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Department of Politics and Government

Conference Guidelines

For Presenters

You may have never presented a paper at a conference previously, and you may be nervous, but most people who present are nervous also. So try to relax and try to relate to the other people by talking about something you have research well.

Do not read from your paper, as a presentation read from a paper does not stimulate thought or promote discussion as well. Stand, don't sit, while presenting Think of your own experience of presentations and recall which were exciting and which ones seemed cut and dry.

  • You have 15-20 minutes to speak about your paper. Please stick to this time limit in order to respect other presenters, so all will have plenty of time to speak.
  • PowerPoint is available for your use, but not required. To plug in your computer you will need a 15-prong VGA adapter.
  • You are welcome—encouraged, even—to make changes and further develop your paper, just post it to the website by March 24th using this form.

Practice your presentation in advance. Be sure that your presentation will be within the time restraints. You may have to omit portions of your paper, but this should not to be of detriment to the integrity of your topic. It never hurt anyone to practice a presentation. If possible, give the presentation to a group of friends, a professor, or a tape recorder!
Feedback may prove constructive.

After your Presentation:
Each panel has been assigned a discussant; they are all students. They have read your paper and will go up after you present to recap the main points and ask a few questions. They will then facilitate discussion, in a Q&A format, with the audience. If you would like to communicate with your discussion chair, please let me know and I will give you their contact information.

FAQ

How many people are usually there?
Attendance varies, especially depending on the time of day. We generally have about 15- 20 people at each presentation, but the range has been from 15-50 depending on topic and time of day.

Where does the conference take place?
The first floor of the Bone Student Center

How should I dress?
You should dress professionally. A suit is not required, but is certainly not discouraged. Really nice shirt with a tie is good. Please wear something professional that you are comfortable in.

For Discussants and Chairs

An important part of Political Science is dialogue and discussion. We encourage this throughout the conference and hope that discussion lasts far beyond the conference.

Both chairs and discussants (and anyone else who wishes) should make recommendations or deserving papers for the Pi Sigma Alpha awards. Email your recommendations to Dr. Klass (gmklass@ilstu.edu) after the conference.

The chair manages the proceedings, welcomes the audience, introduces the presenters and discussant, makes sure preenters do not go on for too long, directs questions from the audience. The chair should read the papers and be prepared to participate in the discussion (even, before and after the panel session).

After participants have completed their presentations, we allow for a period of discussion. Discussants serve to bridge the gap between the presentation and subsequent discussion. Each discussant will have about 15 minutes to ask questions of the presenters or highlight important aspects of the presentation.

Discussants and chairs should have access to the papers on the website by March 25th.

Specific Guidelines
Make sure to read and review the paper prior to the conference. Discuss the ideas and content of the paper with your academic peers, or professors. If you are unsure about any aspect or source of the paper, make sure to obtain this knowledge prior to the conference. Note important themes and concepts. Compare the paper to other papers of similar nature that you may have read pertaining to Political Science. Develop questions, if necessary, and have a sense of what you may want to highlight during your portion of time after the presentation.

Make sure to practice. Seems simple, but if you are unsure of the rhythm and speed of you presentation, then you may be prone to speak too long, or too quickly.

Do not forget to arrive at least a few minutes before your session. As a courtesy to the other speakers, you are expected to be present for and participate in the entire session to which you have been assigned.

You may disagree with the presenter, but do not forget to be courteous. Remember, you are there to help foster an intellectually stimulating discussion.