Conference papers
When submitting conference papers, consider the following:
Theme: Ensure that your paper aligns with the conference’s theme or scope. This increases the chances of acceptance and ensures relevance for attendees.
Reputation: Evaluate the conference’s reputation and its popularity among your target audience. A well-respected conference will enhance the visibility and impact of your work.
Organisers and sponsors: Check the reputation and prominence of the conference’s organisers and sponsors. These add credibility to the event.
Rankings: Check conference ranking databases, such as CORE Rankings Portal, to gauge the quality and regard for a specific conference.
Peer review process: Understand the peer review measures in place. Determine whether the review applies to the entire paper or only the abstract.
Publication and indexing: Check where the conference proceedings will be published and which databases they will be indexed in. Find out whether the published proceedings include full papers or only abstracts.
Budget: Factor in potential travel costs and registration fees when planning to attend a conference. Explore funding options available through your faculty or research centre.
Non-traditional research outputs (NTROs)
Non-traditional research outputs (NTROs) include creative work as research and outputs of traditional research. Examples of NTROs include
- highly experimental works of creative art – music or visual art
- creative writing, dance or design
- translations
- website creation
- exhibitions of archaeological or scientific objects
- commissioned reports.
Outlets for NTROs
Some considerations for selecting an outlet include:
Reputation
The Research Portfolio’s indicators of excellence for events and venues is a helpful resource when evaluating the reputation of an outlet. Considerations include:
- Who are the people or organisations responsible, and how are they regarded by your peers and mentors?
- What contacts and regular clients do they have?
- Are their events or exhibitions reviewed or covered by the media?
- What will be provided in terms of advertising and promotion?
- For research reports written for external bodies, is the body widely known and well regarded?
Outreach
- Will promotional materials be produced that you can share online?
- Will a catalogue, recordings or photography be available?
- Is there an accompanying website you can link to in social media posts or on your personal website?
- How will any report be disseminated or promoted?
Data access
Seek access to data that will help you evaluate the success of your output and strategy.
- Types of useful data include:
- Attendance or ticket sales
- Website visits or Downloads
- If this data is not collected by the organisation or platform, consider ways that you might record your own data.
- Being able to report on your research output can help when communicating about the significance of your work.
- The University of Melbourne guide has research output checklists.
Preservation and recording of NTROs
You might need or want to record your NTRO for reporting to the Sydney Research Collection, for tracking impact or for sharing more widely.
Permissions and copyright considerations
Sharing your work online can increase the visibility, and if your work has been funded by a body like the ARC you will be required to share an open access copy of your work. Copyright permissions are often needed when recording and sharing your outputs.