Submission Guidelines

The SS15 Organising Committee welcome papers on any aspect of sociolinguistics. Proposals related to the conference theme "Culture, Contact, & Change" are particularly welcome. Abstracts will be reviewed anonymously by a panel of reviewers and will be accepted on the basis of their scientific merit. Authors may list a preference for their category of proposal ((i) themed panel; (ii) poster; (iii) paper)) however, with respect to (ii) and (iii), the Committee reserves the right to place contributions in either category in consultation with the reviewers.

Each author may submit no more than one individual and one co-authored abstract.

Deadlines

• Deadline for thematic panel proposals (workshops & colloquiua): DEADLINE PASSED
• Deadline for paper and poster proposals: DEADLINE FOR PAPERS PASSED. POSTER PROPOSALS STILL BEING ACCEPTED.
• Notification of workshop/colloquium acceptance/rejection: ALL NOTIFICATIONS SENT
• Notification of paper acceptance/rejection: ALL NOTIFICATIONS SENT
• Notification of poster acceptance/rejection: If you have recently submitted your poster proposal (Nov/Dec 2003) please be patient. Otherwise, if you have not heard the outcome of your poster proposal, please email ss15@ncl.ac.uk
• Registration: OPEN
• Submission of revised abstracts: DEADLINE PASSED
  (Note: these should be submitted via email to ss15@ncl.ac.uk. If we do not receive an updated abstract from you, your original submission will be printed in the abstracts book).

General Guidelines

• All abstracts received by the SS15 Committee must be in English (though themed panels may be proposed that will be in languages other than English and this intention should be clearly stated in the body of the panel abstract).
• The maximum length of the abstract is category-dependent and must be strictly adhered to.
• The number of words should be listed at the end of the abstract.
• Do NOT add author names or affiliations to the abstract text.

Outline Description of Proposal Categories

(i) Themed Panels - Workshop/Colloquium

• A Workshop. A workshop is intended to provide an opportunity to present a number of linked papers quite informally. The format is, therefore, less rigid than that for a colloquium, but all papers should still relate to a central theme. The content of each paper should present 'cutting-edge' work in progress. There is no requirement to publish the workshop outcomes, although this may be desirable.
  
  The workshop organiser has a number of roles:
  (a) to submit a proposal (see below) by the deadline (02/03/03);
  (b) to collate the abstracts of the participants (max. 400 words each) and submit them to the SS15 Organising Committee by 15th November 2003. An online form for this purpose will be provided on the SS15 website by 31st October 2003;
  (c) to chair the workshop session at SS15;
  (d) to liaise between the workshop members and the SS15 Organising Committee (ensuring, for example, that all speakers register for SS15 by 31st January 2004).
  
  The workshop organizer should submit a 750-1000 word proposal describing:
  (i) the workshop topics and how these relate to the conference themes;
  (ii) the background to the research and objectives of this particular meeting;
  (iii) a list of topics for discussion;
  (iv) the language chosen for use in the workshop;
  (v) how the workshop will be organized;
  (vi) a short list of references.
• A Colloquium. A colloquium is intended to cluster several papers around a central theme. The format is one where participants submit their contribution in pre-publication form to the colloquium organiser a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the conference. This is so papers can be circulated in advance to all panel members with a view to providing a very focussed debate at the meeting itself.
  
  The colloquium organiser has a number of roles:
  (a) to submit a proposal (see below) by the deadline (02/03/03);
  (b) to send the pre-publications on to members of the panel and the discussant (if one is planned) to enable them to prepare a response;
  (c) to collate the abstracts of the participants (max. 400 words each) and submit them to the SS15 Organising Committee by 15th November 2003. An online form for this purpose will be provided on the SS15 website by 31st October 2003.
  (d) to chair the colloquium session at SS15;
  (e) to liaise between the workshop members and the SS15 Organising Committee (ensuring, for example, that all speakers register for SS15 by 31st January 2004);
  (f) to seek out a publisher for the colloquium proceedings. N.B. Support for this task, should it be useful, can be provided by the SS15 Organising Committee. For further details, please email ss15@ncl.ac.uk
  
  The colloquium organizer should submit a 750-1000 word proposal describing:
  (i) the colloquium topics and how these relate to the conference themes;
  (ii) the background to the research and objectives of this particular meeting;
  (iii) a list of topics for discussion, including a list of proposed titles from contributors (translated into English, if required);
  (iv) the language chosen for use in the colloquium;
  (v) how the colloquium will be organized (3 papers; 5 papers and a paper from a discussant and so on);
  (vi) a short list of references;
  (vii) your plans for publishing the proceedings (what format is intended; edited work or special issue of a journal etc.); whether or not you have already approached a publisher and whether assistance from the SS15 Organising Committee will be required.

The maximum amount of time allotted to one themed panel (either workshop or colloquium) will be 3 hours, consisting of 6x30 minute sessions. The time limit will be strictly adhered to, so as to allow movement between sessions.

(ii) Posters

Proposals for posters should be no more than 400 words in length (including references) and there should be no difference in quality between these and papers (the format for proposals, therefore, being the same for both). Identical academic standards should apply in each case, but posters may be a more suitable way of presenting late-breaking results, or significant work in progress. Both will be submitted to the same refereeing process. The choice between the two modes of presentation should depend on the most effective and informative way of communicating the scientific content of the proposal.

By definition, posters are less formal and more interactive than a paper presentation. Poster presenters have the opportunity to exchange ideas one-on-one with attendees and to discuss their work in detail. Each presenter will be provided with 6x4 feet (180x120 cm) of board space (landscape) on which to display their work. They may also provide handouts with examples or more detailed information.

There will be a dedicated poster session at SS15, during which presenters should be available in person to explain their work and field questions. It is hoped that posters will remain on display throughout the duration of the conference.

(iii) Papers

Proposals for papers (400 words max, including references) should describe original work; either completed research which has given rise to substantial results, or the development of significant new methodologies, or rigorous theoretical, speculative/critical discussions. Individual papers will be allocated 30 minutes (20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for questions). The time limit will be strictly adhered to, so as to allow movement between sessions.

Format of Proposals

• Abstracts can either be submitted on-line (preferred), via e-mail or via regular mail. Faxed abstracts will not be accepted.
• On-line submission [please follow link]
• E-mail submission:
  If you have any problems with on-line submission, please send us an e-mail to ss15@ncl.ac.uk with your abstract in the body of the message. Only basic ASCII characters can be used. Do not include figures, formulae or special characters. Provide also the following information:
  · last name
  · first name
  · title of abstract
  · affiliation
  · postal address
  · telephone number
  · e-mail address
  · preferred category of submission: paper, poster, or panel (state whether workshop or colloquium).
• Regular postal submission:
  UPDATE (3rd Nov 2003): Only submissions for posters made via the online form will now be considered.