Call for Papers

Submission Formats & Procedures

General

• In order to access the forms to submit a proposal, you must have a registered account on the AIA Website.
• All submissions must be made by means of the online submission forms, available via the links below, by the deadlines listed below.
  • Colloquium submission form (March deadlines)
  • Poster Colloquium submission form (March deadlines)
  • Colloquium paper/poster submission form (March deadlines)
  • Open session abstract submission form (Posters, Papers, and Field Reports) (March and August deadlines)
  • Undergraduate session submission form (March and August deadlines)
  • Workshop submission form (March and August deadlines)
  • Roundtable submission form (no later than Nov. 15)
• Participants must confirm that they have followed Academic Integrity and Permissions guidelines (see below).
• Submissions containing Greek characters in the title / abstract must also email or fax a PDF or hardcopy to the Boston office on or before the submission deadline.
• Because the abstract and proposal review process is blind, the names of participants should not be included in abstracts, overview statements, or titles.
• Detailed guidelines for information required for different types of submissions are provided in the sections below.
• Questions regarding how to prepare an effective submission can be directed to any member of the PAMC (Program for the Annual Meeting Committee).

Abstract Format and Content:

• All abstracts, regardless of submission type (except for Joint AIA/SCS Proposals), are limited to 300 words. Session overview statements are limited to 400 words.
• Abstracts must include clear statements concerning the following issues (not necessarily in this order) that help to summarize your research:
  • The research problem addressed
  • Significance of the research (topic, methodology, or outcomes)
  • Goals of the study
  • Sources of evidence / data used in the study
  • Research / analytical methods
  • Conclusions of the study: please note that abstracts that do not include conclusions or outcomes of the research will not be accepted.
• References: Although abstracts should not include extensive citations, some brief references may be included when needed, as noted in the Academic Integrity section below.

Academic integrity:

• References to earlier scholarship must be included for work that is not your own, either through a reference to a particular scholar by name, or with such phrases as, “earlier scholarship,” “others have argued,” and the like.
• Plagiarism and other forms of scholarly dishonesty are actionable under the AIA Code of Conduct. Consequences may include withdrawal of the paper from the program.

Permissions requirements:

• All presenters must obtain proper permissions for their presentations. Each statement must be confirmed by the individual presenter on the submission form.
  [ ] I have read, acknowledge and understand the statements above. The abstract I have submitted is my own original work, in accordance with accepted scholarly and professional standards.
  
• If your paper includes unpublished material OR data from an archaeological project that you are not directing:
  [ ] I have received permission to present this unpublished material from the project director or other authority (such as a government authority).

Organized Sessions

Each of the four different organized session formats (Colloquium session, Joint AIA-SCS Colloquium session, Poster Colloquium session, and Workshop session) has a distinct submission procedure. All organized sessions except the Gold Medal Session must be submitted by the first set of deadlines in March.

Session Organizers are responsible for fostering inclusivity in organized sessions. Session Organizers will be required to check a box affirming that participant diversity in terms of gender, race / ethnicity, and career stage have been taken into account in session composition. 

Please note: As part of their submission, Colloquium Session and Joint AIA-SCS Colloquium Session organizers may nominate one presenter who resides outside the United States of America and Canada as an applicant for non-resident scholar travel funding. A brief bio of the nominated individual is required at the time of submission. For more information on this funding, see the “Funding” section.

Timing considerations for Organized Sessions:
For all organized sessions, Session Organizers must take into account all of the timings for paper presentation, presenter changeover, introductions and discussion when assembling an organized session.

Session organizers must include time for:

• a 10-minute introduction
• up to six papers of 15-20 minutes each (specify requested length)
• 5 minutes between each paper for speaker changeover
• a 10-minute break for sessions with four or more papers
• 15 minutes for each discussant (maximum two)
• maximum session length of 180 minutes; most sessions will be shorter

For example, a session with seven 20-minute papers would exceed the maximum time-slot once the additional required times are added.

The PAMC will request timing changes to all accepted sessions longer than 180 minutes. If you have any questions about the time your session will require please contact us at annualmeeting@archaeological.org.

Colloquium Session (March submission deadlines)
Sessions under this format consist of a group of papers concerning a common topic or theme. The papers should represent a coherent and clearly focused set of presentations that combine to provide significant new insights into the session topic or theme. The PAMC does not guarantee the acceptance of any particular session, or that all papers in an organized session will be accepted.

Colloquium Session Organizer responsibilities:

• Complete and submit the Colloquium Session Submission Form
• Draft and submit the Colloquium Overview Statement (see below)
• Collect information to complete and submit the Paper Submission Form (linked) for each paper in the session, in the order in which they will be presented, and discussants, if any (2 maximum)
• Verify that all presenters have read and confirmed the permission statements before submission
• Organizers may nominate one presenter residing outside the United States and Canada as an applicant for non-resident scholar travel funding. A brief bio of the nominated individual is required at the time of submission. For more information on this funding, see the “Funding” section.

Colloquium Session Participant responsibilities:

• Provide name, affiliation, contact information, paper title, requested amount of time for paper, and abstract to Colloquium Session Organizer

Colloquium Overview Statement (400 words max.) must not include the names of participants, due to the blind review process, but should include:

• An overview of the theme of the proposed session
• Discussion of the relevance and significance of the theme (such as problems associated with current investigation of this theme, its timeliness, etc.)
• A statement on the theoretical or methodological approaches applied to study of the theme in the proposed session in relation to current scholarship on this theme
• An explanation of the relationship of the selected papers to the theme and how they serve to advance scholarship and provide new insights on this topic; papers should be mentioned in the order in which they are to be presented and referred to by titles only

Poster Colloquium Colloquium Session (March submission deadlines)
Sessions under this format consist of a group of posters concerning a common topic or theme. The posters should represent a coherent and clearly focused set of examples of research that combine to provide significant new insights into the session topic or theme. The PAMC does not guarantee the acceptance of any particular session, or that all posters in an organized session will be accepted.

Poster Colloquium Session Organizer responsibilities:

• Complete and submit the Poster Colloquium Session Submission Form (linked)
• Draft and submit the Poster Colloquium Overview Statement (see below)
• Collect information to complete and submit the Poster Submission Forms (linked) for each poster in the session, in the order in which they will be arranged
• Verify that all poster presenters have read and confirmed the permission statements before submission

Poster Colloquium Session Participant responsibilities:

• Provide name, affiliation, contact information, poster title, and abstract to Colloquium Session Organizer

Poster Colloquium Overview Statement (400 words max.) must not include the names of participants, due to the blind review process, but should include:

• An overview of the theme of the proposed session
• Discussion of the relevance and significance of the theme (such as problems associated with current investigation of this theme, its timeliness, etc.)
• A statement on the theoretical or methodological approaches applied to study of the theme in the proposed session in relation to current scholarship on this theme
• An explanation of the relationship of the selected posters to the theme and how they serve to advance scholarship and provide new insights on this topic; posters should be mentioned in the order in which they are to be arranged and referred to by titles only

Joint AIA-SCS Colloquium Session (March submission deadlines)
A Joint AIA-SCS Colloquium Session consists of a related group of at least 4 papers concerning a common topic or theme likely to be of interest to members of both the AIA and the Society for Classical Studies (SCS). The papers should both:

• represent a coherent and clearly focused set of presentations that combine to provide significant new insights into the session topic or theme AND
• include a balanced group of BOTH archaeological and non-archaeological papers

Each session should include four to six papers, with substantial blocks of time for discussion following each paper and/or at the conclusion of the final paper. A session may also include one or two discussants. Individual paper abstracts can be up to 650 words for joint proposals. Sessions of this kind must be approved by both the PAMC and the SCS Program Committee.

Proposals must be submitted to and accepted by BOTH the AIA and SCS; acceptance by one organization does not guarantee acceptance the other.

Joint Session Organizer and Participant Responsibilities:

• For submission to AIA, follow the same procedures as outlined above for AIA Colloquium Sessions. All Joint AIA-SCS Colloquium Submissions must be made to the AIA by the latest March deadline.
• For submission to SCS, follow the requirements stipulated for submission to SCS, in conformance with the guidelines established by the SCS Program Committee for the submission of joint sessions. For details, please see https://classicalstudies.org/annual-meeting/home. All Joint AIA-SCS Colloquium Submissions must also be submitted to the SCS by their submissions deadline in April.
• Organizers may nominate one presenter residing outside the United States and Canada as an applicant for non-resident scholar travel funding. A brief bio of the nominated individual is required at the time of submission. For more information on this funding, see the “Funding” section.

Workshop Sessions (August deadlines)
Workshops differ from Colloquia and Open Sessions, in that they do not include standard-length presentations. Instead, they are meant to be flexible in ways that colloquia and general sessions are not, allowing time and space for participant and audience interaction, including debate, discussion, audience participation, hands-on activities, and / or small-group work, etc.

Space: Rooms for Workshops will be set up classroom style, with a maximum audience of 40 people.

Timing: Workshop sessions are allotted a block of time ranging from two to three hours in length.

Workshop Format Options:

Forum Format: This session format is intended to provide participants and the audience the opportunity to interact in an informal setting, with the organizer acting as a facilitator, fielding questions, guiding debate, and directing the discussion. Forum sessions combine:

• Brief, informal oral presentations (5 minutes or less) concerning a common topic or theme
• Discussion and debate that includes the organizer, the participants, and members of the audience

Demonstration Format: This format is particularly suitable for the consideration of new teaching, research, and publication technologies/methods that may require the demonstration and use of equipment, computer software, and the like. Demonstration sessions combine:

• Brief presentations (5 minutes) that instruct and / or demonstrate
• Audience participation via break-out sessions, small group work, and hands-on activities
• An introduction by the organizers, who also act as discussion facilitators, if discussion is included in the session

Workshop Organizer Responsibilities

• Submit all required materials (Workshop Session Submission Form & Workshop Overview Statement) via the online submission system
• Select and confirm up to 10 individuals who will participate in the workshop as presenters
• Prepare the Workshop Session Submission Form, which requires a workshop overview statement, Workshop title, submitter contact information, participants, etc.,
  • Workshop Overview Statement (ca. 400 words):
    • Workshop theme
    • Workshop format (Forum or Demonstration)
    • Rationale for and purpose of workshop
    • Significance to the discipline
    • Structure of workshop (ex. brief papers followed by discussion, break-out groups, and combined discussion, etc.)
    • Discussion of the contribution of each presentation as it relates to the workshop theme
    • Length of time requested for the workshop (2 or 3 hours)
  • List of participants: This must be finalized prior to submission (any changes to the list of participants must be submitted to the AIA office by October 1. The list should include each participant’s:
    • Affiliation
    • Role
    • And, for participants who are speaking or providing demonstrations
    • The presentation or demonstration title
    • The amount of time requested

Workshop Participant Responsibilities
Workshop participants should provide the following information to the session organizer, who will submit the information for the session as a whole:

• Contact information
• Affiliation
• Presentation or demonstration title (if relevant)
• A one-sentence description of how you will participate and an overview of the content of your contribution

Joint AIA-SCS Workshop Session (March submission deadlines)

Please note that Joint AIA-SCS Workshop submissions must be submitted for consideration by the spring deadline, but should otherwise follow the guidelines included in the “Workshop Sessions” section above. Please check the “Joint AIA/SCS Workshop” checkbox if you are proposing a joint session. Sessions must also be submitted separately to the SCS.

Submission for an Open Session (March and August deadlines)

Open Sessions feature individual submissions in four session formats:

• Paper session
• Field report session
• Poster session
• Undergraduate Paper Session
• Undergraduate Poster Session

Accepted individual submissions will be grouped, when possible, into sessions with related papers or posters. All formats require the submitter to complete the Open Session Submission Form.

The Open Session Submission form requires the submitter to provide the following information:

• Submitter contact information
• Presentation title—should indicate the specific content in clear terms.
• Presentation type (Paper, Field Report, Poster, Undergraduate Paper, or Undergraduate Poster)
• Session format (paper, field report, poster)
• Length of time requested (15 or 20 minutes).
• Indication of which of the following eight categories best describes the submission: New World; Old World Prehistory/Iron Age Europe; Ancient Near East/Egypt; Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Aegean/Greece; Archaic/Classical/Hellenistic Greece; Pre-Roman Italy and Roman; Late Antiquity; Archaeological Methodology (underwater; field; lab; computer-based; etc.); Epigraphy; and Other.
• Paper and poster submissions include an abstract summarizing the content of the proposed presentation. The abstract must not exceed 300 words and must conform to the AIA Style Guidelines for Annual Meeting Abstracts. Using the present tense rather than in the future tense. (e.g., “I present an analysis of three sealed deposits,” rather than, “I will present an analysis of three sealed deposits.”), the abstract clearly describes the subject of the paper, and should include the following elements (when appropriate)
• Abstracts must include clear statements concerning the following issues (not necessarily in this order) that help to summarize your research:
  • The research problem addressed
  • Significance of the research (topic, methodology, or outcomes)
  • Goals of the study
  • Sources of evidence / data used in the study
  • Research / analytical methods
  • Conclusions of the study: please note that abstracts that do not include conclusions or outcomes of the research will not be accepted
  • References: Although abstracts should not include extensive citations, some brief references may be included when needed, as noted in the Academic Integrity section below.

Abstracts for Field report submissions should include as much of the following information as possible:

• Title of the project and official auspices or permit agent (university, research institute, government ministry, or other administrative authority)
• When the work was (will be) conducted
• Stage, phase, and tenure of the project overall.
• Methodological approaches (excavation, intensive survey, topographical survey, remote sensing, GPS, etc.) and/or goals or problem orientation of the project
• Results or anticipated results
• Relevance of the results to the project’s research goals and broader issues in the field.

Submission for an Undergraduate Session (March and August deadlines)

Undergraduate students also use the Open Session Submission Form, which requires the following information:

• Submitter contact information
• Presentation title that indicates the specific content in clear terms.
• Session format (paper, poster)
• Length of time requested (15 or 20 minutes).
• Indication of which of the following eight categories best describes the submission: New World; Old World Prehistory/Iron Age Europe; Ancient Near East/Egypt; Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Aegean/Greece; Archaic/Classical/Hellenistic Greece; Pre-Roman Italy and Roman; Late Antiquity; Archaeological Methodology (underwater; field; lab; computer-based; etc.); Epigraphy; and Other.
• An abstract (300 words maximum) summarizing the content of the proposed presentation. The abstract must conform to the AIA Style Guidelines for Annual Meeting Abstracts. Authors should use the present rather than future tense (e.g., “I present an analysis of three sealed deposits,” rather than, “I will present an analysis of three sealed deposits.”). Abstracts must include clear statements concerning the following issues (not necessarily in this order) that help to summarize your research:
  • The research problem addressed
  • Significance of the research (topic, methodology, or outcomes)
  • Goals of the study
  • Sources of evidence / data used in the study
  • Research / analytical methods
  • Conclusions of the study: please note that abstracts that do not include conclusions or outcomes of the research will not be accepted.
  • TIP: Be sure to proofread your abstract prior to submission. Grammatical and spelling errors are taken into account during the review process.
• References: Although abstracts should not include extensive citations, some brief references may be included when needed, as noted in the Academic Integrity section below.

Submission of a Lightning Session Proposal (November 15)
Lightning Session submissions are reviewed by the Student Affairs Interest Group. Please see the Lightning Session Info Page for full details.

Submission of a Roundtable Session (November 15)
Roundtable Sessions consist of informal discussions of designated topics held around dining tables during the course of a brown-bag lunch. Each discussion group consists of the session organizer and any persons registered for the meetings who sign up to participate.

This format as particularly suitable for the informal discussion of topics of general concern in the field, the planning of future colloquium and workshop sessions, issues of concern to local societies, problems or issues of interest to students, and the like. Roundtables will be evaluated and accepted/rejected on a space available basis up through the deadline.

The person who submits the Roundtable proposal acts as the moderator/facilitator. Co-moderators/facilitators are also allowed.

Roundtable Submitter Responsibilities:

• Completion of the Roundtable Session Submission Form. Note that in this instance the submitter is the moderator of the proposed session.
• Submission of a Roundtable Overview (300 words maximum) that provides an overview of the theme, goals, and significance of the proposed session and an indication of the constituencies within the AIA likely to find a session on the proposed format of interest.

The PAMC may also organize supplementary roundtable discussion sessions at any time prior to the meeting in order to provide a venue for the discussion of late-breaking discoveries, controversies, political developments relevant to the discipline, etc. These sessions are generally scheduled for the mid-day break on the second day of the meetings. Sign-up sheets on which individuals can sign up to participate in the various roundtable sessions will be posted in a well-marked public area of the convention venue. The number of places at each session is limited and will be awarded on a first-come first-served basis. Participants will be expected to bring their own lunch.