Conference Organizing and Publishing Resources

This page provides resources to help developing scholars implement a feasible timeline for organizing a conference, publishing a proceedings, and soliciting and reviewing  abstracts and manuscripts. 

There are also links to the proceedings from the SLA Graduate Student Symposium, a collaboration among the University of Iowa, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Conference Planning

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Conference Planning

Timeline for Conference Planning

Download a PDF of a suggested timeline for organizing a conference.

Sample Call for Proposals

Download a PDF of a sample call for proposals.

Reviewing Abstracts

Listen as Drs. Kate Paesani and Kendall King review a sample conference abstract.

Download the abstract scoring rubric (PDF) and the sample conference abstract (PDF) to follow along as they talk through their review.

Dr. Kate Paesani:

 

Dr. Kendall King:

Publishing Proceedings

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Publishing Proceedings

Timeline for Publishing Conference Proceedings

Sample Call for Proceedings

Download a PDF of a sample call for proceedings.

Reviewing Manuscripts

Listen as Dr. Kate Paesani discusses the manuscript review process and explains how to use a reviewer rubric.

Download the SLA Proceedings Review Form (PDF) to follow along and then read sample sample manuscript reviews:

Editing Manuscripts

Learning to edit your work and that of others takes practice and patience. The tips and resources below will help you learn to effectively edit a manuscript you have written.

If you are preparing or editing a manuscript for a CARLA Working Paper, including the SLA Student Symposium Proceedings, please adhere to APA Style guidelines and follow our in-house manuscript preparation guidelines (PDF).

Editing Tips for Authors and Editors:

  1. Define key terminology and use it consistently.
  2. Define abbreviations (e.g., L2 for second language) and use them consistently.
  3. Avoid using the passive voice.
  4. Use past tense when reporting on previously published research.
  5. Only use “on the other hand” after you first use “one the one hand” (e.g., On the one hand, editing is challenging; on the other hand, this list is helpful).
  6. Use the Oxford comma before the words “and” and “or” in lists of three or more words.
  7. Check that all references cited in the text are listed in the bibliography and vice versa.
  8. Verify the accuracy of your references, including year, author name(s), page numbers, and so on.
  9. Ensure that authors names in parenthetical in-text citations and in your bibliography are listed in alphabetical order.
  10. Remember that e.g. means “for example” and i.e. means “in other words;” both abbreviations are followed by a comma (e.g., for example).
  11. Ask a friend or colleague to read your work for content.
  12. If English is not your first language, consider asking a first-language speaker to read for form.
  13. Proofread, proofread, proofread!
  14. Consult the useful list of tips from Forbes.

SLA Graduate Student Symposium Proceedings

Cover of conference publication

Research Approaches to Second Language Acquisition: Proceedings of the 2018 SLA Graduate Student Symposium

Edited by Antonio Alejandro Perez Belda, Hadley Galbraith, Kevin Josephs, Angela Pico Pinto, Evelyn Pulkowski, Kezia Walker-Cecil, and Caolimeng Wuxiha
Publication date: 2019
Price: Free!

Download this Free PDF.

Read Full Description ...

This volume includes six selected papers from the Second Language Acquisition Graduate Student Symposium held at the University of Iowa in April 2018. Entirely student-run, the Symposium is an annual conference dedicated to giving student researchers and educators the opportunity to present studies that address current issues in second language acquisition. The Symposium is a collaboration between the University of Iowa, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Cover of publication

Second Language Teaching and Learning: Diversity and Advocacy Proceedings of the 2017 Second Language Acquisition Graduate Student Symposium

Edited by Monica de la Fuente Iglesias, Zhongkui Ju, Erik Larson, Corinne Mathieu, and Tripp Strawbridge
Publication date: 2018
Price: Free!

Download this free PDF.

Read Full Description ...

This volume includes five selected papers from the Second Language Acquisition Graduate Student Symposium held at the University of Minnesota in April 2017. Entirely student-run, the Symposium is an annual conference dedicated to giving student researchers and educators the opportunity to present studies that address current issues in second language acquisition. The Symposium is a collaboration between the University of Iowa, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.