count, and include all required information.
Final checks before submission:
- Double-check all submission requirements and ensure your proposal complies with word limits, formatting guidelines, and any special instructions.
- Make sure all the co-convenors have submitted their inputs on time and that their information is correct.
- Proofread everything one last time to eliminate any typos or formatting errors.
We want to see your panel accepted for DSA2025. Getting your panel accepted requires thoughtful planning, collaboration, and a strong, cohesive narrative. By aligning with the conference theme, diversifying your panel, and ensuring clarity and quality in your proposal, you can significantly improve your chances of success. Following these steps will not only boost your panel’s visibility but also enrich the conference experience for all involved. Good luck with your submission!
Why was my proposal not selected?
With so many proposals, and the conference limited to its two and a half days, inevitably only a proportion can be successful. This doesn’t mean, however, that your proposal was weak or poor.
- One of the most common reasons a proposal might not be accepted is that it is one of several on the same topic. In order to keep the breadth of topics at conference, we often need to choose which of several approaches to a particular issue we can accept.
- Another common reason for not accepting a proposal is that it is not explicit enough in how it fits in with the theme of the conference. Follow the advice above to show how your idea fits.
- We do have panels based around a new book or book in progress, or around a single research project or intervention. For the most part, however, we want panels to speak in diverse ways around a topic. So if we have lots of submissions which bring together authors from a book project or similar, we will only be able to accept a few.