ADVICE FROM THE EDITORS

1. Understand the Conference Format Familiarize yourself with the conference format. CEA panels feature 3-4 presenters delivering 15-minute presentations—that is, the reading of an essay. Time limits require selective content and a highly focused argument. At the same time, because you can’t know what listeners know about your topic, offer necessary context. 

2. Identify Your Core Message A seminar paper often contains complex arguments and extensive evidence. A conference presentation needs to be succinct. Start by identifying the core message or argumentof your paper. What is the key point that you want the audience to take away? Aim for a central idea that can be expressed in one or two sentences.

3. Distill and Simplify A seminar paper often contains complex arguments and extensive evide. A conference presentation needs to be succinct. Start by identifying message. Limit yourself to 2-3 main points. Choose your evidence carefully as the time limit precludes the reading long passages of text.

4. Adapt Your Language Academic language is formal. In a conference presentation, you need to ensure that your audience can follow your arguments. Avoid jargon and overly complicated sentence structures. Keep your language more conversational and engaging. If you do/must use unfamiliar terms, define them succinctly.

5. Use Visual Aids If appropriate (and helpful), use slides to highlight key points, showcase evidence, or provide visual examples, not to make your argument. Keep slides simple and easy to read from a distance. Avoid too much text. If you are unfamiliar with rules for the design of slides, look at resources on the web. Because technology can fail, your presentation must be able to stand alone. 

6. Practice Your Presentation Panel moderators maintain strict time limits to ensure all presenters have sufficient time and that there is also time for discussion. At CEA, the panel moderators will signal with three minutes remaining and again with one minute remaining. At 15 minutes you will be stopped. Therefore, you should practice your presentation. It is best to read off a printed copy and not rely on technology. 

7. Prepare for Questions There will be time for Q&A. You can't anticipate potential questions,and it's okay not to know everything. If you're unsure of an answer, say so and offer to follow up later.

8. Edit and Refine After practicing your presentation and receiving feedback, make necessary changes. Refine your argument, simplify complex points, or redesign unclear visuals. 

Follow these steps for a clear, engaging, and well-prepared presentation. Remember, the purpose of a conference is not only to share your work but also to learn from others. Attend other presentations and note what works well for them. Then, you can incorporate what you learn into your next conference presentation. 

 1. Reread Your Conference Paper Consider any feedback from your session. Identify areas that need improvement or expansion for a more comprehensive and in-depth analysis.

2. Identify a Suitable Journal Consider the journal you are targeting and its particular readership. Read a handful of representative essays. This practice will help you tailor your writing style and content to suit the intended audience.

3. Title and Abstract: Revise the title and abstract to reflect the expanded essay's content. If required, an abstract should concisely summarize the essay's main arguments and evidence. 

4. Expand Your Introduction Expand the introduction to provide more context and background information. Clearly state the purpose of the essay, the thesis, and the significance of the topic. Introduce the main arguments that will be explored in the essay.

5. Literature Review/Context Expand the literature review or context section by incorporating more relevant sources and discussing them in greater detail. Analyze and synthesize the literature to show how your essay contributes to the existing body of knowledge.

6. Methodology (if applicable) Elaborate on the research methods and approaches used in your study. Justify your methodology choices and discuss how they contribute to the overall analysis.

7. Main Body Organize your arguments into clear and logical sections or subsections. Use subtitles. You can expand or add to the main points of your conference paper. Incorporate additional research, examples, and counter-arguments to enrich the content. Provide in-depth analysis, evidence, and examples to support each argument.

8. Discussion and Analysis Extend the discussion of your arguments and their implications. Compare your results with existing studies, addressing any limitations of your study and/or suggesting areas for future research. Discuss the broader implications of your findings.

9. Conclusion Summarize the main arguments presented in the essay.Emphasize the significance of your contributions to the field. Conclude with a thought-provoking statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

10. Citations and References Ensure all sources are properly cited and formatted according to the publication's guidelines (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).

11. Clarity and Style Edit and revise the essay for clarity, coherence, and academic tone. Eliminate jargon or overly complex language that might hinder comprehension.

12. Proofreading Proofread the essay for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors. Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or writing groups to catch any issues you might have missed.

13. Formatting and Submission Format the essay according to the publication's guidelines (font, margins, spacing, etc.). Prepare any supplementary materials required by the publication, such as tables, figures, or appendices. Secure permissions for any images.